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It was not so long ago that I was engaged in a debate about hair transplants and hair loss. Though my knowledge upon the subject was very limited, I was sticking firmly to my too much hair spraying is not the cause of hair loss. The argument arose from my complaints of my hair thinning dramatically as I grow older each year. Yet my good simple friend was convinced it was a self-inflicted problem and hair transplant will not resolve it - we will see that that is not necessarily true.

Luscious lost locks

I used to have people envy my beautiful long thick black hair that trailed down to my lower back. I was around ten years old and I would always complain about its thickness, as I found it difficult to tie it up into different twists and turns. Fifteen years later, I look back to those years and yearn for that long luscious thick hair I once had. Nevertheless, I know for a fact this is not because of ‘too much hair spray’. However, in my case I would not need to go as far as having a hair transplant just yet.

I have my mother to thank for that unfortunate part of my gene (top it with heart disease, weight gain and diabetes and I am the perfect patient that doctors hate!). Unlike most unhealthy genetic traits, hair loss is something you cannot prevent from happening. However, it is a treatable condition, the most popular treatment being hair transplantation.

The facts

On average people can lose and restore between 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. Excessive amounts of hair loss can be a caused by poor nutrition, medication, stress, illness or emotional instability. Male pattern baldness is a common factor that unfortunately does not come with a cure.

Three factors can cause this - genes, hormones and age. None of the three has anything to do with chemical alterations like using too much hair spray, though I am not disproving that theory. Women can suffer from hair loss too, the difference being that women end up with thinning of the hair rather than balding patches.

Men who suffer from excessive hair loss are likely to feel depressed, feel unattractive and often cause low self-confidence. It is a myth that male pattern baldness is a sign of infertility or old age, the fact is around 70% of men and around 50% of women are likely to suffer from some degree of hair loss due to various above explained reasons.

Hair restoration treatments were introduced around the 19th century, with modern treatments used in Japan in the 1930’s. However, it was not used to treat baldness per se but more to treat or replace damaged areas of the skin or eyebrow. It was during the 1950’s that modern hair transplantation, as we know it today was introduced to treat baldness

The procedure

The procedure takes between 3-5 hours, involving a meticulous procedure moving one existing hair follicles from a ‘donor site’ (area in which there is no hair loss usually the back or the side of the head) to the balding area. As long as the patient has enough donor sites, the procedure will be more effective. This is so it enables the follicles to grow for a lifetime, as the transplanted hair follicles are genetically resistant to hair loss. It is performed on a mild anaesthetic and is available on an outpatient basis.

New transplant procedures are being introduced making it less invasive and providing more effective results. One does not have to be too concerned about the cost either, as the procedure has become less expensive than when it was first introduced. The prospect of hair loss is overwhelming, even though there are treatments available, it does not stop the person feeling somewhat uncomfortable and down about it. The treatment is a way of giving the patient control over their appearance again and restoring their loss of self-confidence.

I conclude therefore that hair spraying does not cause your hair to fall, though using it too much is bad for the condition of the hair. Hair transplant is a proven method to treat excessive hair loss, with it being available to the public. Of course, there are side effects but they are usually minor and are always treatable. Best thing to do if one is considering this treatment, is to research into it and go through a consultation with an expert consultant.

Shaun Parker has researched the various types of hair loss that exist and the hair transplant techniques available to combat them.