We get this question a lot – is hair transplantation a cure for hair loss or a treatment? The difference between treatments and cures can get a little confusing so let’s break it down.
Treatments
Treatments are medications, therapies, or surgeries that help address the issue at hand. In this case, treatments like Finasteride, minoxidil, laser therapy, and PRP therapy address hair loss in individuals. These treatments may help prevent hair loss, slow its progression, or address an immediate concern (scalp buildup, infection, promotion of healing or growth factors, etc.).
Cures
Cures solves the problem at hand. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for hair loss at this time. There is some promising research, and scientists believe they’re close to curing baldness, but at the present time, the aforementioned treatments will have to suffice for those suffering from hair loss.
So which is hair transplantation – a treatment or a cure?
This is where it gets tricky. Despite what many believe, hair transplants don’t cure hair loss. They may solve the immediate problem at hand (filling in an area of baldness), but the root of the problem is not solved. In other words, your hair loss will progress through your native (non-transplanted) hair as you age despite getting a hair transplant. While you can rest assured the transplanted hair is here to stay (not effected by hair loss progression), if you only rely on hair transplantation to solve your hair loss woes, you’ll be playing a costly game of catch up for the rest of your life.
This is why we recommend a multi-method approach to addressing hair loss. Choosing an effective treatment to work alongside hair transplantation will extend the life of your hair and buy you more time before your next hair transplant.
If you’d like to find out more about hair transplantation and if you’re a candidate for this procedure, give us a call today.