Hair Transplantation for Female Pattern Baldness
Introduction
The most common reason for performing hair transplantation is for male pattern baldness. However, women can also suffer from thinning of their hair and there can be a wide spectrum of severity. Whilst society accepts a balding male scalp, it is less forgiving when the scalp becomes visible on a woman. Conversely, it is far more acceptable and even fashionable for women to wear wigs or hairpieces and therefore it is rare to see women with balding scalps in public. The most common cause of female hair loss is androgenetic alopecia due to the hormone testosterone. Although found in greater quantities in men, testosterone is also produced in women by the ovaries and adrenal glands. It causes involution and atrophy of the hair follicle bulb and results in thinning of the hair, more often in women over forty.
- Four main patterns of female baldness
- The Procedure
- Planning your surgery
- Why choose London Hair Transplant at LPSA?
- All surgery carries some uncertainty and risk
There are four main patterns of female baldness:
- The geographic pattern is the most common and starts a few centimetres behind the hairline so that a fringe of normal hair growth remains at the normally positioned hairline but balding extends towards the crown. The area at the lower part of the back of the head is usually unaffected as in male pattern baldness and can be used as a donor site.
- The frontal pattern involves receding of the hairline giving a long forehead and the objective of hair restoration is to lower the hairline to a more natural position.
- The temporal pattern has loss of hair at the temples and gives the patient's hairline a masculine appearance. This is easily corrected with a relatively small number of transplanted hairs.
- The diffuse alopecia pattern involves the whole scalp, including the back of the head. In contrast to the other types of balding, although there is decreased density, the remaining hairs are of good quality and rather than becoming fine and wispy. Hiding the donor scar may be difficult in these cases.
Historically, hair restoration procedures gained a bad reputation because the techniques available left an unnatural, 'pluggy' appearance. This meant that it was often immediately obvious that the individual had undergone a surgical procedure. Current methods, however, give a natural hairline and pattern of hair growth, which is unnoticeable to all except the most informed observer. This involves the transplantation of individual hair follicles or groups of hairs, known as follicular units.
If a woman is planning to have a hair transplantation procedure, however, it is important to be realistic. Balding is often a progressive phenomenon as it is in men. If treatment is started early, before the genetically determined extent of balding is reached, then further procedures are likely to be needed and should be planned for. Likewise, if severe balding is present, there may not be enough donor hair to be transplanted to recreate adequate density over a large area and compromises may be necessary. It is these factors, amongst others, which make it important for anyone considering hair transplant surgery to meet with the surgeon who will be performing the operation and following the patient up for many years after.
When well planned and skilfully executed, hair transplantation can yield remarkable results, transforming not only how a woman looks but also how she feels about herself and interacts with society. It is no longer necessary for women who are balding to hide it under wigs. If losing your hair bothers you, a permanent solution is available!
The Procedure
The surgery is performed under a light sedation and administered by an experienced anaesthetist so that discomfort is kept to a minimum. Local anaesthetic is infiltrated, a strip of hair bearing scalp is removed from the back of the head and the wound is sutured. The individual hairs and follicular units are then carefully dissected by the team so that the roots are not damaged. Fluid with adrenaline is injected into the recipient sites to reduce the amount of bleeding and the hairs are then implanted using small stab incisions. Care is taken to create a natural hairline. The duration of the operation varies from one to five hours depending on the extent of the area to be grafted.
Planning your surgery
Following your consultation at LPSA, you will be given pre-operative advice sheets and post-operative instructions for care of the grafts. It is important to follow these. You will also be given guidelines on drinking, smoking and taking or avoiding certain medications. Although the procedure will not take all day, you should keep the day of surgery free of other commitments. Someone will need to pick you up after the surgery and you should rest for the remainder of the day.
Why choose London Hair Transplant at LPSA?
Mr Greg Williams FRCS FRCS (Plast.) is on the General Medical Council Specialist Register as a fully qualified plastic surgeon. He has a specific interest in the field of hair restoration and performs hair transplantation on a regular basis as part of his NHS position as a Consultant Burns Surgeon at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. The initial consultation and assessment is directly with him, not a cosmetic advisor. More importantly, the surgery is performed by him rather than a technician. Since an anaesthetist rather than the surgeon is responsible for your sedation, you can expect the procedure to be as comfortable as possible without actually having a general anaesthetic. LPSA is a partnership of some of London's top plastic surgeons and insists on the highest standards of care for its patients.
All surgery carries some uncertainty and risk
The procedure is generally extremely safe but the risks and complications that can occur will be discussed at the initial consultation. It is important, however, to recognise that results cannot be guaranteed and that your expectations may not be met. This is why a thorough discussion with Mr Williams is so important. Balding is progressive by definition and it is necessary to plan for future hair loss. Many women have been disappointed by overzealous procedures at an early stage of balding, which can be difficult to correct in later years. Mr Williams will help you set realistic and achievable goals for your hair restoration journey.