The Truth About Non-Surgical Hair Replacement Techniques: Tips and Facts
We’ve all heard horror stories about bad hairpieces and worse toupees. In comedy, these have been the butt of many jokes, but hair loss sufferers are not laughing. Non-surgical hair replacement is a serious matter, especially for people who are considering it. People who are dealing with alopecia must be careful because the hair loss industry is fraught with cheap gimmicky products as well as companies and so-called professionals who are more than happy to take advantage of vulnerable hair loss sufferers. Whenever you are looking at a solution for hair loss, you must move forward with care and caution. Non-surgical hair replacement, such as hairpieces, are no exception.
Non-surgical hair replacement can be a wonderful alternative for people who want to have a fuller head of hair without surgery. However, most consumers don’t know what to look for or what to watch out for when shopping for a hairpiece. The vast majority of consumers who purchase non-surgical hair replacement are unhappy with the products they’re stuck with. Plus, there’s a lot that the hair clubs won’t tell you.
Tips
• Try the mom and pop salons. They have compassion for their customers and great customer service.
• Be prepared to buy two units so that you can wear one while the other is being maintained.
• Do not let a hair replacement company keep your second hairpiece. It’s yours, you get to take it home.
• Avoid anyone who tries to sell you a maintenance contract. You should be able to take your hairpiece anywhere you want for maintenance.
Facts
• The stylist will probably shave off a good portion of your hair in order to affix the hairpiece.
• Bonded systems will not stay firmly attached for 4-6 weeks.
• These systems need constant maintenance and you will have to learn to do some of the maintenance yourself.
• Cost of maintenance ranges from $60 to $300 per month.
Get more tips, facts, and information about non-surgical hair replacement systems by visiting the following link:
http://www.americanhairloss.org/hair_replacement/introduction.asp
Another Satisfied Hair Club Client
I’d like to share my experience with The Hair Club so that no one else has to go through what I have.
At the age of 24, my girlfriend at the time told me that she needed to talk to me about something important. She asked me to sit down and she proceeded to tell me that she thinks that I’m going bald and asked me what I planned on doing about it. Nice huh? Well, to make a long brutal story short, and after I kicked that @i #!* to the curb I did what most men probably do who are concerned with their hair loss, I went the The Hair Club.
I mean these are the guys that I grew up seeing on TV everyday. It seemed like the thing to do if you had a problem with hair loss and was interested in hair replacement. After my consultation I was so excited to get my hair back and my life back. The lady I had the consultation with told me that it’s a completely natural process and that my new hair would be even better and more manageable then the hair that I lost. WOW! Read more
Technorati Tags: hair club, hair loss, hair replacement, wigHair Transplant Nightmare
Question: At the age of 19 I began to rapidly lose my hair. I was really beside myself and needed to find a solution. One night while I was up late studying for exams I saw an informercial for Bosley Hair Transplants and decided right then and there that I was going to do something to help myself. I did not want to be bald by the age of 21 and according to the commercial there was now a “permanent solution’ to my hair loss.
Fast foreword to today, I am 25 years old and now have much less hair than when I started. my hair transplants look extremely unnatural and my parents are out more than $11,000.
I believe that my life has been stolen from me and all these Bosley people keep telling me is that “I look great”. They tell me with one more procedure that I’ll be good to go.
This has been a total nightmare! I have not been able to date, I am very uncomfortable at my job and I believe that they have stolen years of my life from me.
I read on your website that the American Hair Loss Association does not recommend the large chain clinics like Bosley. I only wish I found you people before I made the decision to have this done. I was so desperate to improve my situation at the time that put faith in these people. I feel so stupid and ashamed. I retrospect I was so ill-informed.
Is there anything that I can do now to help myself or am I destined to look like a freak for the rest of my life? This has taken a huge toll on my self-esteem. I can not even look at myself in the mirror without being reminded of the biggest mistake of my life. My parents are very supportive and actually feel guilty for financing the hair transplant without doing more research.
Please let me know if there is hope for me. Thank you in advance for your help.
Answer:
It is important to understand that you are not alone. The American Hair Loss Association does not recommend large chain clinics for a reason. For the most part these are bottom line business that spend millions of dollars on advertising in order to SELL SURGERY. Read more
Technorati Tags: Bosley, hair transplant, IAHRS, repair surgeryHair Transplant Bait and Switch
Dear AHLA,
I was researching my hair replacement options and stumbled across a website that promoted scarless hair transplants. When I went in for a consultation the salesperson told me that I was not a candidate for the scarless operation and suggested that I have a traditional hair transplant. Is this a common bait and switch technique or did I go to the wrong company?
This is actually becoming a very common scenario. Many of the unethical clinics will do anything to get vulnerable hair loss sufferers in the door only to tell them that even though they are not candidates for the advertised hair transplant procedure, they can still be “helped” by a more invasion operation and in some cases a more expensive procedure.
Be very wary of these charlatans. Before considering surgical hair restoration make sure you do your home work. Contact The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons for advice.
The IAHRS is a consumer organization comprised of the most skilled and ethical hair transplant surgeons on the field and the only surgeons recommended by the AHLA.
How To Wear Hair Well On A Budget - Hair Replacement Advice
Question: I am a 50+ woman with significant female pattern baldness. For the last 5 years I have been going to “The Hair Club” as this is the only vendor of women’s hairpieces that I have been able to find locally. (In the San Francisco Bay area.)I have experienced all of the frustrations mentioned in your article dealing with hair replacement, including the idea that I am “locked in” to the Hair Club, and have no alternative, even though their service is not very good.Is there a site I can go to find other hair replacement alternatives? My husband is eager for me to try a hair transplant, so that we will not have to continue paying over $6,000 a year for my hair. But it seems from what I read in your article, that I am not a good candidate, because of the overall thinning of the hair.Are there other alternatives for women like me?
I appreciate any information or guidance you can give me.
Sincerely,
Judy
Answer:
Dear Judy,
First let me say that you are not alone. We receive countless complaints about The Hair Club from both men and women, and this company is NOT recommended by The American Hair Loss Association.
Your husband should know that having a hair transplant is not a one size fits all procedure. Most women with diffuse hair loss do not make good candidates for a hair transplant and usually end up wearing hair anyway. From how you described yourself you are most likely not a good candidate and will possibly be very disappointed with the results of a hair transplant.
Since you have been wearing hair for five years, you understand that it takes a significant amount of maintenance to keep the hair looking natural. This does not have to cost you an arm and a leg, and there is no reason to be locked into a maintenance contract.
It is possible to purchase high quality hair systems online for a fraction of the price you are currently paying. It usually takes a little trial and error, but once you get it right you can continue to purchase your hair and have it shipped directly from the manufacturer to your front door.
There are a couple of ways to get started. Your first option could be to send one of your current hair pieces to an online hair replacement company to have the manufacturer copy it exactly. Unfortunately, since you are dealing with a “club” your spare hair might be held in their facility to ensure that you come back. Another option is to go to a local mom and pop hair replacement salon and have them make a template of your head and then send hair samples along with the template to the manufacturer. Some companies even offer at-home template kits with full instructions and even a DVD to help you and your husband make the perfect template.
Once you receive your hair in the mail you can go to any hair replacement shop to have it cut in. You can either choose to maintain it yourself, or you can go in for weekly or bi-weekly maintenance for a fraction of what you are currently paying. Most women will purchase about six per year and go to their local hair replacement shop and spend about $150 a month including cut ins.
There are several reputable online companies that sell reasonably priced high end hair pieces. Prices range from about $150-$500 per unit.
It is possible to wear hair well on a budget and you never have to join a club.
Hope this helps.
The American Hair loss Association
Interested In Non Surgical Hair Replacement, Is It Undetectable?
Dear American Hair Loss Association,
I’ve been experiencing hair loss now for the past 5 years. Now I am at the point that I want something done about it. I am not really into the surgical hair transplant procedure (I heard it takes time for the new hair to take hold). I am really interested in non surgical hair replacement. I heard once it’s there it’s always there, and that non surgical hair replacement has come a long way and is now using natural hair from people in Japan and China. Most importantly I hear that it is also undetectable. I would honestly put myself in 3v-4 of hair loss. Is there a way I can get information? Thank-you.
Sincerely,
Robert
Dear Robert,
Since you’ve been experiencing hair loss for only five years you are most likely in a good position to give medical treatment a try in an attempt to further stop the progression of your hair loss, and to perhaps regrow some of your hair. We suggest that you speak with your physician about getting a prescription for Propecia, as well as to make sure that you are indeed suffering with common male pattern baldness.
As far a non-surgical hair replacement, what you have heard seems to be incorrect. Non-surgical hair replacement for men basically consists of attaching a hair piece or hair prosthetic to the scalp using a bonding solution which is basically glue. This type of replacement can look extremely natural if matched and maintained properly, but it is not permanent and must be removed periodically both for hygienic purposes as well as for maintenance of the hair and the base of the unit.
Remember a hair piece is a hair piece is a hair piece. All companies basically sell the same products, so do your homework before purchasing a hair system. We recommend that you avoid companies that make you join a “club” and sign a long term maintenance contract. You can read more about non-surgical hair replacement on the AHLA site.
Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair replacement, hair transplant, propecia