Hair loss is a common cause of concern among both men and women, and can lead to feelings of insecurity or embarrassment. Although it’s normal to lose up to 100 hairs every day, bald or thinning patches can indicate an underlying issue. While some patients have tried treating hair loss with special shampoos, over-the-counter products, or even wigs, these are often ineffective or provide temporary results at best. With so many misconceptions around the cause and treatment of hair loss, it can be hard to know what’s true and what isn’t. Let’s take a look at some of the most common hair loss myths, and how Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis can help patients with thin or balding hair achieve real results that last!
It’s your grandfather’s fault
Many people believe that their maternal grandfather’s hair seals their own fate, but it turns out this just isn’t true. About 80 million men and women in the United States suffer from hereditary hair loss, which includes both male- and female-pattern baldness. Hair density is actually a polygenic trait, meaning more than one ancestor’s genes determine the outcome. For that reason, your parents, siblings, and other close family members are a better indicator of potential hair loss. If any of them are bald or showed early hair thinning, you might want to be on alert when it comes to your own hair.
Men and women experience hair loss in the same way
Although the end result of hair loss is the same, men and women tend to experience the journey in different ways. Male-pattern baldness will generally form an “M” shape as the hair recedes, and many men lose all the hair on top of their heads. Women, on the other hand, do not typically have receding hairlines. Instead, they see diffuse thinning right on top of their heads. Female-pattern baldness can be an inherited condition, but may also be the result of hormone changes or the aging process.
High testosterone can cause a man’s hair to fall out
Excessive testosterone will not cause a man to lose his hair, but the hormone can play a role in how much is lost. The process of converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, causes damage to the hair follicle. Therefore, men who convert testosterone to DHT most efficiently may find themselves losing more hair than those whose bodies handle this process less efficiently.
Birth control pills cause hair loss
There are a number of male hormones that can cause the hair follicle to become thinner and finer. Hormones like progesterone, which is commonly found in oral contraceptives, can act like these male hormones, but this is more of an issue if a woman is using older versions of birth control. Newer methods have fewer of these side effects; in fact, some doctors may even prescribe birth control to help counteract unwanted hair loss!
Any hair loss is permanent
While it’s frustrating to lose hair at any time, there’s some comfort in the fact that not all hair loss is permanent. Women in particular may be prone to shedding more hair than normal at various times in their lives, including after giving birth. Women also tend to have more nutritional deficiencies than men, especially in iron and zinc, and this can weaken hair. Extreme dieting is another culprit of temporary hair loss, since any restrictive dieting can cause you to lose out on essential nutrients, leading to potentially serious problems with shedding.
Stress causes hair loss
While technically stress can cause hair loss, it has to be extreme. When your body experiences a traumatic event like a major surgery, serious illness, or some other life-altering change, it can disrupt the cycle of hair, shifting it prematurely into the shedding phase. This condition is called telogen effluvium, and thankfully, shedding will usually subside once the stressful event has passed.
Another myth you may encounter when researching hair loss has to do with supplements. There are a number of nutritional supplements available that claim they can prevent or reverse hair loss. To date, there is no convincing scientific research to support this claim. Fortunately, there’s another solution available that has proven results!
NeoGraft hair replacement with Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis
Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis is proud to offer NeoGraft, a breakthrough procedure for men and women who are looking to achieve a fuller, healthier head of hair. There are a number of benefits associated with NeoGraft.
- It’s the least invasive procedure for hair transplantation
- Patients who receive NeoGraft generally feel little to no discomfort
- General anaesthesia is not required, lessening the risk of complications
- There are no stitches or staples used in the NeoGraft procedure
- Patients will not experience any scarring
- There will be no numbness in the donor area
- Recovery time is fast, with little to no downtime
- The results are flexible and natural looking
- Patients are typically able to return to work the next day
How NeoGraft works
Step One
A certified NeoGraft provider here at Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis will carefully extract individual hair follicles from the back of the head, also referred to as the “donor area.” This area is genetically programmed to resist the hormone that causes hair loss, meaning you’ll barely be able to tell that hair was taken from this area after it’s healed, which can be as soon as one week after the procedure. When extracting the grafts, our NeoGraft professionals ensure they’re the same consistency in diameter and length, resulting in a dramatically increased percentage of hairs that accept the transfer.
Step Two
Once the desired quantity of follicles has been collected, the follicular units are carefully separated by size – one, two, three, and sometimes four hair units – to allow for a more natural occurring pattern during the implant process.
Step Three
Your hair transplant surgeon creates recipient sites for the hair on the thinning area in the proper angle, direction, and orientation created in the artistic transplant plan we design specifically for you.
Step Four
These newly transplanted follicles will then enter the normal biological process, “resting” before growing completely new hair in the grafted areas. The result? A fuller head of hair that’s entirely natural-looking. This new hair can be colored, cut, or styled in any fashion. Since there is no linear scar and the hair transplant procedure is completely undetectable, the only people who will know will be the ones you decide to tell!
NeoGraft is an innovative hair restoration option, allowing our doctors to harvest hair follicles with more accuracy and speed than ever before. This gives patients natural-looking results and helps to restore confidence! We believe that anyone affected by hair loss deserves a more desirable and discreet option than what current hair transplant methods and treatments have to offer.
If you’re struggling with hair loss and looking for a procedure that can provide the results you want without impacting your daily routine, we invite you to contact our experienced team today to set up a FREE NeoGraft consultation!