There are many causes of hair loss in both men and women, from male and female pattern baldness to hair loss through medical treatments such as chemotherapy. Some causes of balding are easier to treat than others and with a choice of surgery, medication and cosmetic cover ups to choose from, there is an option for all types of loss. We take a look at hair transplant techniques as a treatment for thinning and receding hair.

Thinning and receding hair is most commonly caused through natural aging processes, stress or inherited genes. A hair transplant has been an increasingly successful method of treating this type of loss thanks to the way that the hair follicles continue to function in certain areas. With both thinning and receding conditions, the hair at the back of the head continues to grow 'normally'.

What is actually happening is that this area of the body continues to grow terminal hairs, which are generally long, dark and thick. In thinning and pattern baldness, the follicles stop growing terminal hairs and instead grow intermediate or vellus hairs.

Vellus hairs are only a couple of millimetres long, have virtually no colour and are very thin.
Intermediate hairs could be described as having properties mid way between vellus and terminal hairs. In balding the follicles do not stop growing hairs, they just start to grow a different type of hair, and the most common areas for this to happen are at the front hair line and the crown of the scalp, giving rise to what is commonly known as pattern baldness.

Treating this condition with a hair transplant is often known as follicular unit transfer. A hair transplant surgeon will take follicles from the back of the head one at a time and transplant them accordingly in the areas that are balding. Because only one follicle is taken at a time, it is possible to achieve a greater rate of transplant uptake and a natural looking transplant.

Each follicle is removed using a special instrument that is similar to a needle with a hollow centre; this is then placed in the new site which has been created using a scalpel to make a small incision. On average, a patient can expect to visit a specialist hair clinic a couple of times to complete the treatment, and the hair growth is generally evident and natural looking within just a few months.

As with any surgical procedure, it is important that a specialist is consulted and all the options discussed.