By Emina Karamanovski

If you are losing hair and wondering what would be the best option for you, there are two approaches that can help you have hair back on your head.

One option is non-surgical and the other is surgical.  Hair replacement, the non-surgical option, attaches artificial or natural hair to the bald scalp. The hair is woven into a thin mesh, which is temporarily attached to the scalp most often by using special glue. This hair system (like a partial wig) may look very natural but requires daily and monthly maintenance. Therefore, the name hair replacement indicates that hair is replaced by something else other than your hair.  Another option is surgical hair transplantation.  Hair is taken from the back of the head, the area that is not genetically programmed to get thin or bald, and moved to the thin/bald areas. Therefore, the name hair restoration is given since your natural hair is restored.

Both procedures have their benefits and these are the pros and cons for both:

Hair replacement

Pros: immediate result, small investment initially, can give you thick head of hair regardless of your donor hair density

Cons: requires continuous maintenance: specialty products at home and monthly visit to the specialty hair salon, yearly expense to renew hair system (since they change color over time and lose hair too J), temples cannot be restored and if hair lost along the sideburns, hair system will look unnatural, your social and physical activities may be limited depending on the system quality and attachment. The system that looks the best costs the most and requires the most maintenance.

Hair transplant

Cons: higher cost initially but better long-term investment, it requires going through surgery thus a recovery of 7-10 days, the results are delayed because it takes few months for hair to grow, dependent and limited by available donor hair

Pros: permanent results, it is your natural hair, requires no special maintenance. You can have a naturally looking hairline that is shaped to match your facial features and therefore have a hairstyle you desire. Anyone can touch your hair; whether your hairdresser, partner, or children run a hand through your hair or pull on it, nothing embarrassing would happen which is not the case with a hair system.

 

Hair replacement and hair restoration are both good options but neither can give everything for everyone. The most important is to be well informed.