Thursday 21 October 2010

3rd Generation FUE.....Made Simple

3rd GENERATION FUE HAIR TRANSPLANT

Loss of hair can be emotionally devastating for anybody. But contrary to what most people think, with advanced techniques, the results can be very convincing, especially when restoration is performed by an experienced hair transplant surgeon.

Selston Cosmetic Clinics renowned hair transplant surgeon, Raghu Reddy, has developed the Third Generation FUE, the most advanced minimally invasive method of hair restoration, which can achieve better and more natural looking results than more traditional procedures.

Benefits of Third Generation FUE includes:

· No scalpels, stitches or linear scarring
· Natural-looking results
· Ability to achieve maximum density
· Ability to choose grafts and hair for different areas of scalp
· Lifelong guarantee
· Future loss of hair can be countered for
· Previous scars can be corrected

We are amongst a very few clinics able to treat Afro Caribbean hair.
If you have concerns about hair loss, baldness, thinning hair, or other hair problems, we can help.

When you come to Selston Cosmetic Clinic you will receive an in-depth consultation where we will assess your suitability for hair restoration and discuss the options available to you, including the number and size of grafts, number of sessions and costs. You can view photographs of Dr Reddy ‘s results and ask any remaining questions you may have.

To book an appointment with Dr Reddy phone 01773 861845

1. Causes and Different Types of Hair Loss

The most common type of baldness is called Male Pattern Baldness.
Hair follicles that are producing healthy hairs undergoing male pattern baldness , start to produce thinner, shorter, more brittle hairs with weaker shafts (this process is called Miniaturization). Eventually, these hair follicles produce only fine, almost invisible, short hairs, only visible under a proboscope , which is a hair microscope used to visualise the scalp . The hair follicles can also die out altogether.

Hair loss is related to three factors which work together :

Genes - The genes of baldness can be passed on by either parent. However just because a person has the genes for baldness, does not mean the baldness will necessarily happen. A man whose father is severely bald may only have minimal hair loss , either because the baldness genes have not been passed on or because the power of the baldness gene that he did inherit is weak.

Hormones - The hormone directly involved in baldness is dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT decreases the length of the growing cycle so that with each new cycle , the hair shaft becomes progressively thinner and smaller.


Age - The presence of the necessary genes and hormones are not alone sufficient to cause baldness. Susceptible hair follicles must continually be exposed to the hormone over a period of time for hair loss to occur. The age at which these effects finally manifest themselves varies from one individual to another.

Hair loss does not occur all at once, or in a steady pattern. People who are losing their hair , experience alternating periods of slow and rapid hair loss and periods of stability, when there is negligible hair loss.

Compare your present hairline with the hairline on a photograph taken a few years ago to get an approximate idea of how much hair loss has occurred and the rapidity of the process. Using 2 mirrors you can assess the hair loss at the back of your head.

The most widely used classification of hair loss used worldwide is the Norwood classification
Regular Norwood Classes

Type I• No recession• "Adolescent" or "Juvenile" hairline

Type II• Temporal recession < 1"• Mild recession along frontal hairline• "Mature" hairline

Type III• Further frontal recession• Deeper recession at corners• Earliest stage of balding

Type IIIvertex• Hairloss predominantly in vertex (crown)• Frontal hairline recession may be present

Type IV• Further frontal hair loss and temporal recession• Enlargement of vertex (crown)• Solid band of hair across top separating front from vertex

Type V• Frontal and temporal areas enlarge further• Band separating the two areas becomes narrower and sparser

Type VI• Frontal and vertex balding areas merge into one and increase in size

Type VII• Narrow horseshoe band of hair• Low hairline in the back• Hair in permanent zone may be sparse

Type A Variant Norwood Classes
• Frontal recession keeps advancing backwards• Single area of balding• Eventual extent of balding tends to be more limited than in Regular classes.

Type IIa• Entire frontal hairline recedes
Type IIIa
Type IVa• Hair loss moves past this "mid-coronal" line
Type Va• Hair loss extends towards the vertex• Back part of bald area is narrower than in the regular Norwood VI

A simplified version of the Norwood classification is as follows:

STAGE 1The first tell tale sign of the onset of Male Pattern Baldness is the frontal recessions in the hairline.

STAGE 2Over time these recessions become larger and much more noticeable, and the hairline moves further back.

STAGE 3At the same time as the recessions taking place, a thinning area may also appear on the crown and will gradually increase in size.

STAGE 4The final stage of Male Pattern Baldness is when the hair is lost completely from the crown and frontal region, leaving the familiar horse shoe shape.

The hair on the back and sides of the head is usually thicker, stronger and more densely packed. When the hair from this area is removed to a balding or thinning area it retains its own genetic characteristics and will grow naturally, as it did in its original location,it grows in its new site for life .

With the use of a special magnifying apparatus,called a proboscope , Dr. Reddy can measure the actual degree of hair loss in various areas of the scalp. As long as their is some stable hair on the back and sides of the scalp, you may be eligible for hair restoration transplants.

To book your consultation call 01773 861845

2. Hair Transplant Techniques

The hair in every person's scalp grows in tiny bundles called follicular units. The follicular unit consists of 1-4 hair follicles or 1-2 fine vellus hairs, sebaceous (oil) glands, a small muscle, tiny nerves and blood vessels, and a fine band of collagen surrounding the unit (called the perifolliculum). The follicular unit should be kept intact during the transplant to insure maximum growth. This is where the skill of the surgeon is paramount to get a great result !

Hair transplantation surgery can be broadly divided into Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Strip surgery. Both involves redistributing hair from one area of the head to another, however, the most important difference between the two is the technique used for extracting the follicular units.

1. The Strip technique:

It involves removing the follicular units to be transplanted as one long strip. These follicular units are then dissected under microscopes and placed in to the bald or thinning areas of the scalp, called the recipient area. With this technique a long band of skin is removed from the back of the head using scalpels. A lengthy healing time is required and strip surgery can result in long 6 inch scars.

2. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

A specialized punch with less than 1mm diameter is used to extract the hair from the scalp individually. The main advantage of this technique is that follicular units are extracted directly from the scalp rather than a strip, which obviates the utilization of scalpel and stitching.

The graft extraction is simple, painless and heals within 2-4 days. Most patients head back to work the day following the procedure and can go back to sport 7 days post operatively.

The total number of grafts are dependent upon the strip removed by the surgeon and cannot be known exactly during the procedure (too few or too many grafts could be removed).

With FUE the doctor can decide the exact number of grafts to remove, as he removes them one by one.

The Strip Extraction leaves a scar in the donor area, no matter how good the doctor/surgeon is.

No linear scarring which is particularly important for patients who wish to shave their heads or wear their hair short.

As significant donor area is left untouched, there is the option of having future procedures to address future loss.
Previous scars can be corrected.

The Strip Method is not advisable for small sessions

FUE is ideal for small areas (for moustache or eyebrow replacement) and for patients in initial stages.

There is now clear advantages to FUE surgery – The Third Generation of FUE - developed by Dr. Reddy himself.

Dr. Reddy has spent years perfecting an advanced method of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), in order to achieve better results and less downtime.

Ø The Third Generation FUE allows the production of high quality grafts with less trauma.
Ø Up to 1000 grafts or 3500 hair can be safely extracted in one day
Ø Each graft with third generation FUE contains more hair per graft than traditional FUE.
Ø We are able to achieve perfect hairlines and temple-angle closures with the help of tailored instrumentation for placing the grafts

Pic :A good example of the quality of grafts extracte by third gen FUE- Notice the preservation of the pilo-sebaceous unit and growth elements that are essential for natural looking hair.

Achieving as much density as possible in a single session is the desire of most patients. It was previously thought that density could only be achieved with larger grafts, which resulted in an unnatural look and often a scarred scalp. We use very small grafts to achieve significant density while creating a natural result.

With Advanced FUE, we also have the ability to correct the old "Pluggy" look that resulted from outdated or poorly planned procedures. Repair of older type procedures has become a major part of Dr. Reddy’s practice.

To book a consultation call 01773 861845



3. Medications

Medications play a significant role in both the management and prevention of baldness. The most common FDA approved medications for hair loss are Propecia and Minoxidil (brand name Rogaine).

Minoxidil

Minoxidil has been available for a number of years for the treatment of high blood pressure. It was noted that these patients began growing hair in unusual areas of the body, like the forehead and the backs of the hands. It was thought that applying minoxidil directly to a bald scalp might cause hair growth in this area as well.

Minoxidil can be purchased over the counter – without prescription - in either 2% or 5% concentrations. It appears that the 5% is approximately 50% more effective than 2% solution.

It appears that minoxidil's effects may only be temporary. Since the hormone is always present in the blood stream, the hormone eventually overcomes the effects of the minoxidil so that with time, men using minoxidil continue to bald, although at a somewhat slower rate. The greatest benefit from the medication is seen from 5 months to 2 years, with gradual decrease in effectiveness after that.

Once the drug is stopped, the previous pattern of hair loss resumes, and any effects are lost within two to three months, even if the medication had been used for many years.
Because the effects of minoxidil are temporary, the lifetime cost of using minoxidil can end up being more expensive than the cost of surgical treatments for hair loss.

To book a consultation with Dr Reddy please call 01773 861845

Propecia

Finasteride is a medication which blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the form of the hormone that causes male pattern baldness.

In January 1998 the FDA approved finasteride 1-mg/day (Propecia) for the treatment of male pattern alopecia. Clinical trials - involving 1,553 men, ages 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss - after two years showed that 83% of the men either kept their hair or grew more; 17% continued to lose hair on the medication.

The effects of finasteride are confined to areas of the scalp that are thinning, but where there is still some hair present. It does not seem to grow hair in areas that are completely bald. Results generally peak around 1 year and then are stable in the second year or decrease very slightly.

Although uncommon, there can be side effects of finasteride at the 1-mg/day dose. These should be discussed with your doctor during your consultation. To book a consultation 01773 861845

It is important to remember that when finasteride or minoxidi are discontinued, you only lose the hair that was gained or preserved by the medication, not more. In effect, you return to the level of balding where you would have been if you had never used the drugs in the first place.
The main advantage of hair transplantation over medications is that the results are permanent.

Hair Transplant Surgeon at Selston Cosmetic Clinic

Dr. Raghu Reddy

Dr Reddy is a certified doctor and a member of the British Medical Association. Having qualified in 2000 with a Bachelors in Surgery and medicine, he underwent Basic Surgical Training in the South West of Scotland Deanery.

He has also undertaken post-grad training in dermatology.

Dr. Reddy has spent years perfecting an advanced method of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), for better results and less downtime. The Advanced Technique is a great leap in advancement compared with other traditional techniques.

Dr Reddy’s meticulous attention to detail comes from his personal experience in dealing with hair loss and his pursuit of achieving the best possible results.

It takes years to develop the skills to perfect the technique of Follicular Unit Transplantation. Repair of older type procedures has become a major part of his practice.

Dr Reddy is also one of very few doctors performing FUE treatments on Afro Caribbean hair. Prices......See our web page..fue hair tranplants

How much hair do I need is the most common question.

The number of grafts recommended is highly dependent on information our doctors would gather during a private consultation with you, as well as the characteristics of the hair-coarseness, texture, etc.

In some individuals, it will be impossible to safely move 5000 or more grafts over the individual's lifetime, while in other individuals the number of grafts can reach significantly above 7000.

The surgeon’s knowledge and expertise will highly impact on how successful the treatment is. Therefore we recommend you make sure to go to a very experienced doctor in order to avoid disappointment at a later stage.

To book your consultation 01773 861845

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