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 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement .(December 2023) |
| Scalp reduction | |
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| Specialty | Plastic surgeon |
Scalp reduction is a surgical procedure in which the hairless region of the scalp of a bald person is reduced. This procedure can reduce the area of the scalp in which hair transplantation is needed, or even eliminate the need for hair transplantation. [1] [2]
Scalp reduction became very popular starting in the 1960s and by the 1980s was considered one of the most effective treatments for baldness.[ citation needed ] It is not commonly performed today, with around 5,000 men per year receiving hair transplantation [3] instead of a full scalp reduction surgery. [4] Scalp reduction may reduce the size of bald spots and treat baldness. The surgery can typically take 2–3 hours with around 250 hair grafts, with cases of severe baldness involving around 1,000 hair grafts. [3]
Pricing varies dependant on the severity of the baldness. A straight-forward scalp reduction procedure can cost over $2,000, [6] with over $4,000 for a mild case, and up to $20,000 for a severe case of hair loss.[ citation needed ]
Health insurance will not pay for any type of hair loss surgery for cosmetic reasons, but they may elect to pay if the hair loss is caused by Alopecia Areata, [7] accidents, or burns. Many offices offer payment plans to cover the surgery.
Scalp reduction surgery is performed by a physician trained in plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery or dermatology. The surgery is performed in a hospital, outpatient office setting.
Lotions that contain Rogaine or Finasteride may lead to hair growth in some patients. Rogaine grows fuzz on the crown of the head and Finasteride tends to grow actual hairs on the crown of the head. Some recommend the use of lotions as treatment for baldness before considering scalp reduction surgery.
Low-level laser therapy can act as a form of non-surgical hair restoration, using laser light to stimulate follicles on the scalp. This process not only makes hair grow but it also thickens the hair which can increase its appearance.
Hair loss is divided into the following: [8]
Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. It often results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin. Psychological stress and illness are possible factors in bringing on alopecia areata in individuals at risk, but in most cases there is no obvious trigger. People are generally otherwise healthy. In a few cases, all the hair on the scalp is lost, or all body hair is lost. Hair loss can be permanent, or temporary.
Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scarring is not usually present. Hair loss in some people causes psychological distress.
Tissue expansion is a technique used by plastic, maxillofacial and reconstructive surgeons to cause the body to grow additional skin, bone, or other tissues. Other biological phenomena such as tissue inflammation can also be considered expansion.
The scalp is the area of the head where head hair grows. It is made up of skin, layers of connective and fibrous tissues, and the membrane of the skull. Anatomically, the scalp is part of the epicranium, a collection of structures covering the cranium. The scalp is bordered by the face at the front, and by the neck at the sides and back. The scientific study of hair and scalp is called trichology.
Telogen effluvium is a scalp disorder characterized by the thinning or shedding of hair resulting from the early entry of hair in the telogen phase. It is in this phase that telogen hairs begin to shed at an increased rate, where normally the approximate rate of hair loss is 125 hairs per day.
Traction alopecia is a type of alopecia or hair loss caused by a chronic pulling force being applied to the hair. It commonly results from a person frequently wearing their hair in a particularly tight ponytail, pigtails, or braids with increased likelihood when hair is chemically relaxed as this compromises the hair shaft's tensile strength resulting in hair breakage. Traction alopecia causes a recession of the hairline due to chronic traction, which is characterized by a fringe along the marginal hairline on physical exam. Diagnosis is clinical and treatment directed at cessation of the chronic traction, while cosmeses, with surgical restoration is reserved for severe cases with scarring fibrosis.
The management of hair loss, includes prevention and treatment of alopecia, baldness, and hair thinning, and regrowth of hair.
Trichology is the study of the hair and scalp. The term derives from Ancient Greek θρίξ (thríx), "hair" and -λογία -logia. In most jurisdictions the title of a trichologist, not the field of trichology, is considered a para-medical discipline.
Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that removes hair follicles from one part of the body, called the 'donor site', to a bald or balding part of the body known as the 'recipient site'. The technique is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness. In this minimally invasive procedure, grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to the bald scalp.
Pattern hair loss is a hair loss condition that primarily affects the top and front of the scalp. In male-pattern hair loss (MPHL), the hair loss typically presents itself as either a receding front hairline, loss of hair on the crown and vertex of the scalp, or a combination of both. Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) typically presents as a diffuse thinning of the hair across the entire scalp.
Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) is a hair restoration technique, also known as the strip procedure, where a patient's hair is transplanted in naturally occurring groups of 1 to 4 hairs, called follicular units. Follicular units also contain sebaceous (oil) glands, nerves, a small muscle, and occasional fine vellus hairs. In follicular unit transplantation, these small units allow the surgeon to safely transplant thousands of grafts in a single session, which maximizes the cosmetic impact of the procedure.
Madarosis is a condition that results in the loss of eyelashes, and sometimes eyebrows. The term "madarosis" is derived from the ancient Greek "madaros", meaning "bald". It originally was a disease of only losing eyelashes but it currently is the loss of both eyelashes and eyebrows. Eyebrows and eyelashes are both important in the prevention of bacteria and other foreign objects from entering the eye. A majority of patients with madarosis have leprosy, and it was reported that 76% of patients with varying types of leprosy had madarosis.
Scarring hair loss, also known as cicatricial alopecia, is the loss of hair which is accompanied with scarring. This is in contrast to non scarring hair loss.
Pressure alopecia, also known as postoperative alopecia, and pressure-induced alopecia, occurs in adults after prolonged pressure on the scalp during general anesthesia, with the head fixed in one position, and may also occur in chronically ill persons after prolonged bed rest in one position that causes persistent pressure on one part of the scalp, all likely due to pressure-induced ischemia.
Non scarring hair loss, also known as noncicatricial alopecia is the loss of hair without any scarring being present. There is typically little inflammation and irritation, but hair loss is significant. This is in contrast to scarring hair loss during which hair follicles are replaced with scar tissue as a result of inflammation. Hair loss may be spread throughout the scalp (diffuse) or at certain spots (focal). The loss may be sudden or gradual with accompanying stress.
Triangular alopecia is hair loss that may be congenital but usually appears in childhood as a focal patch of loss that may be complete or leaving fine vellus hairs behind. Affected individuals are typically entirely healthy. Hair restoration surgery using follicular unit transplantation has been a successful treatment modality for TTA
Norman Orentreich was a New York dermatologist, a biogerontologist, a foundational innovator in cosmetics, and the father of hair transplantation.
A hair tattoo or scalp micropigmentation (SMP) is a non-surgical, superficial cosmetic tattoo that gives the illusion of a close buzz cut hairstyle on a bald head or density to a thinning crown. The procedure can also be used to conceal scars from hair transplantation and hide the visual impact of burns or scars on the head. Scalp micropigmentation can be performed on all ethnicities. This procedure does not involve local anesthesia during the procedure. In contrast to traditional tattoos, this treatment is superficial in that it penetrates the epidermal level of the skin, and ink is deposited in the upper dermal level of the skin in order to avoid macro impressions. The advantages of this procedure is that the hairline can be adjusted or touched up with relative ease.
Topilutamide, known more commonly as fluridil and sold under the brand name Eucapil, is an antiandrogen medication which is used in the treatment of pattern hair loss in men and women. It is used as a topical medication and is applied to the scalp. Topilutamide belongs to a class of molecules known as perfluoroacylamido-arylpropanamides.
Venkataram Mysore is a dermatologist, dermatopathologist, and hair transplant surgeon from Bangalore, India. He has over 30 years experience as a dermatologist, 18 years as a teacher and is currently the director of the Venkat Center for Advanced Dermatology and Post-Graduate Training.