According to American Academy of Dermatology, 40% of female have visible hair loss by age of forty.
Nowadays, not only men but also many females are suffering from hair loss. When women suffer continuous hair loss, they may panic.
Imagine seeing the chunks of hair on your pillow, floor or while washing your hair. You feel helpless.
Many a time, because of excessive hair loss they start losing their confidence. You might be suffering from female pattern hair loss as well as a female version of male pattern baldness.
To overcome this, women start to look for various hair loss treatments. However, if nothing helps and they are suffering from bald patches then a hair transplant is a good option for them.
So, you might be wondering how your hair grow?
Duration of growth and rest cycle of the hair depends on the localization of hair, age and nutritious habits of a person.
Physiology of hair is a cyclic process. The follicular unit goes through different phases such as:
It is based on the nutritional and hormonal status of a person.
Female Hair Loss Causes:
- Hereditary genes: Women can inherit genes for pattern baldness from either of the parents which will lead to hair loss.
- Menopause: Due to hormonal disturbance such as menopause which happens after the age of 45, women may start losing hair.
- Alopecia Areata: It is an autoimmune disease in which white blood cells attack hair follicles causing hair loss.
- Medical Treatment: Some medications and medical treatment such as chemotherapy cause hair loss as a side effect.
- Pregnancy: A large number of the hair go in resting phase after pregnancy causing hair loss. You may experience excessive hair fall 3-4 months after delivery. This condition will reverse in most cases.
- Medical Conditions: Medical conditions such as PCOS can also lead to hair loss in women.
Which medical tests women should undergo before hair transplant?
There are many tests which are performed by hair transplant surgeon in India
- Trichoscopy: It is a method of hair and scalp evaluation and is also used for diagnosing hair and scalp diseases.
- Scalp biopsy: It is done to check whether your hair loss is a temporary or you are suffering from some type of female alopecia.
- Skin examination: Doctor will examine your skin, especially nails.
- Hormone levels: Hormone disturbance causes hair loss. The doctor may suggest a test of hormone levels such as DHEA, androstenedione, follicular stimulating hormone, testosterone, etc.
- Thyroid function tests: TSH, T3, T4 are the blood tests which are done to check the function of the thyroid.
- CBC test: Complete Blood Test (CBC) is done to know about your complete health and detect any disorders.
- TIBC test: Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) test measures the blood’s capacity to bind iron with transferrin.
- Hair pull test: Doctor slightly pulls hair to see if there is any excessive hair loss.
- Densitometry examination: It is a device used to measure miniaturization of the hair shaft.
The main purpose for female hair transplant
So, now you know when hair transplant for women is needed but there are 2 major purposes for which women choose hair transplant.
- To lower the hairline :
Women may want to reduce the size of their forehead. There are only 2 methods for this which are:- Forehead reduction: It is an invasive procedure in which the skin from your forehead is removed.
- Hairline restoration: It is a non-invasive procedure which is done by planting hair grafts. It is favoured as it is safe, has a minimum recovery period and minimal swelling.
- To treat patterned baldness:
Women are equally prone to pattern baldness as male. They also may have diffuse pattern baldness or hair loss throughout the scalp.
Techniques for female hair transplant
Female suffer from different kinds of hair loss. But, do you know the best part? They can be treated successfully by the following different hair transplant procedures.
- FUT Hair Transplant: FUT hair implants for women is done by taking out a strip of skin from the back of your head. It has the highest hair density. The surgeon will monitor anaesthesia to your scalp and look for an area which is elastic and can be easily hidden by the above hair. Above hair from that area is lifted. Your surgeon will then shave the small area from which they are going to harvest the hair strip. Later, he will stitch the wound caused by it. The surgeon will dissect the hair strip under the stereo microscope and plant the follicular unit grafts in the recipient region by making incisions in it.
- FUE Hair Transplant: In female FUE Hair Transplant, the surgeon will monitor anaesthesia to your scalp and hair follicles are extracted from not only the donor region but also from another region of the scalp as well. After dissecting the hair follicles under a stereo microscope, they are planted into incisions made in the recipient area. You will see the result of FUE Female hair transplant in 10-12 months.
- Direct Hair Implant (DHI): DHI is modified FUE technique. After monitoring anaesthesia to your scalp, a special patented tool is used to extract hair follicles. They are kept in a specific solution at a fixed temperature. Then, DHI implanter is used to implant hair in the bald areas of the scalp. It gives a natural look. This procedure is painless and gives the best result in women.
- Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP): If you are facing a hair thinning problem, PRP is used. In PRP, the surgeon will extract your own blood and place it in centrifuges to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the blood. Anaesthesia is given to the scalp. He will then inject the PRP formula on the hair thinning or bald region of your scalp. This is a non-surgical treatment is also used along with FUE/FUT hair transplant for a more successful result.
Psychological effects of Females Hair Loss
- Women experience negative psychological effects because of continuous hair loss or baldness. They get upset about their hair loss and start losing confidence.
- They suffer from poor self-esteem which disturbs their daily life. Sometimes, they start feeling that they are not attractive anymore because of hair loss.
- When this happens, they should realize that, ‘Their identity is not just because of their hair, it is more than that’.
How much does a female hair transplant cost in India?
The cost of a female hair transplant in India depends on the number of grafts the patient requires. The average price of a female hair transplant per graft is around Rs.80 to Rs. 150, which is a fraction of the cost in other developed countries.
Apart from that, the hair transplant cost for females in India varies depending on other factors. Let's discuss that.
What factors affect the cost of female hair transplants in India?
Level of baldness and number of required grafts: In India, the cost of a hair transplant is proportionate to the severity of baldness. On the initial consultation, your hair transplant surgeon will tell you how many grafts are required to cover the baldness. With the severity of baldness, the number of required grafts also increases, which increases the cost of treatment.
Hair transplant procedure: We have already discussed the techniques of a woman's hair transplant (FUT, FUE). The doctor will examine the scalp and the density and thickness of your existing hair. Accordingly, they will recommend the best extraction procedure.
Experience of the surgeon: Hair transplantation requires a high level of skill and experience. The hair transplant surgeons in India who are considered experts in the field might demand a larger fee than others.
Location: The cost of female hair transplants is more expensive in areas where the cost of living is high. Women's hair transplant cost in India is also influenced by local competition.
