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What Is Hair Replacement?
Most people in the hair replacement industry use the term "hair replacement" to refer to non-invasive, non-surgical hair replacement, excluding hair treatments. Further, the term is used by most to refer to the products and services provided by Salons and Studios that
specialize in non-surgical hair restoration services. A Hair system, or hair replacement system, is usually a custom designed hairpiece or wig that can be attached to a person's hair or scalp using a number of different techniques. Lately, the industry is turning toward pre-made hair systems in an effort to reduce costs and increase the rate of hair system consumption. "Consumption" sounds weird, and it is, because most people like to think of hair replacement as a permanent thing, that the process is done once and that's it. The fact is that hair systems need to be replaced frequently because they age and wear out like anything else. The advantage of replacing a hair
system often is that it is always new, and therefore it will look more natural.
Custom VS. Pre-made Hair Systems
Hair systems can be custom made or pre-made (or stock). A custom designed hair system is made from a mould or template of the person's hair loss area. The base of the hair system, the material used to make the foundation holding the hair, can then be shaped to the exact contour of the person's head. This provides the most comfortable and secure fit. Other aspects of the hair system can manipulated to conform to the person's needs as well. Usually a sample of the person own hair is provided, and this allows the factory to match the colour, texture, and curl of the client's own hair more accurately. The way the hair is tied or inserted into the foundation also varies: clients can choose from single, one and a half, double, or split knotting using one, two, or three hairs. Clients can also chose the direction the hair is added to the base in order to simulate certain styles and follow the client's own hair direction, as well as the density, the amount of hair put into the hair system. All this adds up to making the hair system look as natural as possible. Because of the added work involved in designing and manufacturing a custom-made hair system, they are usually more expensive than pre-made hair systems.
Contrary to popular assumptions, Pre-made hair systems can be equal in quality and look to custom-made hair systems. Often, exact matches in contour and colour can be achieved right out of the box. This is because pre-made hair systems are made based on the most common shapes and colours, and generally about 70 to 80% of people can be effectively fitted with pre-made hair systems. There are two great advantages to using pre-made hair systems. First, there is little, if any, waiting time for the hair system to be made. Second, the cost is usually less. This has lead to somewhat of a revolution in hair replacement recently. Now, pre-made lace front hair systems - the most natural looking - are being made in vast quantities. This allows the user to replace the delicate systems frequently, eliminating the high cost and maintenance of custom designed lace front hair systems. It is important to remember that pre-made hair systems can also be altered slightly to provide a more accurate fit, colour match, wave, size, or density.
Hair Transplants
Hair transplants are a process by which your own healthy growing hair is removed and re-inserted in the thinning or balding areas of the scalp. Normally a long strip of skin is cut from the back and/or sides of the head and the resulting space is closed and stitched. This strip of skin is than divided into hundreds, even thousands of small pieces. These pieces are called grafts. Some doctors make a distinction between mini-grafts, 3 to 5 hair grafts, and micro-grafts, 1 to 2 hair grafts. Mini-grafts result in a thicker density, but micro-grafts look more natural.
Hair Systems VS. Hair Transplants
Which is better: a hair system or a hair transplant? This will always be debatable. It really depends on the client's personal preferences and needs. Obviously, if a person could have all their own growing hair back than there would be no debate. The problem is that there are pros and cons to both methods. Hair transplants are your own growing hair, but a patient is limited to how much hair can be transplanted, because you have to use your own hair. A transplant can never result in the amount of hair you had before your hair loss, because you are moving hair from one area to another, not creating new hair. So if a person is happy with less of their own growing hair, than a transplant would be right choice.
Hair systems can give you as much hair as you want, but it is not growing. Hair systems, if designed properly and cut maintained properly can look as natural, even a lot more
than a hair transplant. The new lace front and super thin polyurethane hair systems are remarkable in undetectability. The draw of the hair system is that you have to take special care of it.
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