“Hair Transplants” in “Sikh” Males “Traction Allopecia”. Rising numbers in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, UK, France, Germany, Dubai.
Sikhism is a distinct religion started by Guru Nanak Dev in India.
The Sikh tenets make it compulsory for the Sikh male to sport 5 symbols of religion on their person, one of which is “Kesh” or long hair. This long hair is tied rather tightly on the head as a topknot and held in place by a rubber band. The pull of this firmly tied knot stretches the most distant hair which in this case is unfortunately the frontal hair line and also the temporal hairline.
In changing times and as Sikhs have migrated far and beyond their original region of Punjab, India they have modernized and some have had their hair cut short. However, the frontal hair line is devoid of hair since the hair roots have been permanently scarred consequent to the constant pull on them since early childhood. This scarring and hair loss also occurs below the jawarea because also sport a long beard and knot ti below the jaw.
This is a cause of tremendous anguish and concern amongst these young males with a broken frontal hairline.
In many cases with this form of hair loss due to traction, called traction alopecia, seborrheicdermatitis or psoriasis may occur together. Treatment of these skin condiitons will reducethe symptoms.
Treating this traction alopecia in Sikh mels can be a difficultprocess since they are forbidden to cut their hair short. It is easier in those who have decided to cut their hair short.
At Darling Buds HTC, we are the world leaders in Sikh Hair Loss since being in Punjab, we have rectified several such cases over many years.
Dr Bhatti’s Darling Buds Hair Transplant Clinic was established by Dr Tejinder Bhatti, a leading name in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery at Ivy Hospital Mohali on 15 November, 2009. The leading film star ZEENAT AMAN inaugurated the Clinic. Since its inception, the Clinic has emerged as the frontrunner in affordable, efficient and world class hair care and transplants. Please read more about us at www.hairtransplant-india.org
As I write this article, many celebrities are undergoing hair transplantation. In the visual field of the Media like Movies, TV, and in celebrities from politics, sports, etc are going under hair transplantation in India.
Celebrities are very sensitive to hair loss and rationally speaking, they need to be. Hair transplantation has become hi-tech and now a hair transplant doctor can help a celebrity like never before. With state-of-the-art techniques that replicate the angle and growth of native, non-transplanted hair, hair transplants can be subtle and down-time is now much reduced compared to surgeries that were performed in the 1980s and early 90s in India.
A few centres run by plastic surgeons do exclusive hair transplant work and with the experience they have gained over the past years, they have blended the art and science of hair transplants to give an amazing look to their celebrity patients.
There are a host of celebrities who have appeared on the small and big screen and you thought they would do better with “hair transplant”. And now they are there with a head full of hair. It seems almost magical. Amitabh Bachchan, Narendra Modi, and a host of cricketers and TV stars are just a few examples.
In fact hair transplant has become so common in India that one wonders what the industry was doing just a few years back without much work.
10 reasons why “Celebrity Hair Transplants” are on the rise in India?
1. “Cost of Hair Transplants” – This was never an issue with celebs. However, those starting their career in the media are benefitted the most with economical hair transplants.
2. Better than World Class results are now obtainable in India.
3. You do not have to travel.
4. The follow-up is just a short drive away or a flight not more than 3 hours.
5. The doctor is Indian and therefore he will be more responsive in the days after the procedure than one in America.
6. Complete privacy can be obtained only in India.
7. Centers like Darling Buds HTC have the best equipment from across the world.
8. Centers like Darling Buds HTC have several successful patients whom you can talk to.
9. Centers like Darling Buds HTC do all techniques- FUT, FUE, FOX and even Body hair Transplants.
10. Indian doctors are known the world over for their professional skills, manual dexterity and humane nature
The advent of follicular unit transplantation — where naturally occurring bundles of hair are transplanted into precisely sized incisions — has revolutionized the hair transplant industry. Celebrities can enjoy the benefits of hair restoration with a very high degree of success. Hair Transplant Clinics like Darling Buds HTC, Chandigarh, India are known all over for the best natural results obtained while doing dense packing. In addition, they have highly trained, expert technicians who assist the doctors in performing ”megasessions”, which is a term for ability to transplant above 3000 grafts in a single day sitting. To date, Darling buds HTC has transplanted more grafts in a single session than any other clinic in the wregion. This herculean possibility stems from the fact that the clinics like Darling Buds HTC have state of the art equipment imported from USA and France, the fine skill and dexterity that is necessary for the job, the experience, and the unflinching support of a team of world class technicians.
Why do we have a term called “Celebrity Hair Transplant”? It is because a one-pass, single day’s session is important to a celebrity. Simply stated in mathematical terms, clinics that do not have the stomach for procedures of 3000+ grafts (and this means most clinics in India) will require several sessions to obtain a result near to that at clinics like ours. Multiple surgeries mean Multiple visits and Multiple manhours lost at a job which is demanding on your precious time and Multiple recovery periods after each such session.
Megasessions are extremely safe in the hands of doctors like Dr Tejinder Bhatti who is one of the founder members of the “Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons of India” www.ahrsindia.com and like the other founder members has led the way for years and has proven that their skills are unmatched by clinics the world over. Besides being leaders in the field of hair transplant surgery in India and abroad, Darling Buds HTC has numerous innovations of Dr Tejinder Bhatti to its credit. Blend Technique TM , Plainly Painless Procedure TM, Darling Buds Easy-Way technique TM, etc to name just a few. These 3 innovations go a long way in affording a dense packing and a well blended hair line and posterior hair line and better control of graft angulation and direction, all critical objectives towards a natural result that a celebrity seeks.
Many clinics show pages which make you speculate about the particular celebrity who has had a hair transplant done here. This thought is encouraged when they show before and after photos of celebrities scanned from the covers of film magazines. They do such hard marketing that you get to believe their stories. They imply but do not say in so many words that the celebrities shown have had their plantation done with them. The message conveyed is that their’s is the clinic for the job. This seems a bit hypocritical since celebrity information should never be shared. Would they mention your name to future clients after your procedure if it went successfully?
“Cost of hair transplant” – Most affordable for all classes and masses.
Minimum or no skin is seen through the hair in all different views.
10. Transplanted hair blends so very well that it is indistinguishable from other hair at any angle of view.
11. Recreating the aesthetic and dense original front line of your younger days
12. Parting line comes back
13. Each hair is planted at desired angle with our patented fusion technique controlling the direction and orientation of new growing hair.
14. Roots containing 1, 2 and 3 hair are arranged artistically which only a plastic surgeon with years of practice can do.
15. Roots are transplanted at the nearest distance to one another to create a lush dense look.
16. This technique has now been extended to eye brow, moustache and beard with great aesthetic results.
17. Our team attends all leading Hair Restoration Conferences the world over. We train and get our staff trained at the best centers in the world.
18. We have revolutionized hair transplantation through research and innovations by correcting the pitfalls of prior art and current practice.
19. Our trade mark “Blend TM” is the scientific name for the “Root-by-Root” technique
20. “Blend TM” causes minimal damage to your invaluable hair roots.
21. Since Stem Cells for new hair growth are situated in the middle third of the root, we preserve them through our Magnification technique.
22. We use digital technology under 25 times magnification to preserve your roots. Only 5% hair transplant doctors in India practice 25X magnification. A recent study has suggested that without magnification, 30% roots are damaged in salt and pepper hair and 15% in black hair.
23. Patented Instruments and specially designed equipment make this possible during harvesting and separation of roots.
24. Plantation is achieved at the optimal angle and orientation and proximity for a lush density with our “Blend TM” technique
25. Our philosophy remains that hair transplantation is not one single operation. It is a process where many operators perform many their distinct functions meticulously with high end technology to produce best results. Only a large team of 8 members can cover a large bald area with hundreds of roots in a short time for best results Simulated training on models for 100 days is a must for any new member in the team to adhere to our stringent quality control.
Giving birth to a child is an important life event for any woman.
Though she is happy, she is also perturbed by the postpartum hair loss that she is suffering from. Her self body image is taking a beating due to the hair fall. This is medically referred to as ‘Telogen Effluvium’.
In Postpartum hair loss the woman is alarmed at the amount of hair loss over a short period of just one month. Telogen Effluvium can also result from any other experience that is either physically or emotionally traumatic like child birth. Changes take place in the way the hair grow and develop. This difference causes a large number of hair follicles to shed all at one time.
The treatment is medical and not “hair transplantation”. “Hair Transplants” are done in other indications.
My article helps you to be aware of the entity of Postpartum Hair Loss and to take remedial measures.
Tips and Tips…
Since Stress is one of the most important factors, please reduce your stress levels and anxiety. However, it is easier said than done. Try to keep your worries and negative thoughts out of your mind by engaging in constructive activities. Start meditation and breathing exercises, join a dance class, and take long walks.
Be sure you are getting the nutrients required to prevent hair loss. Deficiencies in zinc, manganese and vitamin B12 contribute to hair loss. It is advisable to continue supplements you were taking during the pregnancy.
When there is thinning of the hair, use a shampoo and conditioner that give volume and bulk to your tresses. Regular oiling and spa therapies also help.
There is no denying the fact that a healthy balanced diet is the surest way to get your hair back.. Nuts, avocadoes and fish that are rich in omega-free fatty acids are a great help for hair growth; and so are flax seed oil and fish oil, if consumed daily.
A shorter hair style for the 3-6 months after delivery hides effectively your hair problem.
Stay healthy through regular exercise and do Yoga.
Scalp massage olive oil and lavender oil, on a regular basis, increases the blood flow to the hair follicles which helps to increase hair growth.
Lastly, if the hair loss does not go even after 3 months, you need to consult a trichologist www.hairtransplant-india.org The doctor would like to rule out medical conditions like thyroid disorders, etc. and start you on proper “treatment for hair loss”.
Rarely, women do not get back most of their hair. These ladies are candidates for “female hair transplant” and need to go to a reputed “hair transplanr clinic”.
Dr Bhatti’s Darling Buds Hair Transplant Clinic was established by Dr Tejinder Bhatti, a leading name in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery at Ivy Hospital Mohali on 15 November, 2009. The leading film star ZEENAT AMAN inaugurated the Clinic. Since its inception, the Clinic has emerged as the frontrunner in affordable, efficient and world class hair care and transplants. Please read more about us at www.hairtransplant-india.org
Hair loss, or male pattern baldness, is certainly not a new affliction for mankind. It has been affected the human race for centuries.
Modern day expertise and technology today helps thousands of hair loss sufferers to restore their natural hairlines.
The costs do discourage many individuals who may want to undergo this procedure, but are discouraged by hair transplant costs in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand, France, UK, Belgium, Spain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Generally, hair transplant costs can range anywhere from $4000 in India to over $20,000 in the USA. The cost of your hair transplant depends mostly on how many grafts you need, and/or how many sessions you need to complete them in.
It is important to stress that hair transplant costs vary, that is why it is imperative that you consult a variety of doctors before choosing one. The price of a hair graft, for example, can range from $1.00 a graft in India to over $10.00 a graft in the USA.
In India the cost per graft varies according to the expertise of the doctor. For example a plastic surgeon usually charges Rs 55 per graft and a dermatologist Rs 45 per graft. Others will do it for as low as Rs 20 per graft. However, you need to check the credentials of the doctor you choose to prevent disappointment later.
Other expenses to keep in mind when calculating a hair transplant cost is the price of any extra medication, blood tests, anesthesia, and facility fees. Please clarify from your doctor about the overheads if any much before signing up.
Please do not assume that the most expensive doctor is necessarily the best doctor.
TOP 10 MYTHS ABOUT “HAIR LOSS” – INDIA ! Hair has since time immemorial been the hotbed of myths – some even outrageous. I have collected some myths over the weekend and listed them out for you. Let’s see how many you believed in. Please write back to me if I gave missed out on any. Frequent haircuts make your hair longer and adds strength! False. People might have started thinking so by comparing hair on the head to facial hair. The fact remains that facial hair is DIFFERENT from the hair on your head. Cutting your hair will only make it shorter and it will grow at exactly the normal rate – one cm a month. If you Pluck one grey hair, two will take its place! Sounds like a Two for the price of one offer? Think of it, if this were true, bald men would be pulling whatever little hair they have left ! And hair transplant surgeons would not exist. Yoga involving Standing on your head (Shirshasan) increases blood flow to your scalp thus reducing hair loss! While standing on your head will definitely increase blood flow to the head, it has absolutely no effect on hair growth. The cause of hair loss is genetic. Hair destined to fall will fall even in the upside down position. Vigorous toweling of scalp will produce hair fall! Not true. At the most it will help get rid of shed hair which would happen anyways. Toweling does nothing to hair except to dry it. Losing a handful of hair daily indicates the onset of male pattern baldness! This is not necessarily true. We loose 100 hair everyday in normal people and 100 take its place. Hair loss is a normal occurrence and it is only when hair regeneration stops that you identify the onset of male pattern baldness. Brushing your hair is better than combing it! No. As a matter of fact, hair responds better to combing than brushing. It is not a cause of baldness though. Brushing your hair only leads to split ends and hair breakage. It is advisable to use a wide-toothed comb as far as possible. Hats cause hair loss! In order for the hair to fall out, the hat would have to be so tight that it cuts circulation to the follicles. So no, wearing hats does not cause hair loss. Could you just imagine how many professional sports players would be bald if that were the case! Oh, ofcourse you can increase the number of hair follicles! Far from true. You’re born with all the follicles you’ll ever have. The number of hair follicles is determined by genetics and cannot be changed by taking drugs or supplements. The only proven way to increase the number of follicles is by hair transplant surgery. Similarly, the diameter of hair shaft, the maximum length of growth, rate of hair growth, hair color, tendency to curl, and tendency to gray are genetically determined. There is nothing you can do to prevent or treat hair loss! This last myth is probably the most misunderstood thing about hair loss. In the past, this was true – there was nothing that can be done about hair loss. But now, with advances in science and understanding about the nutritional needs of hair, men and women no longer have to live with hair loss. Also, hair transplant surgery has come a long way and in the proper center with the proper plastic surgeon treating you, clients are getting magical results every day. One such hair transplant center is at Chandigarh. Dr Bhatti’s “Darling Buds HTC” Hair Transplant Clinic was established by Dr Tejinder Bhatti, a leading name in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery at Ivy Hospital Mohali on 15 November, 2009. The leading film star ZEENAT AMAN inaugurated the Clinic. Since its inception, the Clinic has emerged as the frontrunner in affordable, efficient and world class hair care and transplants. Please read more about us at www.hairtransplant-india.org
Horror stories abound regarding hair transplantation. However hair transplant surgery has jumped leaps and bound in recent years to make it a viable, safe and not too risky option for those suffering with male pattern baldness, many celebrities such as Salman Khan, Virender Sehwag, Harsha Bhogle, Ravi Shastri, and even Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi are believed to have had hair transplantation surgery, although such is the stigma attached that none of them have admitted to it publicly. It only becomes obvious when studying before and after pictures.
History of Hair Transplant
The origins of hair transplant surgery stem from Japanese dermatologist, Dr. Okuda, who in 1939 published a revolutionary method in a Japanese medical journal of using small grafts that were similar to the way hair transplantation is performed today. This method involved using hair transplant grafts to correct lost hair from various body areas, including the scalp, eyebrow, and moustache areas.
In the late 50’s one physician in particular, Dr. Norman Orentreich, began to experiment with the idea of relocating or transplanting the hair on the back and sides of the head to the balding areas. Dr. Orentreich’s experiments showed that when bald resistant hairs from the back and sides of the head were relocated, they maintained their bald resistant genetic characteristic regardless of where they were transplanted.
This principle, known as “Donor Dominance”, established that hair could be transplanted from the bald resistant donor areas to the balding areas and continue to grow for a life time. This laid the foundation for modern hair transplantation. During the 60’s and 70’s hair transplants grew in popularity. However, the standard of care involved the use of larger grafts that were removed by round punches and often contained many hairs.
In the 80’s hair restoration surgery evolved dramatically, as the large punch grafts were gradually replaced with a more refined combination of mini and micrografts. This “combination mini micrografting” hair transplantation procedure no longer used the punch to extract the bald resistant grafts. Rather a strip of bald resistant hair was surgically removed from the back of the head and then trimmed into mini and micrografts.
Types of Hair Transplant
There are two main methods of Follicular unit hair transplant surgery. Follicular unit Transplant commonly known as FUT or ‘strip surgery’ and Follicular unit extraction, commonly known as FUE The main difference is the method of extracting the transplanted hair. FUT and FUE are really complimentary forms of HT, not competing methods of which one must make a choice.
FUT versus FUE
The 90’s saw the gradual introduction of a very refined surgical procedure now known as “follicular unit hair transplantation” or “FUT”. This exacting and labour intensive procedure transplants hairs in their naturally occurring one, two, three, and four hair “follicular unit groupings” in which they grow naturally.
The concept of creating the entire hair restoration using exclusively follicular units was proposed by Dr. Robert Bernstein and was described in the 1995 Bernstein and Rassman publication “Follicular Transplantation”. Critical to the success of the follicular unit hair transplant procedure was the introduction of the binocular microscope by Dr. Bobby Limmer of San Antonio Texas in the late 1980’s.
Dr. Limmer found that by using the microscope to examine the donor tissue he and his staff were able to successfully isolate and trim the naturally occurring follicular units into individual grafts. Dr. Limmer shared his techniques and findings with his colleagues and together with Drs. Bernstein, Rassman and Seager, was a persuasive advocate for the follicular unit hair.
The process involving follicular hair transplants is considered to be the most effective among hair restoration methods. In follicular hair transplant, the surgeon transplants hair from the permanent zone in the back of the scalp onto the affected areas.
If you need a large area covered, then you most likely want to go for FUT because it is the more economical in terms of number of grafts for price paid. If you absolutely, positively don’t want strip surgery as you are worried about scarring, then FUE is your only alternative. Contrary to popular belief, both methods leave scars. FUT will leave a narrow line across the back of your head, whereas FUE will leave little unpigmented dots across the back of your head. The only difference is that the FUE scars are not concentrated together and therefore harder to detect when wearing hair very short.
There is no doubt that FUE procedures are harsher on the grafts than FUT procedures. Because of this the final growth yields tend to be lower for FUE compared to FUT. But BOTH procedures work for the most part.
Hair Transplant Cost
FUT surgeries are performed by 95% reputable surgeons around the world; however FUE is an option in a few selected cases only and not the cure all for everyone. At Dr Bhatti’s Darling Buds HTC, both the procedures are done according to patient selection with good results. Pricing for FUE at Darling buds HTC is US$ 2.00 while for FUT it is US$ 1.00 . In US and Canada it is currently close to $7- $11 US dollars per graft for FUE, and depending on what level on the Norwood Scale, a scale used to measure the progression of male pattern baldness, can be quite costly. Pricing for FUT from these same surgeons is normally in the range of $4- $6 per graft.
Does Cheaper Mean Better?
Many of my clients do sometimes look to cut costs by using other surgeons who advertise cheap hair transplants. Although I’m sure there have been success stories via this route, please remember to check the guarantee available to you if something does go wrong. I have seen hair transplant using the FUT method, although not a horror story in terms of scarring or suffering, it did not yield the expected results of placing the same number of grafts (2,000). He is therefore left with poor hair coverage but now has lost the option to ‘shave it all off’ due to huge smiley faced scar in the back of his head!
Check, Check and… CheckAgain
I recommend considering hair transplant surgery only after you have tried the non surgical treatments on the market. Then when you certain you wish to get a hair transplant I would advice thoroughly researching reputable doctors, of course price is always issue, but in the case of hair transplants it should not be the most important factor. Indeed the money saved is nothing compared to trauma of having to live with a badly scarred scalp for the rest of your life. If you decide to go for more budget surgeon, please do insist on seeing photos of the surgeons previous work and do not be afraid to ask for contact details of their previous patients.
The Demographics of Male Pattern Baldness in India
Author- Dr Tejinder Bhatti, MCh
Summary:
Male pattern baldness is an ever-growing affliction today and affects men from the age group of 16-65
The last decade has seen a increase in the number of patients suffering from male pattern baldness (MPB) in the Indian scenario. Many studies have been carried out in the western populations regarding MPB. However, this is the only pilot study of its kind in India.
50,000 male patients were randomly selected through e-mail contact groups and mailers were send.
Of the 50,000 mailers sent, 36,788 responses were obtained and were collated and studied.
The study brings out the results of this landmark study in the subcontinent.
Introduction:
MPB is an ever increasing and distressing affliction in male populations the world over today.
In a study carried out in the USA, 56.6% males surveyed had Type I-VII MPB. The present study carried out in India through e-mail mailers covered a diverse socioeconomic group from all corners of the country. The age ranged from 21-61 years (mean 46 years) and all respondents were healthy males engaged in heterogenous professions.
Conclusions:
The striking results of the study are brought out as under-
63.2% Indian males in the age group 21-61 years suffered from MPB. This is more than the US figure of 56.6%.
The severity of MPB was- Type I- 32.7%; Type II- 18.1%; Type III- 22.0%; Type IV- 16.2%; Type V- 8.6%; Type VII- 2.4%
The age distribution of respondents was- 21-31 years: 46%; 32-41 years: 35%; 42-51 years: 10%; 52- 61 years: 9%
65% respondents had received various medicines for MPB. The medicines were mostly from the ayurvedic, allopathic and homeopathic systems of medicines. 22% had received creams and pastes from quacks. Only 1.03% patients were happy with medications since in the rest hair fall continued despite the exorbitant medicine costs involved.
235 respondents had got hair transplantation done. Of these, 66% were very satisfied with the result; 21 % were not satisfied with the density; whereas 13% were dissatisfied with the results. Of the dissatisfied group, 88% had received outdated punch grafting at clinics which had not updated their techniques.
89.35% had a smooth recovery after the procedure, whereas 10.65% had complications. Of the latter group, 65% had reversal of complications like infection within 7-10 days whereas 35% had bad scars due to strip/FUE techniques.
The study compares results of a USA study of 2009 wherein 56% US study group (total 35,000) had one form of MPB or the other.
The study concluded that MPB was significantly more prevalent in Indian population as compared to the US study group.
Complications and poor results could be avoided by getting hair transplantation done at reputed centres where the procedure is done routinely.
The study repudiates the claim that patients are dissatisfied with hair transplants.
Dr Tejinder Bhatti has commenced work on his next project titled- “Causes of increasing hair loss in Indian Men and Women”.
