If you’ve at all been in themarket for a permanent solution to hair loss you’re likely familiar with myriad flimflam men. “Some people like to talk about particular shampoos or other things that might help,” Tammie said with measured skepticism. “The simple fact is that they’re not necessarily a permanent solution. After you stop using it you may lose the benefits of the product. What I’m trying to do is talk to people about what permanent solutions are available for hair loss – not everyone knows what hair transplantation is.” “It is very much a life-changing procedure.” “It’s usually between a four and six-hour procedure and it’s done here at our Halifax clinic by the hair transplant team. It’s a little like going to the dentist. Essentially you’re awake the whole time. Typically; you don’t feel a thing because you’re frozen, much like you would be for a cavity. Also, like at the dentist, you can watch TV! For the procedure itself, I always explain it like this: there’s an area on the back of a person’s head that I refer to as a magic strip. That area has permanent hair follicles. What our physician does is take a strip of hair from the back of the head, which is the donor strip, and then we divide each follicle from the strip individually. The single hairs grafted are the prime candidates for places like around the temples; and framing in the face; while graphs with multiple hairs are ideal for the crown area. It’s all very specific and custom to the patient; creating a very natural outcome. Essentially, the doctor will make what are known as recipient sites with a hypodermic needle. This really combats what people used to complain about with transplant procedures: that it looked ‘pluggy.’” “For example; twenty years ago the doctor might have had to use an instrument the size of a thin Sharpie marker making it very difficult to get the roots tight together for a true natural look. Now we use a small gauge needle, which is essentially what you might use to sew-on a baby’s button. This enables the doctor to create a very tight; and natural look. It also makes it possible to ensure that the doctor does not damage any of the existing healthy hair follicles – they can put recipients around and amongst your hair; giving additional thickness in the desired area. Once the roots are planted – I often use the example of a beanstalk – the roots will continue to grow and flourish. It takes about three months to see hair growth and that growth is a lot like a baby’s hair or eyelashes. From there it continues to grow and thicken for anywhere between Tammie explained that the procedure is really quite simple. The procedure itself; really hasn’t changed, Tammie conti ued, just the tools the doctor now has access to.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MAY 2018
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