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DERMATLANTA.COM > GRIFFIN CENTER OF HAIR RESTORATION AND RESEARCH > HAIR OPTIONS FOR WOMEN
Hair Options for Women
No Need To Suffer The Embarrassment.
While baldness in men may be considered attractive by some, female baldness is just not as socially acceptable. Those in the beauty and cosmetic field say that women will never follow men down the path to baldness as a fashion trend.
According to the American Hair Loss Council, one out of four women suffers from some degree of hair loss. Hair loss in women is no less distressing than in men. In fact, with the emphasis on beauty, it may even be more traumatic. Hair loss in women is due to a multitude of causes: inherited pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia), hormonal changes such as thyroid abnormalities, menopause or even birth control pills, physical stress from surgery, illness, anemia or rapid weight loss, emotional stress, and medications.
For many women, balding can be the most embarrassing problem they ever have to face. In some cases it is even psychologically devastating because it can considerably lessen a woman's self-esteem.
While the myth has always been that the gene for baldness was handed down from father to daughter to son, some studies have now proven that this is not completely true.
Actually, the genes for baldness are transmitted equally from both parents to all children. Whether or not the genes express themselves depends on what are called gene regulators. These variables are unpredictable and are contingent upon hormonal levels and other changes. While women may have the genes for baldness and they may express themselves in the form of thinning hair, women generally don't progress to total baldness. Ninety percent of women who are balding experience thinning hair in the central region of the head. The other 10% bald more like the men with loss of temporal hair.
In the past, women had little choice but to use wigs or innovative styling to hide their baldness. But today, there are a variety of medical, surgical and cosmetic options for women's hair loss. Correcting underlying medical problems or decreasing stress are important before the replacement process begins.
Rogaine(R) with minoxidil, a FDA-approved hair growth drug, has been proven successful for women. It's a topical drug applied to the hair at the roots and its greatest benefit seems to be in slowing down the hair loss process. Retin-A can also be added to this solution to increase its effects. In women, oral medications can also be used to help regrow hair by suppressing the male-like hormones. Hormonal supplements including thyroid, estrogens, progestins, and anti-androgens have counteracted hair loss.
Doctors are now using natural follicular grafting to treat women's baldness. This microscopic technique focuses on the addition of more hair to thinned areas without damaging the growing hair follicles. Women have discovered the advantage of this technique, which Dr. Griffin developed especially for them. Dr. Griffin's procedure uses small follicular grafts, one-eighth the size of the original grafts, and places these grafts between the natural hairs. Not only does this create a more natural look, but also it eliminates the need to remove any hair so the patient has a greater net gain of hair follicles. Even single hairs can now be transplanted in thinning areas.
Follicular grafting allows early balding areas to be filled in and permits superior growth of the hair because the donor section is smaller and nutrients are more evenly distributed to all hairs within the graft. An improved harvesting technique, done in a strip formation, minimizes follicle damage. And, this harvesting technique makes it easier to create the exact size, shape, and number of grafts that are needed.
As you can imagine, follicular grafting is a tedious process that can't be hurried. Dr. Griffin and his staff perform this hair replacement procedure in his office, and an average session lasts 4-6 hours. There is no significant pain during or after the procedure. The patient returns to Dr. Griffin's office the following day to have the dressing removed and the hair is shampooed and blown-dry. Once the hair takes root and begins to grow, it's difficult to tell the donor hairs from the originals. With the use of "hair-by-hair" grafting, there is no longer the artificial, plugged, "Barbie Doll" look of transplanted hair.
Most importantly, a woman suffering hair loss should consult a physician who specializes in diagnosing the cause and can prescribe a treatment plan that will restore her self-esteem. Wasted time results in delayed diagnosis, extra costs, and increased loss of hair.