Hair Transplant

What Is a Hair Transplant?

Used in the U.S. since the 1950s, hair transplantation is surgery that involves removing a narrow strip of hair-bearing scalp from the back of the head and using it to fill an area with thin or no hair.

Most hair transplants are performed in the doctor's office under local anesthesia.

To transplant hair, the surgeon first cleans the scalp, then injects an anesthetic to numb the area where a 3- to 4-inch strip of scalp will be removed. After removing the strip of scalp with a scalpel, the surgeon sets it aside and sews the scalp closed. This area is immediately hidden by the hair around it.

Next, the surgeon divides the strip of removed scalp into approximately 500 to 2,000 tiny grafts containing an individual hair or just a few hairs each. The number and type of graft used depends on the hair type, quality, and color as well as the size of the area where it will be transplanted.

After the grafts are prepared, the surgeon cleans and numbs the area where the hair will be placed, creates holes or slits with a scalpel or needle, and delicately places each graft in one of the holes.

Depending on the extent of the procedure, the transplant will take approximately four to eight hours. Sometimes additional sessions are needed if you continue to lose hair or decide you want thicker hair.

Expectations and Recovery

After hair transplant surgery, your scalp may be very tender. You may need to take pain medications for several days. Your surgeon will have you wear a surgical dressing over the scalp for at least a day or two. Your surgeon may also prescribe an antibiotic and/or anti-inflammatory drug to be taken for several days following surgery. Most people are able to return to work two to five days after surgery.

Within two to three weeks after surgery, the transplanted hair will fall out, but you should start to notice new growth within a few months. Most people will have attained 60% of new hair growth after six to nine months. Some surgeons prescribe the hair-growing drug minoxidil (Rogaine) to improve hair growth following transplantation, but it is not known how effective this is.

Risks and Costs of Treatment

The cost of hair transplantation will depend largely on the amount of hair to be transplanted, but it generally ranges from $4,000 to $15,000. The procedure is rarely covered by insurance.

As with any surgical procedure, hair transplantation carries risks, including bleeding and infection. Other risks that can occur with hair transplants include scarring and unnatural-looking new hair growth.

Around the time new hair growth starts, some people experience inflammation or infection of the hair follicles, called folliculitis. This can be relieved with antibiotics and compresses. Another potential risk is the sudden loss of transplanted hair, called shock loss. Fortunately, this hair loss is rarely permanent.

If you are bothered by thinning hair or balding, hair transplantation can significantly improve your appearance and self-confidence. However, it is important to understand that hair transplantation is just that -- transplantation of hair you already have to a place where it is more visible. It does not create new hair.

To minimize the risks and improve the success of surgery, it is important to undergo hair transplantation only if you are healthy. You should always discuss the potential risks and benefits of any surgery with your doctor.

Treatments For Hair Loss

Have you noticed strands of hair on your comb or down the drain when you wash your hair? Is this stressing you out? Stop and take a deep breath right now as stress will only worsen the situation. It is in fact, a major cause of hair fall. (Read more about causes of hair fall). According to hair experts, losing 50-100 strands of hair every day is fairly normal. It is only a cause of concern when you lose more than that. But you can stop hair fall in its tracks with these simple home remedies. Here’s how you can make them.

1. Onion juice

Onion is a rich source of sulphur which helps in hair growth by increasing collagen production. Using its juice on the scalp can help in controlling hair fall.

Steps:

• Chop one onion finely and squeeze out its juice.
• Apply the juice on your scalp and let it stay for 15 minutes.
• Now rinse with a mild shampoo and let your hair air dry.
• Use this twice a week to see results.

2. Garlic 

Like onion, garlic too has high sulphur content. This is the reason why it is used in traditional hair regrowth medicines. 

Steps:

• Crush a few cloves of garlic.
• Add coconut oil to it and boil the mixture for a few minutes.
• Let it cool down a bit and then massage it on your scalp.
• You can leave it on for 30 minutes and then wash your hair.
• Do this two times in a week.

3. Coconut

This ingredient has several benefits for your hair. Not only does it promote hair growth, but also conditions it. It has essential fats, minerals and proteins which reduce hair breakage. Coconut is rich in potassium and iron. You can use coconut oil or milk to prevent hair fall.

Steps:

• Warm a bit of coconut oil and massage it from your hair root to tip.
• Wash after one hour.
• Or, grate a coconut and squeeze out its milk by mixing in a little water.
• Apply it on the area where you notice thinning or balding.
• Let it stay overnight and wash off the next morning.

4. Henna

It is mostly used as a natural hair colour or conditioner but henna has properties that can strengthen your hair from the root. If you combine it with other ingredients, it makes for a better hair pack. 

Steps:

• Take 250 ml of mustard oil in a tin can and add 60g of washed and dried henna leaves.
• Now boil the mixture the leaves burn and then filter the oil.
• Massage your scalp with it on a regular basis and store the rest in an airtight bottle.
• You can make another henna pack by mixing dry henna powder with curd.
• Apply it on scalp and hair and wash off after one hour. If you desire beautiful hair, try these other home-made henna hair packs.

5. Hibiscus

Also called shoe flower, hibiscus nourishes hair, prevents premature greying, treats dandruff and also controls hair fall.  

Steps:

• Crush a few flowers and mix sesame or coconut oil to make a paste.
• Apply on the scalp and hair and leave it on for a few hours.
• Rinse off with cold water using a mild shampoo.

Try these other hibiscus hair packs too.

6. Amla or Indian gooseberry

For people suffering from hair fall, amla or the Indian gooseberry is a blessing. It is packed with vitamin C and antioxidants that can reverse hair loss if it is in its initial stage. 

Steps:

• Use either amla juice or powder and mix it with lemon juice.
• Apply it on the scalp and leave it to dry.
• Rinse hair using lukewarm water. Here are some more hair packs with amla for hair fall.

7. Egg

Egg has several ingredients that can prevent or control hair fall. It is a rich source of sulphur and ahs phosphorous, selenium, iodine, zinc and protein. All these promote hair growth. 

Steps:

• Take the white of one egg and mix in a teaspoon of olive oil.
• Beat to give a paste-like consistency and apply to the entire scalp and hair.
• Keep it on for about 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse with cool water and a mild shampoo. Here are some easy tips to help avoid hair loss. 

What Causes Hair Loss

Most people normally shed 50 to 100 hairs a day. But with about 100,000 hairs in the scalp, this amount of hair loss shouldn't cause noticeable thinning of the scalp hair. As people age, hair tends to gradually thin. Other causes of hair loss include hormonal factors, medical conditions and medications.

Hormonal factors

The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness. In genetically susceptible people, certain sex hormones trigger a particular pattern of permanent hair loss. Most common in men, this type of hair thinning can begin as early as puberty.

Hormonal changes and imbalances can also cause temporary hair loss. This could be due to pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills or the onset of menopause.

Medical conditions

A variety of medical conditions can cause hair loss, including:

• Thyroid problems. The thyroid gland helps regulate hormone levels in your body. If the gland isn't working properly, hair loss may result.
• Alopecia areata. This disease occurs when the body's immune system attacks hair follicles — causing smooth, roundish patches of hair loss.
• Scalp infections. Infections, such as ringworm, can invade the hair and skin of your scalp, leading to hair loss. Once infections are treated, hair generally grows back.
• Other skin disorders. Diseases that can cause scarring, such as lichen planus and some types of lupus, can result in permanent hair loss where the scars occur.

Medications

Hair loss can be caused by drugs used to treat:

• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Heart problems
• High blood pressure

Other causes of hair loss

Hair loss can also result from:

• A physical or emotional shock. Many people experience a general thinning of hair several months after a physical or emotional shock. Examples include sudden or excessive weight loss, a high fever, or a death in the family.
• Hair-pulling disorder. This mental illness causes people to have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, whether it's from the scalp, their eyebrows or other areas of the body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on the head.
• Certain hairstyles. Traction hair loss can occur if the hair is pulled too tightly into hairstyles such as pigtails or cornrows.

About Acne

About Acne:
Acne is a disease in which the hair follicles on your skin become clogged and infected. This results in one of the three types of acne lesions to form.

The production of excess sebum is the culprit. It causes the follicles to become blocked. The medical community is still uncertain as to what triggers this excess production. Sebum is produced by the sebaceous oil gland and everybody needs a small amount to achieve healthy skin. Sebum helps protects the skin from harmful bacteria by washing it away.

Types of Acne Lesions:

The three types of acne lesions are whiteheads & blackheads (also known as closed and open comedones respectively), papules & pustules, and cysts.

Whiteheads as the name suggests, look like white bumps. They form under the skin and never reach the surface. This makes them very hard to eliminate. Blackheads grow upward and break the skins surface. This enlarged follicle and the oxidation of the dead cells, sebum, and bacteria have a black color, hence the name.

Papules form when a whitehead burst and the bacteria spreads to the surrounding tissues under the skin. This causes your body’s immune system to increase its fight on the infection making the inflammation worse. They appear as small, firm, red bumps. Pustules form as the body’s immune system continues to fight the infection by sending pus to the area. They appear similar to a papules with the addition of a yellowish white head.

Cysts are the third and final type of acne lesion. They form when a pustule worsens and expands further down under the skins surface. They appear red or purple and are very painful. This is the most serious of all types of acne lesions.

Types of Acne:

Acne can not only be classified by the types of acne lesions, but further broken down by acne type; depending on what types of lesions you have. People whose acne consists of whiteheads and blackheads would have what is called comedonal acne. A mix of blackheads, whiteheads, papules and pustules acne lesions is called acne vulgaris and is the most common type of acne. The third type of acne is called cystic acne and it is when someone has all three types of acne lesions with numerous cysts.

Who Can Get Acne:

While most people associate acne with teens, anybody can experience some type of acne at any age. That said certain groups of people are more likely to experience acne. They include teens, people under stress, people who have a family history of the disease, people taking certain drugs and adult women.

Stop Hair Loss

Toppik is the brand name for a range of hair loss concealer and remedy products. Toppik is used worldwide and is one of the biggest selling concealers on the market.

What are Toppik Hair Building Fibres?

Toppik hair building fibres works in pretty much the same way as Nanogen Nanofibres. It is a shake-on hair loss concealer product, containing tiny microfibre ‘hairs’ formulated using organic keratin protein.

How does it work?

The fibres are distributed over the hair using an applicator that looks similar to a salt or pepper shaker. The static charge of the fibres makes them cling to the hair where they swell, giving the appearance of thicker, fuller hair. Toppik claims to be able to cling to even the finest of hairs, creating an illusion of a full head of hair.

Is Toppik any good?

As far as temporary concealers are concerned, Toppik is certainly one of the most popular brands available. Note however that as with DermMatch and Nanogen Nanofibres, Toppik is a temporary solution, and therefore does not offer permanent benefits. The product requires that you have a certain amount of hair, so if you continue to lose yours, you’ll soon be unable to use Toppik products.

Does Toppik cause any side effects?

Aside from the occasional allergic reaction, Toppik does not cause any side effects that we are aware of.

What does it cost?

A months supply of Toppik Hair Building Fibres costs around £20 GBP (approx $32 USD). The manufacturer also recommends that you buy another product called Toppik Fibrehold Spray for around £8 GBP (approx $13 USD) to hold the fibres in place, although we would suggest trying regular hairspray before buying their branded product.

You are also advised to buy a Toppik Spray Maximizer to distribute Toppik more evenly over the hair. Add to this their ‘Hairline Optimiser’ comb for £5.95 (approx $10 USD) and their ‘Hair Fattener’ at £19.95 per month (approx $31 USD) and the cost can become significant.

If you buy the recommended range of products, this equals an initial cost of around £73 GBP (approx $114 USD), then an ongoing cost of £48 GBP per month (approx $75 USD). It is important to note that how long each purchase of Toppik products lasts can vary depending on the extent of hair loss of the individual.

Malaria

What is Malaria : Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases and an enormous public health problem. Malaria is one of the leading causes of disease and death in the world. It is estimated that there are 300-500 million new cases every year, with 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths worldwide. Malaria is an infectious disease characterized by cycles of chills, fever, and pain and sweating. Historical records suggest malaria has infected humans since the beginning of mankind. There are four species of Malaria. Of the four species of malaria, the most serious type is Plasmodium falciparum malaria. It can be life-threatening. The other three species of malaria (P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale) are generally less serious and are not life-threatening Although malaria has been virtually eradicated in countries with temperate climates, it's still prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and Central America. Evolving strains of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes continue to make this disease a global health issue. Malaria remains one of the world's leading infectious killers, particularly of children in sub-Saharan Africa. Most American cases of malaria develop in travelers who have recently returned from parts of the world where malaria is widespread. Generally, Africa carries the highest risk for the most serious cases. Parasitic Plasmodium species also infect birds, reptiles, monkeys, chimpanzees and rodents. There have been documented human infections with several simian species of malaria, namely P. knowlesi, P. inui, P. cynomolgi, P. simiovale, P. brazilianum, P. schwetzi and P. simium; however, with the exception of P. knowlesi, these are mostly of limited public health importance. Although avian malaria can kill chickens and turkeys, this disease does not cause serious economic losses to poultry farmers. However, since being accidentally introduced by humans it has decimated the endemic birds of Hawaii, which evolved in its absence and lack any resistance to it. When symptoms appear The time from the initial malaria infection until symptoms appear (incubation period) generally ranges from:1 9 to 14 days for Plasmodium (P.) falciparum. 12 to 18 days for P. vivax and P. ovale. 18 to 40 days for P. malariae. 11 to 12 days for P. knowlesi. Symptoms can appear in 7 days.  Sometimes, the time between exposure and  signs of illness may be as long as 8 to  10 months with P. vivax and P. ovale. The incubation period may be longer if  you are taking medicine to prevent  infection (chemoprophylaxis) or because  you have some immunity due to previous  infections. Variation in symptoms In regions where malaria is present,  people who get infected many times may  have the disease but have few or no  symptoms.Also, how bad malaria  symptoms are can vary depending on your  general health, what kind of malaria  parasite you have, and whether you still  have your spleen. Common symptoms of malaria In the early stages, malaria symptoms  are sometimes similar to those of many  other infections caused by bacteria,  viruses, or parasites. Symptoms may  include: Fever. Chills. Headache. Sweats. Fatigue. Nausea and vomiting. Symptoms may appear in cycles and may  come and go at different intensities and  for different lengths of time. But,  especially at the beginning of the  illness, the symptoms may not follow  this typical pattern. The cyclic pattern of malaria symptoms  is due to the life cycle of malaria  parasites as they develop, reproduce,  and are released from the red blood  cells and livercells in the human body.  This cycle of symptoms is also one of  the major indicators that you are  infected with malaria. Other common symptoms of malaria Other common symptoms of malaria  include: Dry (nonproductive) cough. Muscle and/or back pain. Enlarged spleen. In rare cases, malaria can lead to  impaired function of the brain or spinal  cord,seizures, or loss of consciousness. Infection with the P. falciparum  parasite is usually more serious and may  become life -threatning. There are other conditions with symptoms  similar to a malarial infection. It is  important that you see your doctor to  find out the cause of your symptoms.

Hyoid bone

The hyoid bone is shaped like a horseshoe, and is suspended from the tips of the styloid processes of the temporal bones by the stylohyoid ligaments. It consists of five segments, viz., a body, two greater cornua, and two lesser cornua.
The Body or Basihyal (corpus oss. hyoidei).—The body or central part is of a quadrilateral form. Its anterior surface is convex and directed forward and upward. It is crossed in its upper half by a well-marked transverse ridge with a slight downward convexity, and in many cases a vertical median ridge divides it into two lateral halves. The portion of the vertical ridge above the transverse line is present in a majority of specimens, but the lower portion is evident only in rare cases. The anterior surface gives insertion to the Geniohyoideus in the greater part of its extent both above and below the transverse ridge; a portion of the origin of the Hyoglossus notches the lateral margin of the Geniohyoideus attachment. Below the transverse ridge the Mylohyoideus, Sternohyoideus, and Omohyoideus are inserted. The posterior surface is smooth, concave, directed backward and downward, and separated from the epiglottis by the hyothyroid membrane and a quantity of loose areolar tissue; a bursa intervenes between it and the hyothyroid membrane. The superior border is rounded, and gives attachment to the hyothyroid membrane and some aponeurotic fibers of the Genioglossus. The inferior border affords insertion medially to the Sternohyoideus and laterally to the Omohyoideus and occasionally a portion of the Thyreohyoideus. It also gives attachment to the Levator glandulæ thyreoideæ, when this muscle is present. In early life the lateral borders are connected to the greater cornua by synchondroses; after middle life usually by bony union. The Greater Cornua or Thyrohyals (cornua majora).—The greater cornua project backward from the lateral borders of the body; they are flattened from above downward and diminish in size from before backward; each ends in a tubercle to which is fixed the lateral hyothyroid ligament. The upper surface is rough close to its lateral border, for muscular attachments: the largest of these are the origins of the Hyoglossus and Constrictor pharyngis medius which extend along the whole length of the cornu; the Digastricus and Stylohyoideus have small insertions in front of these near the junction of the body with the cornu. To the medial border the hyothyroid membrane is attached, while the anterior half of the lateral border gives insertion to the Thyreohyoideus.       The Lesser Cornua or Ceratohyals (cornua minora).—The lesser cornu are two small, conical eminences, attached by their bases to the angles of junction between the body and greater cornua. They are connected to the body of the bone by fibrous tissue, and occasionally to the greater cornua by distinct diarthrodial joints, which usually persist throughout life, but occasionally become ankylosed.       The lesser cornua are situated in the line of the transverse ridge on the body and appear to be morphological continuations of it (Parsons). The apex of each cornu gives attachment to the stylohyoid ligament;the Chondroglossus rises from the medial side of the base.       Ossification.—The hyoid is ossified from six centers: two for the body, and one for each cornu. Ossification commences in the greater cornua toward the end of fetal life, in the body shortly afterward, and in the lesser cornua during the first or second year after birth.