Hair loss or a receding hairline can harm any man’s self-confidence. Male pattern baldness affects at least two-thirds of all men in the UK. Most the time it’s hereditary, so if your father or grandfather lost their hair, so will you. Male pattern baldness cannot be prevented, but several hair loss treatments can help bring back your locks. One such popular treatment is the hair transplant. You may have seen the list of celebrities who have openly had a hair transplant is growing — Wayne Rooney, Calum Best and Jake Quickenden all went to extreme lengths to grow their hair (excuse the pun). This type of hair loss treatment is expensive and can be very painful, yet men in the spotlight are happy to take extreme measures to treat male pattern baldness.
However, hair transplant surgery isn’t your only option. We advise trying other treatment methods for hair loss before going under the knife, but we share the pros and cons of a hair transplant below to help you decide whether it’s worth the hefty investment and downtime. We also give you some great alternative hair loss treatments that might work better for your needs.
There are a few pros to getting a hair transplant. Once a patient is fully recovered and the results are visible — which could take up to 18 months — the aesthetic change provides lasting, quality results. Because real hair is transplanted into the follicles where hair had stopped growing, it remains intact for a long time and looks completely natural. During a hair transplant, the recipient is also the donor. Hair is moved from the back of the head to the front, so a natural look is guaranteed.
Thicker hair can result in a more youthful look, which can restore confidence and self-esteem. A hair transplant is not a quick procedure with instant results. However, the results are long-lasting as the hair will continue to grow back for its entire lifecycle. If you choose to have a hair transplant, you shouldn’t have to pay for any other hair loss treatment down the line.
You have to consider the number of risks involved and side effects before choosing to have hair transplant surgery. It is a complex procedure that involves follicular unit extraction and transplantation. Tiny skin grafts and a couple of hairs are removed from elsewhere on the head and inserted into incisions in the scalp. It’s a possibility that this could leave scarring at the insertion sites, although these are usually too small to notice.
Additionally, the surgery comes with risks such as infection, nerve damage and haemorrhaging. Remember this is an operation and surgery always involves risk. The main disadvantage that puts off many hair loss sufferers is the cost — a transplant procedure can cost up to £30,000 depending on the work needed.
Like we said at the beginning of this article, there is no cure for male pattern baldness. However, there are many hair loss treatments to explore that may help stimulate hair regrowth that are constantly evolving. We suggest trying these more affordable options before choosing surgery as they have a good success rate without the need to go under the knife.
Non-surgical procedures for hair loss have gained momentum and are popular options in our clinic. Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy can be used to stimulate the skin on the scalp and encourage the hair growth process. PRP is an interesting treatment for hair loss that involves using your blood to gather growth factors then injected into the scalp. This treatment has a shorter recovery time than a hair transplant and results last for a long time as the hair continues to grow.
Another wonderful thing about PRP hair loss treatment is that it only takes around 30-45 minutes, so it’s a short appointment time — many men have the procedure during their lunch break, or after work. You can return to your normal daily activities afterwards with no downtime. The risks are extremely low compared to that of a hair transplant.
Regaine is a medically-approved dermal cream that you rub into the skin daily. Some men have good results with this — about one-third of men using it get some regrown or it helps prevent any further hair loss.
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