99% of hair loss in men occurs naturally and is known as male pattern baldness.

This is due to a combination of 3 main factors:

1 AGE: The older the man the more likely he is to lose hair.

2. FAMILY HISTORY: Strong family history increases the risk due to genetic inheritance.

3. MALE HORMONES: Male hormones are at their highest level in the blood stream during the late teens and early twenties and will act as the trigger for those with a positive family history.

As many as 70% of men at some during their life encounter a degree of loss and yet because this is natural there are few real prevention treatments available. For many years all sorts of remedies have been suggested for hair loss but to date the only lotion to show any measurable result is a drug called minoxidil. The medical journal 'Lancet' said that in only 8% of cases did they note any regrowth of hairs and in each individual the results were only fine velos hairs of no real significance. Applications of this drug are applied twice a day every' day or the baby fine hairs will continue to thin.

Transplantation or natural hair replacement involves the repositioning of small grafts that vary in both size and density. Taken from the band of hair around the back and side of a man's scalp a suitable patient can achieve permanent results.

Because hairs in this area are genetically life long when transferred to another part of the scalp genetic characteristics go with ft to the new site. As the hair roots are your own the body accepts them without fear of rejection and new growth after 12-14 weeks will continue to grow at a normal rate of half an inch per month. This form of treatment is not without minor problems of its own, any form of surgery will leave scardng and whilst under normal circumstances including sports, swimming etc this goes unnoticed, closer examination of areas treated may reveal tell tale signs hidden amongst hair.

The most important points are that after healing and a liffle discomfort the scalp returns to normal with new hair that can be washed, cut, styled without any unusual maintenance.

Costings for hair replacement vary considerably: in the case of Minoxidil supplied on a private prescription, a charge of £30 per month is quite normal. Applied every day over many months and in some cases even years, ft can very quickly prove to be an expensive option especially when any gain is lost once applications are stopped.

False hair often described as hair fusion, weaving, bonding and extensions are all methods of attachment and prices start from around £300 up to £1,500. Regular maintenance and repairs add further costs (not to mention the need to keep a spare should the unthinkable happen!). They last little more than two years if worn regularly.

The most cost effective treatment with guaranteed results is natural hair replacement. Here the amount of loss dictates the number of sessions required. Initial fees are higher, but once treatment is complete, there are no more fees. Compared with other methods it is not only more cost effective but natural, and permanent!

Most popular method of transplanting-

Blend Micro grafting, a proven technique

Restore healthy, living, growing hair.

Mention the words hair transplant to any balding man and you are likely to get the standard reply - not on your life!. The very words instantly conjure up visions of dolls heads and various celebrities with disastrous results.

The images are very difficult to displace, yet most of them stem from twenty years ago, when hair transplants were still in the infant stage. 1 say most, because there are still some cowboys around, although thankfully they are now few and far between.

The techniques used in todays transplants are far removed from those used in the early days, and the results are now refreshingly natural, the days of being able to spot a transplant a mile off are long gone.

The most popular method of transplanting hair today is the blend or, as it is sometimes known, micro graft.

This technique offers the most natural results yet can be enhanced with individual hair grafting to give a totally natural looking hairline. Blend grafting has now become the most popular technique used in hair transplantation as it can not only fill in the small gaps (the dolls head or tooth brush effect) left by earlier grafts, but is of great benefit for those who are largely thinning throughout, or for treatment to specific small areas such as temple recession and early crown loss.

Blend grafting is a minor surgical procedure and is recognized, effective and proven technique for restoring hair to bald or thinning areas of the scalp. Today it is one of the most common cosmetic operations for men and is the only baldness remedy that utilizes a mans own hair as a sole solution.

Under local anaesthetic, hair is removed from the donor site (usually the back of the head) and then, using magnification and precision instruments, extremely delicate dissection of the strip of donor scalp takes place. Dissected into very small grafts (2 or 3 hairs) these are carefully implanted into minute incisions made in the scalp surface of the balding or thinning areas.

The donor site is closed, heals very quickly and it is undetectable where the grafts have been taken from.

Transplanted hair follicles eventually produce new hair shafts, which may be seen emerging from the scalp surface within 10 to 12 weeks of the date of the operation.

The new hair will grow at the usual rate of approximately half an inch a month, and will continue to grow permanently and remain lifelong.

When considering a transplant it is important to choose a well established clinic. Make sure that they use a surgeon who has vast experience in hair transplants, as the choosing of the size and location of the grafts, and the angle of placement and direction of the hair are important considerations if the best and most natural results are to be achieved.

Once you have decided on the clinic, talk to the hair counselor. Find out exactly how many grafts you will need and what will be the total cost. Beware of high pressure salesmen. A reputable clinic does not need them. Under no circumstances consider plug grafts as these lead to a very unnatural appearance and scarring.

Under a skilled surgeon, the nightmares associated with hair transplants have gone, and by using the blend grafit technique, hair transplant offers a natural and permanent solution to restoring living, healthy growing hair, which can be cut, washed, styled or permed as you wish in the normal way.