Hair Loss Treatment New York, New Jersey, Boston

ALTERNATIVE

DESCRIPTION

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Hairpiece

• Various types of attachments to hair and scalp to cover bald area

• Quick Solution
• Greatest density
• Non surgical

• High maintenance and cost
• Destructive to underlying hair and often appears artificia

Minoxidil Rogaine 2% & 5 %

• Applied twice daily to scalp
• Slows hair loss
• Available in two strengths

• Established safety
• Over the counter
• Lowest Cost
• May be combined with Propecia

• Used daily and indefinitely
• Re-growth rare and usually vellus hair only
• Effective in early balding stages.

Minoxidil & Retin-A

• Applied two or more times daily to scalp

• Increased effectiveness not proved

• Often causes red irritated scalp
• Much more expensive

Finasteride PROPECIA

• Once daily
• Prescription pill
• Blocks Type 1 5-Alpha Reductase

• No messy application
• The most effective in controlling further loss and in promoting re-growth
• Side effects uncommon and reversible

• More expensive
• Used daily and indefinitely
• Potential effects on breast, genitals, pregnancy
• Primarily effective in early stages of balding and for the top and back of the head

Dutesteride Avodart

• Once daily presription pill
• Blocks bothe Types 1 & 2 5-Alpha Reductase

• May be more effective than Propecia

• Not FDA approved for hair loss
• Much greater potential for side effects, some may not be reversible

Avacor, Folligurard, etc, etc

• Non-pharmaceutical preparations purported to "halt, reverse, cure hair loss

• Sold as natural, safe, and effective treatments

• Results generally disappointing; weak scientific validation, often very little benefit related to somewhat high costs

Standard punch grafts

• Transplant containing 5 to 20 hairs

• Most specialists believe there aren't any. A small minority believe they create the highest density of all transplants because bald scalp is removed

• Classic “tooth brush/plug” appearance with risk of increased scarring and cobble stoning
• Wastes donor follicles
• Difficult to do in thinning hair

   

Laser Grafting

• Graft receptor sites are made with laser. Donor site is harvested conventionally

• Claims of better healing and more natural appearance although not in fact demonstrated

• Scars to scalp. Poor yield and stunted hair produces low density.
• Possible scarring under the skin

Follicular Unit Grafts

• Grafts 1 to 4 hairs in tact follicular units placed into receptor sites made with very fine micro-scalpel

• Uniform distribution and density
• Best scalp healing
• Good in thinning areas
• Partial restorations look natural.
• Can be creative in hairline design

• None known

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

• Removing single follicular unit grafts one at a time

• No sutures
• Wear donor hair very short
• Quicker healing

• Fewer grafts per treatment
• More treatments
• More expensive

Scalp reduction

• Several methods of surgically removing bald scalp

• Decreases size of area to be transplanted
• Marked discomfort, safest of all procedures. Controversial as a means to achieve highest density

• Stretches back
• 1 to 2 additional procedures
• Leaves scar to hide
• Thins donor area hair, reduces number of potential grafts

Scalp Extension

• Two step surgical procedure using an implanted extension device

• Removal of large area in one month
• Device does not show

• Risk of infection and stretching back
• More discomfort, more expensive

Scalp Expansion

• Silicone balloon inserted under scalp and expanded with saline injections over several weeks

• Very large areas of scalp can be removed

• Risk of infection
• Deforms appearance
• More discomfort, more expensive

Scalp Lift

• Extensive surgical procedure with entire scalp moved

• Elimination of most baldness in a single procedure, but must create hairline with 2-4 transplant procedures

• General anesthesia
• Prolonged discomfort
• Permanent scalp numbness
• Risk of hair follicles dying

Transposition Flaps

• Various methods of rotating a section of scalp from the side to the top of the head

• Achieves greatest density of frontal zone
• Quicker result

• Hair facing backwards, scar on edge of hairline mist be hidden with the use of transplantation
• Risk of hair follicles dying
• Does not cover crown