Hair Loss and Replacement For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness))

What are the causes of hair loss? Can you prevent it? Can lost hair be restored? __Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies__ helps you understand why men and women lose their hair and offers thorough, objective reviews of a wide array of hair replacement options, including hair replacement surgery, prescription and over-the-counter medicinal treatments, hairpieces, natural remedies, and a variety of other options.This authoritative, user-friendly guide explains the pros and cons of hairpieces, fibers, foundations, and hair thickening techniques. You’ll learn about pharmaceutical, laser, and topical treatments, and you’ll find out how to determine whether you’re good candidate for hair transplant surgery. You’ll even find help in assessing costs, controlling expectations, avoiding hair replacement scams, and determining which option truly is best for you. You’ll discover: * What you need to know about hair and hair loss * How to take better care of your hair * Ways to prevent or reduce hair loss * Creative techniques for concealing hair loss * Shopping tips for hair-replacement systems * How finesteride, minoxidil, and other medications might help * Advice about low level laser treatments * The low-down on hair transplant surgery Complete with helpful myth-busting information about the causes of hair loss and the benefits of FDA-approved treatments, and helpful comparisons of the advantages of non-surgical and surgical hair replacement, __Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies__ is the resource to consult before you decide on any hair replacement treatment. Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies® 3 Table of Contents 11 Introduction 21 Part I Getting to Know Your Hair 27 Chapter 1 All About Hair and Hair Loss 29 Who Cares About Hair? Everyone! 29 You’re Not Alone: Dealing with Causes of Hair Loss and the Personal Impact 31 Keeping Your Hair Healthy 34 Surveying Hair Replacement Options 35 Looking at the Future of Hair Loss Prevention 38 Chapter 2 Splitting Hairs: Growth, Loss, and Change over Time 39 Under the Microscope: Hair and Scalp Anatomy 40 Linking Ethnicity with Hair Type and Loss 45 Aging Hair: How It Changes with Time 46 Chapter 3 Taking Better Care of Your Hair 49 Admiring the Adaptable Qualities of Hair 50 Choosing and Using the Right Products 52 How Gels, Sprays, and Other Chemicals Impact Hair Shape 58 Changing Your Natural Look: Dyeing and Processing 61 Avoiding Hair Damage 66 Maintaining a Healthy Scalp 69 Caring for Children’s Hair 70 Part II The Root of Hair Loss: How and Why It Happens 73 Chapter 4 Types of Hair Loss and Pattern Thinning in Men and Women 75 Defining Different Types of Hair Loss 75 Common Causes of Hair Loss 79 Looking at Male Pattern Thinning 86 Examining Hair Thinning in Women 92 Chapter 5 Diseases that Cause Hair Loss 99 Without a Trace: Non-scarring Alopecia 100 A Potentially Permanent Change: Scarring Alopecia 107 Lupus: A Scarring and Non-scarring Disease 109 May Cause Side Effects: Medications and Hair Loss 110 Other Causes of Hair Loss 111 Enduring Hair Loss with Chemotherapy 113 Part III Creative Techniquesfor ConcealingHair Loss 115 Chapter 6 Toupee or not Toupee? 117 A Brief History of “ Rugs” 118 Today’s Hair Replacement Systems 119 Attaching Your Hair 123 Women and Hair Systems 132 Adding Up the Costs of Hair Systems 133 Maintaining Your New Hair 136 Chapter 7 Shopping for Hair Replacement Systems 139 Getting Wiggy with It 139 Going Shopping: Where to Start? 140 Choosing a Human Hair Wig 145 Choosing a Synthetic Wig 146 Understanding How a Custom-Fit Wig Is Made 147 Picking Up Your New Hair 151 Going Public with Your Hair 152 Caring For Your Wig 153 Wearing a Wig for Temporary Hair Loss 154 Chapter 8 Concealing Hair Loss with Fibers, Sprays, and More 155 Styling Some Basic Hair “ Thickening” Tricks 155 Fooling Around with Fibers 156 Spray-on Hair 160 Applying Foundation 161 Comparing Cover-ups 163 Trying Thickeners 164 Using Concealers after a Hair Transplant 165 Part IV Pharmaceutical, Laser, and Topical Therapies 167 Chapter 9 Turning to Prescription Medications for Hair Loss 169 Managing Expectations 169 Inhibiting DHT with Finasteride (Propecia) 170 Dutasteride — Another Inhibitor of DHT 176 Stimulating Hair Growth with Minoxidil 178 Medications for Women Only 182 Chapter 10 Supplementing Your Diet to Help Slow Hair Loss 183 Eating Your Way to Healthy Hair 183 Oils, Herbs, and Extracts: Alternative Hair Loss Remedies 190 Potions, Mixtures, and Other Dubious Products 194 Chapter 11 Low-Level Laser Therapy 199 Discovering Lasers 199 Finding a Physician 202 Doing It Yourself: Hand-held Home-use Lasers 204 Understanding the Potential Risks of LLLT 205 Part V Advanced Hair Loss Solutions 207 Chapter 12 Hair Restoration Options: Past and Present 209 Taking the Long Road to Modern Hair Transplantation 209 The Newest Transplanting Techniques 216 Harvesting Your Hair 223 The Hype About Hair Cloning 226 Chapter 13 Hair Transplant Surgery 229 Are You a Candidate for Hair Transplant Surgery? 229 Psychological Considerations for Hair Transplantation 232 Having Enough Hair for a Transplant 235 Planning for Possible Future Hair Loss 236 Assessing the Costs 237 Choosing a Doctor 238 Before the Surgery 244 During the Surgery 245 The Night and Morning after Surgery 246 Possible Complications of Hair Transplant Surgery 247 Preventing Hair Loss Acceleration: Shock Loss 252 Having Surgery to Repair Unsatisfactory Results 253 Chapter 14 Caring for Your Hair after Surgery 259 Homeward Bound with a New Head of Hair 259 Handling Complications 264 Doing It Again 267 Part VI The Part of Tens 269 Chapter 15 Ten (or so) Myths about Hair Loss 271 Hair Loss Comes from Your Mother’s Side 271 Wearing Hats Causes Hair Loss 272 If You Don’t See Hair in the Drain, You Aren’t Balding 272 Excessive Use of Hair Chemicals and Hot Irons Kills Your Hair 273 Hair Loss Is Caused by Decreased Blood Flow 274 Magnets Increase Hair Growth 274 Brushing Your Hair Is Better Than Combing It 275 Cutting or Shaving Your Hair Make It Grow Back Thicker 275 Hair Loss Is Caused by Clogged Pores 275 Frequent Shampooing Causes Hair to Fall Out 276 Hair Loss Stops When You Get Older 276 Chapter 16 Ten Pros and Cons of Non-Surgical Hair Replacement 277 The Pros of Hair Replacement Systems 277 The Cons of Hair Replacement Systems 279 Chapter 17 Ten Reasons to Consider a Hair Transplant 283 Bald Isn’t Making You Feel Beautiful 283 You’d Like a More Symmetrical Face 284 You Don’t Want People Talking to Your Forehead 285 You Don’t Want the Lifetime Cost of a Hair System 285 A Bald Head Runs Hot and Cold 286 You’re Tired of Toupees, Creams, and Other Disguises 286 You Want to Improve Your First Impression 287 You’re Ready to Go Au Naturel 287 You’re Ready to Ditch the Infamous Comb-over 288 You Don’t Like Using Sun Screen on Your Head 289 Chapter 18 Ten Facts about the FDA and Hair Products 291 It Doesn’t Approve Shampoos and Conditioners 292 It Doesn’t Approve Most Permanent Hair Dyes 292 FDA Gets Help from the Courts to Protect Consumers 293 It Protects You from Cosmetic Hair Growth Product Scams 295 It Approves All Prescription Drugs That Claim to Grow Hair 295 It Doesn’t Pre-Approve Over-the-Counter Hair Growth Drugs 296 It Prevents Dietary Supplements from Claiming to Cure Hair Loss 297 It Doesn’t Require Much from Class I Medical Devices 297 It Requires Clearance for Class II Medical Devices 298 It Requires Thorough Testing and Trials for Class III Devices 298 Part VII Appendixes 299 Appendix A Online Organizations and Resources 301 Dr. Rassman’s Web Sites and Blogs 301 Other Web Sites Devoted to Hair Loss 302 General Medical Web Sites 303 Sites that Contain Specific Drug Info 304 Sites with Specific Product Info 304 Professional Web Sites and Journals 305 Professional Organizations 306 Appendix B A Psychological Study of Hair Loss 309 What the Survey Asked 309 Who Was Surveyed 310 What the Survey Showed 310 Analyzing the Results 312 Appendix C Glossary 313 Index 319 What are the causes of hair loss? Can you prevent it? Can lost hair be restored? Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies helps you understand why men and women lose their hair and offers thorough, objective reviews of a wide array of hair replacement options, including hair replacement surgery, prescription and over-the-counter medicinal treatments, hairpieces, natural remedies, and a variety of other options.

This authoritative, user-friendly guide explains the pros and cons of hairpieces, fibers, foundations, and hair thickening techniques. You’ll learn about pharmaceutical, laser, and topical treatments, and you’ll find out how to determine whether you’re good candidate for hair transplant surgery. You’ll even find help in assessing costs, controlling expectations, avoiding hair replacement scams, and determining which option truly is best for you. You’ll discover:

• What you need to know about hair and hair loss
• How to take better care of your hair
• Ways to prevent or reduce hair loss
• Creative techniques for concealing hair loss
• Shopping tips for hair-replacement systems
• How finesteride, minoxidil, and other medications might help
• Advice about low level laser treatments
• The low-down on hair transplant surgery

Complete with helpful myth-busting information about the causes of hair loss and the benefits of FDA-approved treatments, and helpful comparisons of the advantages of non-surgical and surgical hair replacement, Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies is the resource to consult before you decide on any hair replacement treatment.

As far as hair loss and treatments are concerned, this book was one of the most helpful and comprehensive guides I have read. It is NOT a sales pitch for hair transplants. It is an all-in-one source of knowledge for those either worried about their hair loss or for those who are thinking about a hair transplant. If you have little to no knowledge on the subject or are just starting to see what is available, this book is a GREAT starting point. It really dispels a lot of the myths about hair loss that are so commonly found on the internet. The book is organized well and is easy to read. Each chapter is pretty much self-contained, so if you don't care about a particular topic (like Wigs for example), then you will not miss a beat if you decide to skip that chapter. I am very glad I received a copy of this book. I would also like to add that I visited Dr. Rassman's and Dr. Pak's office and I was treated with the utmost courtesy and respect. In addition to the guidebook they gave me, I was also given a great deal of useful information during my visit. They saved me time, money and a lot of heartache. I am very, very glad that I decided to visit their offices and that I read this book.