Eyebrows take a long time to grow back however help is at hand thanks to eyebrow transplants.

Eyebrows transplants are not a new cosmetic surgery idea – however hair transplant surgery has gotten a lot more sophisticated in recent years. Previously, it had always been difficult to fully replicate the natural angle and growth of eyebrows and lashes – many surgeries involved taking small plugs of hair and transplanting them to a new spot. Any woman brave enough to try eyebrow transplants was often left with slightly fake looking eyebrows.

However new techniques implant a single hair follicle at a time allowing cosmetic surgeons to fully control the exact angle of the hair and this leads to a far more natural looking eyebrow solution.

The latest techniques tend to involve removing a very fine strip of skin from the scalp where the hair is at it’s softest. Individual hairs are then removed from this strip of skin and transplanted into the desired position.

The results are not immediate and can take a couple of months before the hair grows through the skin, and another couple before the eyebrows are properly defined again. The new eyebrow hair may also need to be trimmed on a regular basis as it will tend to grow as long as the hair on your head, rather than being the shorter hairs normally associated with eyebrows.

The same sort of procedure can also be carried out on the eyelashes to replace lost eyelashes however this procedure tends to be slightly more expensive as it is more complicated and the eyelid is naturally more delicate.

Semi-permanent make-up is a good compromise between fully surgery and make-up. The current fashion is to use ground up mineral pigments for subtle, realistic tones – full on tattoos can sometimes be a little too harsh. Good brow-artists will be able to draw in your eyebrow, hair by hair using tiny needles to avoid block lines and to ensure that you end up with a natural look. According to some, this procedure is not much more painful than threading or plucking. The downside with this particular form of semi-permanent make-up is that it will need topping up every one to two years as the colour will fade over time.

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Australian scientists have recently discovered that the trichohyalin gene is mainly responsible for creating curls in hair. It is hoped that the discovery will not just be a boon to the beauty industry but will also help police forensics – hair and DNA found at scenes of crime may indicate what sort of hair the suspects have.

The researchers have also said they are hoping to find new ways to straighten hair without treating the hair directly. They have also revealed that they will be talking to a major cosmetics company early in the new year over their findings.

(Photo Credit: Yenhoon)

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Dr. Simon Ourian claims that he accidentally stumbled upon the alternative use for Botox whilst treating a patient for migraine. His patient was having chemotherapy which made her hair fall out. She was also suffering from intense migraines. Botox has already been found to help stop migraines in some people so Dr. Ourian injected his patient with the toxin to see if it would help cure the headaches. Botox was injected into the lady’s scalp. After the injections, the lady’s hair started to grow back.

Dr. Ourian has said that he has tested his Botox baldness cure on volunteers for three years now, adding extra vitamins into the Botox injections to help make the process more effective.

Although it is currently unknown what effect Botox can have on curing baldness, it is theorized that because Botox is a relaxant it helps to dilate the blood vessels around the injection site. The dilated blood vessels allow nutrients into shrunken hair follicles thus stimulating hair growth again.

The baldness cure claims as yet have not been officially tested in scientific trials therefore it is currently not know how effective Botox is in curing baldness. However if the scientific trials prove there is a solid base for Dr. Ourian’s claims, it could pave the way for new treatments for baldness.

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By the age of 50 around 40 percent of men will have some baldness and this can have large impacts on the self esteem. However just 20 percent of them are said to actually take measures to help stop the loss.

One of the biggest factors in male hair loss is genetic. The amount of hair that is lost and the time it takes to lose the hair will vary from person to person. Another cause of hair loss is dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If too much of this hormone is produced the follicles on the top of the head can shrink and die causing hair loss. Other hair loss reasons include stress, thyroid problems and iron deficiency.

Hair transplants have been around for a while however in the past, a hair transplant normally involved taking plugs of follicles and grafting them into the hairless area in a noticeable grid pattern giving a ‘dolls hair’ type look. Hair transplants today can look a lot more natural.

There are two main types of FUT operation. The first is strip harvesting where a very thin strip of hairs, complete with hair follicles, is cut from the back of side of the head. This is then split into thousands of tiny sections containing just two or three hairs. Each of these sections is the grafted into tiny slits in the bald area. The donor area is such a thin strip that it is easily covered by the remaining hair and should not be noticeable.

Normally around 100 hairs per square centimetre are grafted in. Because of the high density nature of the hairs and the number of grafts required, one session normally takes up to nine hours to complete – although the length of the procedure will depend on how much work is being done. The cost for FUT will also vary although a guideline price is around $8,000 – $15,000. There is little bleeding associated with this type of hair transplant so no dressings are needed and the patient can go home directly after the procedure.

It should be noted that the effects will not be immediate – the hairs will fall out from the newly transplanted site. However over time, the follicles will grow new hairs.

The second type of FUT is known as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). FUE uses special equipment to pluck two or three hair follicles at a time. These follicles are then transplanted in the manner described above. FUE is very labour intensive therefore it usually only used when the patient only has a small bald patch they wish to cover. For larger areas, a number of sessions may be needed. The overall cost for FUE tends to be higher than for strip harvesting hair transplants.

Both strip harvesting and FUE are performed under local anaesthetic. Most people are suitable for this form of hair transplant surgery however the hair loss should have stopped before undergoing this form of surgery otherwise the newly transplanted site may suffer from further hair loss and therefore the patient may end up with patchy hair coverage. For those who are totally bald, this form of hair transplant surgery is not suitable as the patient must have some healthy follicles present.

For those who think hair transplant surgery is not for them, there are alternatives. The two main drugs for treating baldness are Finasteride and Minoxidil.

Finasteride (sometimes seed as Propecia) prevents the formation of DHT in the scalp and is only available on prescription. Around half of the men who take it will see hair regrowth, and most of the rest will see the hairloss stop. Regrowth takes up to nine months to start. Finasteride should not be used by women as it has been found to cause birth defets.

Minoxidil (sometimes seen as Rogaine or Regaine) is an over-the-counter drug. Minoxidil comes in a gel, foam or liquid that is rubbed into the scalp for 40 minutes before being washed out. Around 85% of men see hair regrowth. It is not fully understood how the product stimulates hair growth however it is believed that it is because it helps dilate blood vessels. It is thought to be safe for women to use.

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Women who are taking medications such as the contraceptive pill, who have heart problems or have diabetes should be very wary when considering having laser hair treatment as there is a higher risk of side effects. Anyone taking herbal remedies such as St. John’s Wort, those on acne medication, and those on anti-depressants should also take care when considering this form of hair removal. Women who have had skin cancer or who are pregnant are also advised not to have this treatment.

Laser hair removal involves firing a laser and intense pulsed light at the skin. This light is absorbed by the pigment in the hairs which heats them up and damages the hair follicle, stopping the hair from regrowing.

Despite the popularity of the treatment, many people seem unaware of the potential side effects such as burns, skin damage, blistering, scarring and skin pigmentation changes. Which? carried out a survey and discovered that the majority of women who have laser hair removal are not given adequate information by their clinics over the risks.

The questionnaire showed that around three percent of the British population had had laser hair removal treatment, and three quarters of those surveyed said they were unaware that having a tan – whether natural or fake – could make a different to the results of the laser hair removal treatment.

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The eyebrow transplant takes a couple of hours to complete and normally costs in the region of $4,000. Hair is taken from the back of the patient’s head and the follicles extracted. The surgeon will then make tiny incisions in and around the eyebrow to create the new shapes, with the holes specially angled to indicate the way the hair should grow. Follicle by follicle, the donor hairs are planted into these eyebrow holes with up to 350 needed per eyebrow.

Most of the hair will initially fall out, however the follicle will start to produce new hair after about two months. Because head hair tends to grow more quickly than eyebrow hair, the new-look eyebrows will need trimming on a regular basis, perhaps even weekly.

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Hair loss can be caused by a number of different factors, the most common of which are aging, hormone changes, and a family history of baldness. Hair loss can also be caused by trauma or burns. However, as a rule of thumb, the earlier the hair loss starts, the more severe the end result will be.

There is a solution to the problem – through hair replacement surgery. However, the majority of hair replacement surgery uses your own hair. This means that you should have healthy hair growth at the back and sides of your head so that some of these hairs can be used as donors in the bald patches. If there is little hair left on the head, it may not be worth spending money on hair replacement surgery.

There are two main techniques that are used: Transplant techniques such as punch grafts, mini-grafts, micro-grafts, slit grafts and strip grafts are usually used for patients who are after a moderate change in their appearance. Flaps, tissue-expansion and scalp-reduction techniques are used for those who are looking for a more dramatic change.

Risks & Complications

It is important to note that although hair replacement surgery is normally safe, the results may vary from individual to individual and healing times and results may vary. The same sorts of risks apply in hair replacement surgery as with standard surgery – bleeding and scarring are the two most common complications.

With the transplant techniques, there is also the risk that the grafts will not ‘take’ properly. A transplant sees hair plugs moved into the bald patch. It is normal for the hair within the plug to fall out however sometimes the plugs fall out before re-growth has been established, meaning that the surgery for that area must be repeated. Transplant sites can also sometimes have small bumps form – usually these small defects can be covered or camouflaged with the surrounding hair.

It is also worth noting that hair transplant surgery will not stop hair loss – hair loss may continue as normal after surgery and the patient may end up with a patchy look, particularly if the new hair is next to an area of hair which is continuing to thin. Future surgery may be required as the hair continues to thin out.

The Surgery Itself

Hair replacement surgery is normally performed under local anaesthetic, although some of the more complex surgeries such as tissue expansion or flaps may be performed under general anaesthetic. Patients are usually offered a sedative to help keep them calm during surgery and to help keep them relaxed and comfortable. Under local anaesthetic, some

tugging or pressure may be felt but there should be no pain as the scalp should be fully anaesthetised.

Prior to the surgery, the hair at the donor sites will normally be trimmed down so that the surgeon can easily see where the hairs are growing from, and to help the access, removal and transplantation of the hairs.

Grafts
Usually hair transplant surgery involves taking small pieces of scalp with healthy hairs growing on it (known as the donor site) and moving it to an area of hair thinning. The grafts themselves will vary in shape and size – micro grafts are the smallest taking around 1-2 hairs at a time; next come mini grafts which move around 2-5 hairs; Slit grafts will contain around 4-10 hairs; round-shaped grafts take about 10-15 hairs; and lastly, strip grafts will take around 30-40 hairs at a time. The number of hairs transplanted will depend on the overall desired look, the hair coverage, and the properties of the hairs. For mini- and micro- grafts, up to 700 plugs may be transplanted in one session.

Most of the time, several rounds of surgery will be required to achieve a good look with your hair. To ensure that the scalp recovers full in between sessions, each surgery is normally a few months apart – this means the overall effect may take up to two years to complete. The number of surgeries required will depend on the hair coverage, hair type, colour and texture.

For punch grafts, the surgeon may use a tube-like instrument that punches out the graft at the donor site. For most other types of a graft, a scalpel will be used to remove the sections of scalp. The sections may be further divided into smaller sections before being transplanted. The grafts will typically then be transplanted into small holes of slits in your scalp.

When the grafts are removed, small quantities of saline solution may be injected into the scalp to help it maintain the proper skin strength. The grafted sites may be stitched closed which may cause a small, straight scar. Scars can normally be hidden with the fully grown hairs in the area. When the surgery is complete, the scalp will be cleansed and the covered with gauze. Some patients will need to wear a pressure bandage for a couple of days.

Circulation is key in the scalp. To preserve the circulation, the grafts will be placed around half a cm apart from each other. In future surgeries, the gaps between the grafts will be filled to give a natural look.

The Tissue Expansion Technique
Some patients, particularly those who have suffered burns or trauma to the scalp, may have the tissue expansion technique applied to their surgery.

With tissue expansion, a tissue expander (a balloon-like device) is inserted under a piece of normal hair growth which is next to the area of baldness. Over a period of weeks, the tissue expanded is slowly filled with salt water. This causes the skin over the top of the balloon to expand and grow new skin cells. The area of scalp over the balloon will bulge, particularly after the device has been under the skin for a few weeks.

Normally it takes about two weeks for the skin to have stretched enough, although the actual time will depend on how much tissue is required. A further surgery is then done to remove the balloon and to place the expanded piece of healthy scalp over the bald area.

Flap Surgery
Flap surgery is a great option for those who have a large area of baldness that they want to cover quickly. Flap surgery has been around for over 20 years therefore is a well-known technique.

Flap surgery involves cutting out a section of bald scalp. A flap of hear-bearing skin is then lifted off the surface whilst still remaining attached, stretched into it’s new position and then stitched into place. This method has the advantage that the ‘new’ piece of scalp remains attached to it’s original blood supply. Although the size of the flap varies from patient to patient, one flap can cover the same area as 350 punch grafts.

Flap surgery can be combined with other forms of hair transplant surgery such as scalp reduction or tissue expansion to create a more natural, tailored look.

Scalp Reduction
This technique is sometimes referred to as ‘advancement flap surgery’ because sections of hair-bearing scalp are pulled forward to fill in bald areas in the crown. As such, scalp reduction is usually only used where bald areas at the top and back of the head need to be covered.

During scalp reduction, a section of bald scalp is removed. The skin around the cut is the loosened up. The edges of the cut are then brought together and stitched up. This part of the surgery may be slightly painful and most patients can feel the tugging of the surgeon.

Post-Surgery

The time taken to heal will depend on the type of surgery and the natural healing rate of the patient. Aches, tightness, throbbing and pain are all par for the course, however your surgeon should give you painkillers to help.

If you have been given bandages, they will normally be removed after one or two days. Hair can normally be washed after two or three days however care must be taken. Stitches will normally be removed after one or two weeks.

Vigorous exercise should be avoided for at least three weeks as strenuous exercise will cause an increase of blood flow to the scalp and this may cause the implants and grafts to bleed. Contact sports should also be avoided for three weeks for the same reasons.

You should see your surgeon several times in the following weeks after surgery to ensure that your healing is progressing at a good rate. It is important to follow the instructions of your surgeon carefully to help you heal as fast as possible.

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Wefts
You can apply hair wefts yourself, or get someone else to apply them for you. Hair wefts are often clipped or glued into place and can be removed at your convenience. The hair wefts are attached to a tiny clip which is hidden by your hair. It is up to you whether to go for wefts which are the same colour as your natural hair, or whether you want to go for high- or lo-lights in your hair. Prices will vary according to the amount of hair in the weft, and the material it is made from (human hair will be at a premium price).

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The treatment itself
The treatment will last anything from 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the area being treated. There will be some slight discomfort – the sensation has been described as having someone snap a small rubber band against your skin. If large areas are being treated, ice may be applied immediately after treatment to minimise the pain. Sedatives, pain medication and local anesthetic is not normally used with this technique.

Unlike waxing, you can shave immediately after treatment. Be aware that some skin may look slightly bruised after treatment. You may also find some areas scab and blister for a few days. You should avoid unprotected sun for three to six months after the treatment to prevent sunburn and discolouration.

Is it permanent?
A false misconception is that laser hair removal is permanent – it isn’t. However the effects can last up to three months – more in some lucky people.

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