Hair loss is a very common problem that affects both men and women, especially in the Middle East. Causes include dietary factors, medications, certain internal and skin diseases, and stress. A major cause however is androgenetic alopecia which is influenced by hereditary factors. Androgenetic alopecia does not cause hair fall, rather it is a miniaturization process with men noticing thinning hair, first from the forehead leading to recession of the hair line, then from the crown and vertex. In severe cases, this may result in balding. Androgenetic alopecia also affects women who can suffer from progressive hair thinning mostly in the frontal area and the crown, or diffusely over the scalp. Patients may experience acute hair loss over existing androgenetic alopecia.
Balding can be emotionally traumatizing to those who suffer from it. Classical treatments have focused mainly on the use of topical minoxidil, used nightly on a regular basis without stopping, like all chronic conditions. Minoxidil stimulates some hair regrowth but works mainly on preserving whatever hair is left and reduces the speed of balding over time. It is difficult to appreciate its benefit on the short term, as its effect is over the years and is very important; the thinning process is accelerated if it is stopped. Additionally in men, and in select cases in women, finasteride tablets block the conversion of testosterone to DHT, a key role player in androgenetic alopecia. Again, these treatments need to be used regularly in order to maintain results, but they are not effective enough to restore the natural density of hair in advanced thinning.
Hair transplantation is the only permanent solution for hair loss. For men and women, extremely natural hair regrowth is achieved by redistributing hairs from areas of high density (back of scalp) to areas of hair thinning or total balding. Dr Touma has 20 years of experience in using the most advanced transplantation techniques combined with a refined esthetic sense to produce the best looking results. No plugs, no visible scars! Only natural looking hair whether under the sun or a spot light, the transplant hairline looks natural. He is the first hair restoration surgeon to use the ARTAS robotic device in the Middle East, which has crowned his years of experience, and assists him in perfecting the FUE procedure with added precision, speed of procedure, faster healing and superb overall hair growth. He can advise men and women on which transplantation procedure to choose, FUE or strip, manual or robotic, based on their expectations, hair style, ability to shave, medical history and budget, in order to achieve their goal of fuller natural hair and regain their confidence.