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Anyone who has seen photographs of Wayne Rooney will be aware of hair transplants and the difference they can make. Just 18 months ago Rooney was teased in the media for losing his hair, but now, thanks to a hair transplant, he is sporting a brand new head of hair and looks happier than ever. Rooney is just one of many celebrities opting to have a hair transplant to combat premature hair loss. Other examples include actor James Nesbitt and former Dancing on Ice judge, Jason Gardner.

Why would I consider a hair transplant?

Losing your hair is part and parcel of getting older but for many people, hair loss comes prematurely and this can make them look and feel old. It can also play havoc on one’s self-confidence. Hair loss mainly affects men but it can also affect women. A hair transplant is a long-term solution for hair loss. The results last a lot longer than wigs and hairpieces and the procedure also produces much more realistic results, as natural hair is used from a different part of the head where the hair is still thick.

What are the alternatives?

People who have lost hair have used wigs and hair pieces for many years now and they have improved in quality and aesthetics. Some people may still think of unsightly hair pieces made from artificial materials, which far from blend in with the natural hair, but modern wigs are often lifelike. For people who perhaps do not have a lot of money to spend on a hair transplant, they can be a very effective solution to hair loss. There are also medications and medicated lotions to promote hair growth, although they do not work for everyone.

What does a hair transplant involve?

The procedure involves taking hair from one area of the head and transplanting it to an area of baldness. New methods take single follicular units and implant them in the bald area to ensure that there is no obvious difference between the different areas of the head and to optimise aesthetics. The hair transplant procedure is long and it is an expensive treatment. However, the results can literally be life-changing and most people feel that the outcome more than justifies the means.

Approximately 80 per cent of men under 70 suffer from male pattern baldness, a condition that was widely believed to be caused by the permanent loss of hair follicles on the scalp. However, this belief has been challenged by recent research into the effect of prostaglandins on hair loss. Indeed, while certain prostaglandins actually stimulate hair growth, prostaglandin-D2 (or PGD2, for the scientists amongst us) has recently been discovered to be a potential cause of male pattern baldness.

What is male pattern baldness?

Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is a condition that causes the minimisation of hair follicles on the scalp, leading to the production of microscopic hairs which grow more slowly than other hair. As such, they do not grow quickly enough to replace the minimised follicles. However, with the advent of new research into the effect of prostaglandins, the cause of male pattern baldness is disputed. While previous theories suggested that follicles were permanently destroyed by male pattern baldness, it has recently been suggested that follicles are actually intact, but their ability to produce hair is inhibited by prostaglandin-D2, especially when activated by the protein known as GPR44. There is a threefold increase of PGD2 on the bald part of the scalp than on the hairy part.

What does this mean for sufferers of male pattern baldness?

Previous treatments for male pattern baldness have often involved the replacement of impaired follicles with those from areas of the scalp unaffected by baldness. However, the recent theories that suggest that follicles remain physically undamaged may allow sufferers of androgenetic alopecia to hope for treatments that repair the ability of these follicles to produce hair at the same rate as normal follicles. Indeed, it appears that research into the receptor and activator of PGD2, GPR44, may provide medical experts with inroads into new kinds of treatment that will combat, or possibly prevent, male pattern baldness.

What about the gender difference in androgenetic alopecia?

Although male pattern baldness occurs primarily in men (as suggested by the name), women can suffer from it too. Until recently, there has been ambiguity over the reason that both genders suffer from this condition, but the discovery of prostaglandin-D2 and GPR44 as causes of it may go some way to addressing this. Experts hope that finding treatments that directly tackle the possibility of prostaglandin-D2 as a cause of male pattern baldness will benefit female sufferers of androgenetic alopecia, too.

Experts in the field of science located in Phoenix, AZ, have found a new development involving hair loss. Scientists were researching a gastrointestinal disease and learned accidentally that treatment for this disease may also help prevent baldness, pattern hair loss and alopecia.

Hair loss is a condition that affects approximately 25 per cent of men prior to their reaching age 30. Additionally it affects two thirds of them prior to age 60, some even experience hair loss in their teen-age years.

Reports issued by scientists have described examining mice when they tested a chemical substance on them. These particular mice had been changed genetically to increase their production of corticotrophin-releasing factor, a stress hormone, which caused the mice to drop their coat when they became older.

For this research the mice that were losing their hair were injected five times daily with a new stress reducing hormone called astressin-B. Once injections were completed the mice were placed back into their habitat.

After a three month time period the researchers followed up on their study, and were surprised to find that all of the mice had regrown their coats. The study found this to be the case 100 percent of the time. The scientists used the injections with mice that had not lost their coat yet, and found that the treatment prevented the loss of their fur.

The researchers also discovered that the anti-stress hormone was beneficial for the gastrointestinal system, the cardiovascular system and other areas of the mice’s bodies where receptors are found.

Scientists were excited by the fact that the hormone reactivated the hair follicles. They are hoping that these results can help those who suffer from baldness, hair loss when having chemotherapy and for individuals with alopecia.

Researchers involved with the study have stated that it will take time to discover if the hormone will help humans who suffer from hair loss. The next phase in the study will involve investigating how the stress reducing hormone is able to reactivate the hair follicles. They will also look into which cells in particular are benefiting from the treatment.

For those who aren’t yet ready to embrace a clean shaven head, this treatment may be able to regrow lost hair. It can help regain lost self-confidence that can happen when hair is lost and may be safer because it causes the follicles to reactivate. It may also help other parts of the body.

“We are getting to the age of robotics,” said Dr. Ricardo Meija at the annual meeting of the Florida Society of Dermatologic Surgeons.

Dr. Meija is referring to technology that would allow donor strip and follicular unit extraction to become a reality. Currently new technology is in the works for robotic hair transfers and even hair cloning. There is also technological work being done that would help new growth. All of this technology has been long awaited and would significantly change current obstacles in hair transplantation.

Already, hair transplantation technology has seen remarkable advances. In the past, it took three to eight sessions to reach a rate of 10-200 grafts, and resulted in an unnatural look. Now surgeons are able to accomplish a more natural looking hairline and more transplantation in fewer sessions. While 200 grafts per session used to be common, it’s now standard to accomplish 2,500 grafts.

Even more advances are on the way. In 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved marketing for a new device called the Neograft Automated Hair Transplant System (Neograft) . The device works by utilizing rotating punches to make scores in the skin, and then a pneumatic suction device extracts the hair follicle within. The device can also implant grafts.

In addition technology for hair transplantation, other new devices that use low level light therapies for hair growth have been approved by the US FDA as well; the HairMax LaserComb for men and the MPE-90 Hair Growth Stimulation System for women.

There is also a lot of research being conducted on auto cloning and hair multiplication technologies. The technology would begin with dermal papilla cells or fibroblasts, and attempt to cause the fibroblasts to create enough hair follicles in a culture to replace an entire scalp.

TricoCyte is another cell based hair regeneration technology that uses the proprietary dermal papilla cell process. However, developers of the product aren’t quite satisfied with the product yet. Though many are crossing their fingers for it, as more than half of participants in a study for proprietary cell treatment processes showed significant hair growth up to a year afterwards. The study was conducted at Aderans Research Institute.

Needless to say, with all of the current developments in hair transplantation technologies, hair cloning is not far away from being a realistic option.

“How far out are we?” asked Dr. Meija. “I say 5-10 years.”

“Whilst the latest finding is quite exhilarating, even researchers are cautionary that it will be presumably ten years or more to develop treatments”, these words were spoken by Dr. Arocha. He has conducted more than 3,000 hair transplants and as a Houston Hair Restoration expert, Dr. Arocha has announced the newly discovered breakthrough by researchers at the University Of Pennsylvania a “key breakthrough that hopefully will improve the lives of tens of millions of men”.

This fantastic breakthrough heralded by Dr. George Cotsarelis uncovered the phenomenon of hair growth stoppage. He and his team discovered that hair growth stops at the cellular stage for those who experience androgenetic alopecia or the more universally known term “male pattern baldness.” These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Researchers took scalp samples from 54 hair transplant patients and discovered that stem cells still remained active on bald sections of the scalp. The individuals examined were between the ages of 40-65 years of age. On the other hand, researchers are still baffled. There seems to be a problem activating stem cells changing to progenitor cells, that nurture from the adult stem cells into hair. To state it plainly “they discovered microscopic hair and stem cells contained in the follicles of bald scalp sections. This finding implies that a treatment directed at invigorating the stem cells on a bald scalp could definitely get hair follicles to begin to grow again.”

Dr. Arocha continuously updates his services to integrate scientifically defined tools and skills to advance hair growth and healing. He affirmed “the great news is that men and women with challenging hair loss difficulties can take advantage of multiple proven hair restoring options in the present. These options uses a patient’s own hair to complete a natural, unnoticeable result.”

In the final analysis a current fashionable hair transplant can amount to a natural and undetectable outcome, by using a patient’s own healthy growing hair follicles from the back of the head and prudently inserting the follicles in the balding area of the scalp. The transplanted hair develops at the same pace as the other healthy hair on the individuals head. This method is a permanent solution and never needs reinstated.

Most of us would probably admit having done something “dramatic” to our hair… dying it purple as an identity statement in the ninth grade, chopping it off to get that fresh start you craved after he broke your heart, maybe even shaving your eyebrows just to see if it looked good. Chances are pretty good we’ve never taken “dramatic” to the lengths that these people do, though. Read on for our top 4 Weird Hair Issues from around the globe.

4. Pubic Hair Transplants
Ever thought of your down-there hair as a sign of fertility? Women in South Korea have, and for some, having too little of it is embarrassing. The solution: transplants. No, not from donors, thankfully, but from the recipient’s own scalp line. A sliver of skin is removed from the hairline along the neck and separated into pieces that contain 1-3 hair bulbs each. A laser or scalpel is implemented to make room for the tiny chunks of much-desired pili (the fancy scientific name for hair) in the desired location. The transplanted hairs are arranged in such a way as to be consistent with the pattern of typical pubic hair. With much repetition, this procedure — called micrografting — can produce quite successful results. Meaning: being pube-less doesn’t have to scar you for life. A few cuts and burns later, you can compare parts with Sasquatch and come out a winner. Ew.

3. Eyebrow Transplants
It’s not so surprising that there’s a market for this, is it? We’d expect someone who’s lost their eyebrows to disease or disastrous accident to feel a twinge of discomfort about it. They’re on your face, and… well, what more needs to be said? These make it to the list because of how tricky they end up being. Eyebrows, if you have noticed, are not quite like scalp hair… or leg hair… or pubic hair, for that matter. (Although that would make a good one for another list — eyebrows transplanted from the nether-regions. Interesting.) Scalp hair can be used, but it must be done very carefully. The transplanted hair must be placed flat back against the browline rather than at about a 45 degree angle, like it was “back home” on your head. The holes needed to make room for the new hair must be tiny, since only one hair may be placed at a time. These must be made with a fine needle rather than a scalpel. All that to say, it takes some skill to do this. Don’t let some back-alley quack try it on you, or you may end up with a little stranger over-eye growth than you bargained for.

2. Longest Ear Hair Ever
The guy that made the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest ear hair ever recorded. Everyone wants to be known for something. But did it really have to be this, Grandpa? Maybe you could have written a book instead. Oh, well. It’s still pretty cool!

1. Hairboy – China’s Aspiring Rockstar
This takes publicity stunts to a whole new level. Exploiting your body hair to get a recording label? It’s true, Yu Zhenhuan is trying to get noticed for his body hair, and musical talent too. He even has his own personal space on the Web called MaoHai, which translates to “hairboy”. There, he has posted pictures of himself. Apparently he has a condition which causes dark hair to grow over his entire body, with the exception of his hands and feet. That’s definitely different enough to get “discovered”. Will it do anything for his music? Who knows.

Advancements in plastic surgery have allowed for the range of different procedures to become very extensive. There are procedures for breasts, thighs, stomachs, and calves. The number of different facial procedures alone is huge. There is even a procedure that can make wearing high heels pain free. A very high ranking procedure on the wish list for both men and women is hair replacement.

Harris Interactive recently performed a survey on behalf of RealSelf.com to put together a plastic surgery wish list for 2010. The survey included 2,227 adults of which 54 percent said that, if money was not considered, they would have plastic surgery. Of those who said they would have a procedure done, many would have hair replacement surgery (25 percent of women and 20 percent of men). People have often
looked for a way to arrest a receding hair line, thinning hair, or a bald spot. Many have tried those hair re-growth sprays, with no luck. Hair replacement procedures would be a great choice for someone who wants to get rid of that embarrassing feature.

There are many different surgical procedures available for hair replacement. Flap surgery has been successfully performed for over 20 years and is able to cover large areas of baldness. Tissue expansion is commonly used for reconstructive surgery to repair areas of substantial skin loss, but it is also now being used as a hair replacement technique with great success. One of the most common forms of hair replacement surgery is grafting. Where hair bearing skin is removed from a donor area and placed in the balding spots. There are also many promising procedures undergoing clinical trials. There are many things to consider when choosing what technique will be best for each person and a good surgeon will be able to help with that decision.

Some estimate that 20 percent of all women will suffer some sort of hair loss due to ageing, menopause, or illness. The hair loss is usually a gradual thinning all over the scalp as compared to men who are more likely to loose hair in localized areas. Alan Bauman is a board certified hair restoration surgeon and founder of Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton Florida. He is a leader in hair replacement surgeries and said, “I’m not surprised that RealSelf.com’s new survey on cosmetic treatment preferences clearly showed there is a strong desire among both men and women for better hair through hair transplants.”

The study showed a great amount of interest in plastic surgical procedures by the people surveyed. People want to make themselves look good and feel confident. Hair replacement procedures can allow them to do just that.

Baldness is one of the most obvious and psychologically damaging defects which men can suffer.

Especially if baldness strikes at a young age, sufferers can have huge confidence-losses and sometimes struggle to go out or be seen in public because of how they fear they look.  Previously, the only solution, apart from a good hat or wig, was a hair transplant, but this is really only a solution for those with thinning hair. It can provide excellent coverage of balding areas, but for those with baldness spread over most of their head, this is not really a practical option. Well, never fear, because now it is being suggesting that Botox could not be a solution.

New research by a U.S –based specialist, Dr. Simon Ourian, used the non-invasive cosmetic treatment of his mother who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time.  The doctor has originally intended to make use of Botox’s anti-migraine qualities and yet he has made an even more startling discovery. He found that, when the drug was injected into his ill-mothers scalp that hair started to grow back. This result obviously astonished and baffled Ourian in equal turn and thus he set out to research the uses of Botox for balding patients. He found that there was a queue of people waiting to try it out:

“Because hair loss is a significant source of insecurity for many people, both men and women, there was no shortage of volunteers with thinning hair. The results for many were astonishing, and for some, a single session yielded dramatic results.”

This news, if it is found to be viable and true, will send shockwaves of excitement throughout the cosmetic surgery industry and is likely to induce a plethora of new treatments which will be offered to both men and women with receding hair lines or thinning hair.  The news will also be welcomed by Botox makers Allegran, who days before this discovery announced strong sales of its product around the world to both men and women. This new found use for the wonder-treatment will only increase these sales figures and, even though we are in the midst of a recession, Allegran is likely to be the main financial benefactor from Ourian’s discovery.  Money issues aside, many balding people will be overjoyed that a new, and much cheaper, alternative to full hair transplant may soon be on the market. Wig manufacturers may be less pleased by the news.

Baldness is one of the most obvious and psychologically damaging defects which men can suffer.

Especially if baldness strikes at a young age, sufferers can have huge confidence-losses and sometimes struggle to go out or be seen in public because of how they fear they look.  Previously, the only solution, apart from a good hat or wig, was a hair transplant, but this is really only a solution for those with thinning hair. It can provide excellent coverage of balding areas, but for those with baldness spread over most of their head, this is not really a practical option. Well, never fear, because now it is being suggesting that Botox could not be a solution. 

New research by a U.S –based specialist, Dr. Simon Ourian, used the non-invasive cosmetic treatment of his mother who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time.  The doctor has originally intended to make use of Botox’s anti-migraine qualities and yet he has made an even more startling discovery. He found that, when the drug was injected into his ill-mothers scalp that hair started to grow back. This result obviously astonished and baffled Ourian in equal turn and thus he set out to research the uses of Botox for balding patients. He found that there was a queue of people waiting to try it out:

“Because hair loss is a significant source of insecurity for many people, both men and women, there was no shortage of volunteers with thinning hair. The results for many were astonishing, and for some, a single session yielded dramatic results.”

This news, if it is found to be viable and true, will send shockwaves of excitement throughout the cosmetic surgery industry and is likely to induce a plethora of new treatments which will be offered to both men and women with receding hair lines or thinning hair.  The news will also be welcomed by Botox makers Allegran, who days before this discovery announced strong sales of its product around the world to both men and women. This new found use for the wonder-treatment will only increase these sales figures and, even though we are in the midst of a recession, Allegran is likely to be the main financial benefactor from Ourian’s discovery.  Money issues aside, many balding people will be overjoyed that a new, and much cheaper, alternative to full hair transplant may soon be on the market. Wig manufacturers may be less pleased by the news.

According to The King’s Fund, the British population would happily invest big amounts of money into a possibility to have thick and healthy hair.

A survey carried out by Optima Hair Specialists reported that 47 per cent of people who have hair loss problems would pay their life savings for the chance to fight hair loss effectively.
 
Fifteen per cent of the individuals chosen for the survey claimed that they have already invested between £5,000 and £10,000 on hair loss treatments and five per cent have paid up to £20,000.

The founder of Optima Hair Specialists Peter Murtha said: “Image is so important in today’s celebrity-fuelled culture and hair loss can be deeply traumatic.”

Mr Murtha confessed that he had invested almost £18,000 to deal with his own hair loss problem and would have agreed to spend even more.

“What many hair loss sufferers often don’t realise is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to completely change how you are perceived and boost your self-confidence,” he pointed out.

There are many invasive or non-invasive methods to deal with hair loss on the market. However, hair restoration has been known to be the only effective and long lasting solution to hair loss problems.
 
The fees for hair loss treatment in a private hair trasplantation clinic in the UK can range from £1,500 to £4,000 for around three procedures.