It probably won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who’s suffered from hair loss that their quality of life could be improved if the condition could be arrested or reversed. A recent study in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery showed that men who had a hair transplant were thought to be more attractive, youthful, approachable and successful. All of which resulted in a better overall quality of life.
Previous studies have also indicated that hair loss can have profound psychological effects on individuals, resulting in a withdrawal from an active social life. In the words of the lead researcher in one of these studies, Dr Parsa Mohebi, “The results of a hair transplant can restore the self-esteem of a patient, greatly improve his overall quality of life and give a person more self-confidence in social and work situations.”
The downside of a hair transplant is the cost
The downside of the hair transplant is availability and cost. The bill for transplants can run to tens of thousands of pounds and there is no guarantee of ultimate success, although the procedure has been refined and developed significantly in the last few years.
An alternative for many men is Scalp Micropigmentation or SMP. Whilst this doesn’t restore the hair it does create a realistic illusion of a close cropped hair style. Over a couple of sessions a highly skilled practitioner will develop a layered look by injecting fine dots of organic pigment into the scalp in a largely painless procedure.
SMP a viable and increasingly popular hair loss treatment
SMP is much cheaper than a transplant, it’s non-invasive and the finished product is almost entirely maintenance free. More importantly, the vast majority of men report a boost in confidence immediately because it looks like they’ve made a conscious decision to adopt the style and they aren’t struggling with hair loss.
In the words of the inventor of the procedure and CEO and co-founder of HIS Hair Clinic, Ian Watson, “For clients who are almost completely bald, it makes it look like they have a shaved head. “I choose to wear my hair this way. I have a hairstyle, it’s a shaven head.”
