Hair Loss Shampoos vs. Hair Transplants

Many men look for ways to fight male pattern baldness, hoping to reverse signs of premature aging and look much younger and energetic. In some cases, they turn to topical products that can help thicken existing hair or claim to help grow hair where the hair was lost. For example, there are hair regrowth shampoos out there that may help thicken existing hair, slow down hair loss, and even possibly promote hair growth. How do these hair loss shampoos stack up against hair transplant surgery, though? The team at our New York City hair transplant surgery center would like to take a moment to compare the two.

Hair loss shampoos contain different active ingredients that are actually effective to some degree. In general, the most potentially effective ingredients in hair loss shampoos are those that block DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is one of the major causes of genetic baldness and balding, and hence inhibiting DHT can help slow the balding process. Other hair loss shampoos will help clean and unclog pores and clean hair follicles in the scalp, which can contribute to hair regrowth.

By contrast, hair transplant surgery will use donor site hair follicles in order to promote the growth of new hair in a bald spot. This is accomplished at our office through follicular unit extraction. When you undergo follicular unit extraction in New York City, this means the expert harvesting and placement of follicular units in order to mimic a natural hair line and the appearance of natural hair growth. (A follicular unit refers to a single bundle of hairs (generally one to four) that grow out of a hair follicle.) Follicular unit extraction allows for the most natural results in hair transplantation surgery available today, which means the results are leap and bounds ahead of old techniques of the past.

In general, while hair loss shampoos may be effective to some extent, they are not as effective in promoting healthy hair growth as hair transplant surgery. For the most part, you are likely to have better results with Rogaine or Propecia than with hair loss shampoos.

To learn more about your options for hair transplant surgery and hair regrowth, be sure to contact our New York City hair transplant surgery center for a consultation.