Young men suffering from baldness prefer hair transplants to donning a wig
Young men suffering from baldness prefer hair transplants to donning a wig
Where once wigs were the mainstay for any male who wished to cover his bald plate, now, it seems an increasing number of Mumbai's youngsters are opting for hair transplants to cure their baldness. This, despite the fact that transplants require surgery and can cost up to Rs 1.5 lakh.
A case in point is Borivli car dealer Imran Khan (26) who underwent hair transplant surgery this week. "My hair has been falling for the past three years due to a hereditary problem and excess stress. I have been undergoing treatment for the past two years, but I finally went in for surgery," said Khan. He admitted that his receding hairline had also begun to erode his confidence.
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While baldness was a prerogative of older men, now even youngsters are suffering from it. Studies undertaken by Dr Batra's chain of clinics have found that over the last five years, there has been a 250 per cent rise in the incidence of baldness in the age group of 16-25 years.
Dr Akshay Batra, deputy manager of Dr Batra's, said nearly 50 per cent of his patients who suffer from baldness are between the age group of 25-40. "Hair loss takes a huge hit on the confidence levels of patients. The transplant procedures available now are so good that the patient's hair continues to look good even as he ages," said Batra. However, the perception that people are going in for this option because they are concerned about their looks is incorrect, he added.
"The notion that vanity is the only factor is a misnomer. We've had patients come in with hair problems that are reflective of intestinal problems, ovarian cysts and other diseases," said Batra, who recently tied up with US company Nu/Hart, for the first collaborative hair transplant clinic in the city.
Kathy Smith, president of Nu/Hart International, that has invested over Rs 20 crore in a flagship clinic in Nariman Point, said that Indian clients have constantly figured on their patient lists in their clinics in the US as well as Dubai.
"The demand has been so enormous that we decided to open a clinic here to cater to patients," she said.
What is hair transplant?
Hair transplantation is a type of surgery in which skin with hair follicles are moved from one part of the body to another. In treating male pattern baldness, skin, which has hair resistant to balding, is transplanted on to the scalp. While it is mainly used for treating baldness, this technique can also be applied to restore eyelashes or eyebrows.
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