Scalp Reduction As An Effective Baldness Treatment

One of the more effective treatments for male-pattern baldness is a procedure called alopecia reduction. This is basically a surgical hair restoration method which involves two basic steps: the removal of bald areas of the scalp, and the extending or stretching of the remaining hair-bearing scalp upwards, to replace the excised bald spot. Usually this procedure is opted for if the patient’s scalp is lax enough to bear the extension, and if the patient himself is willing to undergo the surgery. The method is more effective if it is combined with hair transplantation, to lend the entire scalp a more natural and desirable appearance, and is best taken advantage of in combination with a procedure known as brow lifting, where the skin on the areas near the forehead are stretched to reduce the presence of frown lines and crow’s feet.

The best candidate for alopecia reduction is someone with an ample amount of donor hair, retrievable from the sides and back of the same scalp; these will be stretched upwards in order to make up for the areas of the excision. Donor hairs are also necessary for providing donor grafts for future aesthetic hair transplantation. Take note though, that in order to be eligible for the procedure, the patient needs to meet several requirements. First, he must be in good physical condition, meaning that he does not carry any medical conditions which would make surgery hazardous or disadvantageous to health. There is also the extent and pattern of the hair loss to consider; alopecia reduction works best in a scalp with a large bald spot, and a sufficient mass of donor hair strands on the sides and back. As there is the possibility that the baldness will progress, the prospect of successive procedures, and also hair transplantation, should also be considered.

The laxity or elasticity of the scalp skin is also another factor to consider. Patients whose scalp skin have limited laxity are not ideal candidates for alopecia reduction, as a significant level of scalp elasticity is needed to effectively stretch it upwards, towards the area of previous excision. Even if the patient qualifies on this aspect, his expectations should also be realistic in comparison to the best results which can be afforded on his particular case; if the intent is to pull up the remaining donor hair to afford ample coverage of the bald spot, the benefits are attainable, provided that the case meets the previously-set criteria.

There are several techniques which were developed for the procedure, and each of this is dependent on the patient’s condition. These basically differ in the manner in which the scalp incision is made, such as ‘Y’ or star patterns. The technique choice will rely on the combined preferences of both the patient and the physician. The complications which can arise from alopecia reduction happen rarely, but are mostly postoperative conditions like suture scarring, and the stretching of the skin at the excision area. The side effects from surgery are also postoperative in nature, and may involve discomfort, inflammation, and numbness in the treated area.