Every year, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) releases an annual report , giving out detailed statistics about plastic surgery procedures performed in the United States. At the Nashville Hair Doctor, we have taken a look at the 2017 report to give you an update on how hair restoration fits into the bigger picture of plastic surgery.
Overall, women still make up the majority of plastic surgery patients, with breast augmentations taking the top spot again this year. But one of the procedures showing the highest growth rates – almost 20% – over the previous year is hair transplantation (with 19,979 procedures in 2017 vs.16,784 in 2016). While women can – and do – also undergo hair transplant surgery, it is safe to say that a large majority of those procedures were performed on men.
What to Know About Hair Restoration as a Procedure
The Growth in Hair Restoration
We are not surprised that more and more men turn to medical hair restoration to combat hair loss. The technology for more precise and less invasive hair transplantation has continued to improve. With the latest generation of NeoGraft, the hair transplant recovery time is shorter than ever before, and your hair restoration results are looking so natural that no one will know you’ve had any help at all. With new health care financing options that allow you to spread out your hair transplant cost over 12 months or longer with no interest, more and more men opt to invest in their looks to boost their self-confidence.
There is no way around this truth: Hair restoration is really the only viable, clinically proven option to combat male pattern baldness. In the United States alone, over 50 million men are affected by this form of hair loss. Ultimately, there is no prescription medicine, lotion, or shampoo that will grow your hair. Hair restoration is the only long-term solution.
Two Different Hair Transplant Methods: FUE vs FUT
There are two main hair transplant technologies on the market today. Some hair clinics offer both of them, and some may only offer one or the other. These two methods are called Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE for short, and Follicular Unit Transplantation or FUT, also known as the Strip Method.
The difference between FUE and FUT lies in how the donor hair is harvested. The transplantation into the recipient area of your scalp works the same for either technique fresh casino bonus.
During an FUE procedure, the doctor or technician removes individual hair grafts or follicles from the donor area with a machine that uses pneumatic pressure to extract the hair. Each graft contains 3-4 actual hairs. In a second step, the grafts are then inserted into the recipient area of your scalp one by one. FUE causes minimal scarring and downtime.
During an FUT hair transplant, the doctor surgically removes an entire strip of hair from the donor area. As you might imagine, this speeds up the procedure, which in some cases also makes it more affordable. However, it causes a linear scar that may require later cover up, and it also lengthens the recovery period.
Ask your hair doctor which procedure they specialize in. Also make sure to ask about their experience – some plastic surgeons add on hair restoration to their offerings without much thought, but a true FUE master technician needs years of training to achieve the perfect blend of artistry and craft. Also ask if your hair clinic offers any travel packages. You might be better off going out of town for a competitively priced hair transplant rather than shopping in one of the major population areas like New York, Atlanta, or Chicago. Since hair transplants are one-time procedures with no repeat treatments necessary, you do not have to confine your search to a narrow radius like you might for facial fillers.
“It Was So Much Easier Than I Thought”
The growth in hair transplant surgeries also shows a larger trend: Men increasingly turn to plastic surgery to enhance their looks. Male breast reductions have also experienced a respectable increase over the last 20 years, and other procedures, such as neck lifts and liposuction, continue to be popular among men. The more recent rise in social media participation may also have contributed to a growth in cosmetic procedures for men.
The connection between looking good and feeling great seems to be true as much for men as it is for women. When we ask Nashville Hair Doctor patients for feedback, the most common response is this:
“It was so much easier than I thought. I wish I had done it sooner!”
If you want to look and feel great, do it sooner rather than later! It’s as easy as can be to get started – simply upload your picture here, and we will send you a free hair transplant quote with no strings attached.
