Hair Loss and Hair Restoration Information

History of Hair Loss and Hair Restoration

The history of hair loss and hair restoration actually dates back to what medical professionals consider “pre-modern” times. The first documented record of any type of hair restoration effort dates back to 1822 in Germany. These surgeries involved moving one area of hair-filled scalp to another that had lost its hair. It was the last documented case of cosmetic hair restoration for some time.

In the late 19th Century, hair restoration procedures began to become prevalent once again, but the reason for these procedures was to help victims of burns or other trauma, and these surgeries usually involved basic grafting of one section of skin to another. Otherwise, the realm of hair restoration in men during this time usually involved “medicine men” who sold their elixirs to the public, and the results of these tonics was not surprisingly less than positive.

The “modern” surgical techniques for hair restoration came about in the 1930’s in Japan. However, the advancements that these early procedures provided was lost for a period of years due to the onset of World War II, and during this time, hair transplants and the like did not receive any type of medical priority.

After World War II, however, these techniques reached the west, and American doctors began to explore the possibility of hair restoration and surgical techniques in the 1950’s. Doctor Norman Orentreich presented a paper on the topic in 1959, and this paper brought in a new era of research and exploration in regards to hair restoration, and many credit this paper with ushering in the true “modern” era of these procedures.

This new emphasis not only allowed for more modern techniques to be used to restore hair, but also for other medical researchers to formulate new techniques and ideas to achieve the same goal. These new techniques included:

• Moving flaps of hair-bearing skin to cover bald areas
• Using tissue expanders to facilitate bald scalp reconstruction
• Using scalp reduction surgery to eliminate bald scalp and "pull up" hair-bearing scalp to replace it

As time moved forward, so did the particulars involved with these new techniques, and all of these efforts resulted in what the general public can enjoy today - safe, efficient and successful hair restoration procedures that allow a patient to regain his or her hair, confidence and overall self esteem.

Hair Loss and Hair Restoration Statistics

As you continue to look into the possibilities that hair restoration techniques can provide for you, please consider the following hair loss and hair restoration statistics:

• Hair loss affects about 35 million men and 21 million women in the United States alone.
• 40% of men have noticeable hair loss by age 35 and 65% by age 60.
• One of the most stunning statistics regarding male and female pattern hair loss is that it is not until after 50 percent of ones hair has fallen out that the thinning is even noticed.
• By age 50, more than half of American men suffer from male-pattern baldness.

Hair Restoration Statistics

The following represent the number of hair transplant surgeries performed in the United States and their corresponding years.

• 2003 - 16,683
• 2002 - 18,120
• 2001 - 22,041
• 2000 - 38,978
• 1999 - 33,665
• 1998 - 109,544
• 1997 - 61,023

*Source - American Society For Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

A common theory for the drop in the number of surgeries in the late 1990’s was the introduction of over-the-counter and prescription drugs such as Rogaine and Propecia, but there will always be a steady number of patients receiving these treatments.