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The Bosley Medical Institute: A Dominant Authority On Hair Loss Treatment

By on October 11, 2012

The Bosley Medical Institute is a string of offices throughout the United States and internationally that specialize in hair loss treatment and hair restoration.

There are over 45 consultation offices in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, and over 20 regional surgical offices. There are also offices offered in Shanghai for patients living in or visiting Asia. The consultation offices are where you would visit to meet with a Bosley counselor to discuss your options and all aspects of hair restoration and treatment that Bosley could offer you. If you decided on a surgery or treatment, you would travel to one of the many surgical offices to have the procedure done.

There are five overall options that Bosley Medical Institute can offer you for treating your hair loss.

Toupees and Hairpieces

The first and quite easiest option for hair loss is a toupee or hairpiece. This is not an option for treatment of the actual medical condition of hair loss and is only going to treat the cosmetic aspect of hair loss. If you are embarrassed about your hair loss or just don’t like the way it looks, a hairpiece or toupee might be right for you.

This option is often best for anyone experiencing mild hair loss, or anyone that does not want to undergo any type of surgery or take prescription drugs for any reason. Choosing to go with a hairpiece or a toupee could be an expensive choice, sometimes adding up to be about the same cost as surgery. The initial cost of a high-quality hairpiece that looks natural can be quite expensive. The costs begin to add up when you figure in maintenance that will be required for the hairpiece as well as constant upkeep and special products that may be required.

If you are not interested in wearing a hairpiece that may look unnatural on you, read on.

The Bosley Hair Transplant Procedure

The Bosley Medical Institute is a big name in hair restoration for a reason. They are pioneers in the hair loss world, bringing top of the line hair restoration surgery to millions. The Bosley Procedure is an outpatient surgical hair transplantation procedure. Hair transplantation is usually a simple surgical procedure where healthy hairs from a donor portion of the head are implanted into the scalp in areas of the head that are thinning or experiencing hair loss. Donor hairs are generally taken from areas on the very back and sides of the head where healthy hairs are more likely to grow.

Bosley also offers the hair transplant procedure for eyebrows. This is ideal for anyone that has experienced hair loss of the eyebrows for any reason such as aging, scarring, or over-plucking.

On average patients require at least two procedures to achieve a permanent hair loss solution. The results are permanent in most cases, with some patients experiencing their hair loss return as they age or if they develop any medical condition.

The hair transplant procedure is ideal for both men and women that are experiencing hair loss or pattern baldness. Since your own natural hair is used in the transplant, you are left with a natural looking head of hair that does not look fake or bizarre.

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The Procedure

The actual procedure takes an average of 2-3 hours to complete and it could be shorter or longer, depending on how much hair needs to be transplanted. When you arrive at your transplant appointment, you will meet with your Bosley Medical Institute physician and possibly his/her assistants. Your doctor will discuss the procedure with you as well as draw out which areas will be transplanted from and to.

Once you approve the plan for the transplant, you will be given a local anesthetic in the donor scalp area, and the donor strip of scalp will be removed. The area will be sutured. The donor area heals generally quickly and you are only left with a small scar that can be covered up easily with remaining hair.

When the donor strip is removed, a surgical team member will divide the donor hairs up into units of follicles, into groups of either 1, 2, 3, or 4 follicles at a time. Once the hairs are divided, they are ready for transplant.

The area where you will be receiving the donor hairs will be prepped by being cleaned. You will get an injection of local anesthesia to the area to numb the scalp. Your surgeon will then create tiny incisions in which to insert the hair follicles, taking special care and paying the closest of attention to the procedure. The 1 and 2 hair follicle units are placed closer to the front of the hairline, while the 3 and 4 units are placed farther back where hair grows thicker; this gives you a completely natural look. The hairs are implanted in a random order since your natural hairline is random and not completely straight.

Additional Information on Hair Transplantation

The most drawing benefit of having a hair transplant is that it is a permanent and long-term solution to your hair loss. Majority of patients continue to have long-lasting permanent effects their entire lives, while only a small percentage experience hair loss in the transplanted hairs, usually due to aging.

A hair transplant procedure itself does not hurt and you will not feel the procedure since you are given plenty of anesthesia to numb the entire area. Previous patients have reported having minor discomfort and pain after having the procedure. Most patients only need to take over the counter medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen. If you are more sensitive to pain or are having pain after the procedure, your doctor can prescribe you something for the pain.

Recovery time for a hair transplant procedure is pretty quick, with most patients be able to return to daily activities within a few days. You should experience minor swelling at the donor site as well as the transplant site. You might also experience itching while the areas are healing. After the hairline has properly healed your new hairline will be concealed and no one will be able to tell you had a procedure. The donor area may have a little scarring, which can usually be covered by other hairs if you grow your hair to one inch in length or longer.

There are few risks associated with a hair transplant procedure. In rare cases infection is possible and is usually due to poor care by the patient or not following post-operative instructions correctly. If an infection or other medical condition occur, they are usually easily treatable and often they do not affect the new hairline.

The transplant can be fairly expensive. The cost varies depending on different factors, including how big of an area needs to be transplanted. On average patients spend between $5,000-$12,000 on each procedure. Hair transplants are almost never covered in insurance since they are cosmetic procedures and medically unnecessary. Bosley does offer certain financing options to patients that have approved credit.

A hair transplant procedure is for both men and women. It is not for anyone that is only experiencing slight hair loss that is not visible, that does not have enough healthy hair to be donated, or that has certain medical conditions. Anyone that has conditions such as lupus, diabetes, or any immunosuppressive condition may not qualify for the procedure. If you take anticoagulants, you will have to go off of your medication for a week or longer before the procedure. You should be sure to discuss all of the options with a Bosley consultant or your doctor before considering the surgery.

Bosley Professional Strength Hair Care Line

Bosley Medical Institute offers an extensive line of hair restoration and hair care products. Bosley’s line of Professional Strength products are designed for both men and women who are experiencing hair loss, thinning hair, and that have fine hair. These products are used by physicians and in salons throughout the U.S.

For anyone with normal to fine hair, the BosDefense line is for you. BosDefense offers a shampoo, conditioner, and treatment for both color-treated and non color-treated hair. The products are ideal for anyone that is not experiencing hair loss, but wants to add volume or thickness to their hair. The BosDefense line of hair products is also a hair-healthy option compared to other products on the market, and can be used in a daily hair care routine.

BosRevive is for anyone that is starting to experience hair loss, has thinning to the point where they can see or almost see their scalp, or wants to vamp up the health of their scalp for optimal hair growth. BosRevive is for you if you have visibly thinning hair or visible hair loss. The BosRevive line offers shampoo, conditioner, and treatment for non-colored and colored hair. The shampoo and conditioner of BosRevive are to be used as normal and contain ingredients to help pump up the volume and promote healthy hair growth. The Bos Revive treatment is a leave-in clinical strength treatment that helps to recondition the hair, promote healthy growth, and thicken the hair to add volume. The treatment is applied evenly to the scalp and left in, not rinsed out.

Bosley Professional Strength also offers a line of healthy hair treatments:
  • The Bosley Professional Strength Rebalancing & Finishing Treatment is for all hair types. The treatment helps to rebalance the hair and scalp after experiencing any issues such as irritation, dryness, being oily, flaking, or itching. This product can be used in a normal daily hair care routine to promote hair health, whether or not you experience hair loss.
  • The Hair Re-Growth Treatment offers two products, one for men and one for women. This FDA-approved treatment has been clinically proven to help stop the loss of hair and promote healthy hair re-growth. The liquid solution can be applied up to twice a day to areas of the scalp that are thinning.
  • Follicle Energizer is a system of leave-in liquid drops that help to repair damaged hair follicles and promote healthy hair growth. This treatment is applied up to twice a day to areas of the scalp that are experiencing low-density of hair due to hair loss or thinning.
  • Follicle Nourisher is ideal to be used before any of the other treatments. The Follicle Nourisher treatment is intended to prime the scalp and hair follicles and help boost the effects of other treatments when they are applied. It should be applied to the scalp and followed by another Bosley treatment.
  • Bosley Professional Strength Healthy Hair Moisture Mask is a deep conditioning and moisturizing masque that is great for any hair type, especially dry or brittle hair. This masque infuses the hair with intense moisturizing and shine. The masque is applied to clean and wet hair, left for five minutes, and washed out.
  • The final product in the Bosley Professional Strength hair care line is the Healthy Hair Strengthening Masque. The masque is also a deep conditioning masque, but also gives the hair volume and strength when it has become weak or damaged. This masque is also applied to wet, clean hair and left for five minutes, then rinsed.

The Bosley Professional Strength line also offers a line of Volumizing & Thickening Styling products as well as a Hair Thickening Fibers line. You can pick and choose which of these hair products to use, depending on your hair type. These products can be used in conjunction with one another, and can be helpful tools in establishing a hair care regimen. These hair care products can also help to keep up results after a Bosley hair care transplant.

Products in the Bosley Professional Strength line can be purchased at various salons, from the Bosley website, and from sites online such as Amazon.

The Bosley LaserComb for Hair Loss

The Bosley LaserComb is a small medical device that is used at Bosley Medical Institute locations as a treatment. This FDA-approved device discharges controlled laser energy to hair follicles. The lasers stimulate the hair follicles and encourage them to grow new hairs. This treatment is ideal for anyone in the early stages of hair loss that may not qualify for hair transplant surgery. Sometimes the LaserComb is used on patients that are preparing for a transplant surgery or that have already had the surgery. If you are interested in the LaserComb, you don’t have to wait to go to a Bosley office to try it, it can be purchased from the Bosley website.

Prescription Medications

Maybe you aren’t qualified for the surgical transplant procedure, or maybe you just don’t want it. Either way, prescription medication is another option offered by Bosley to help treat hair loss.

The prescription-strength medication Propecia is most commonly used by Bosley patients. Propecia is only approved for use by men and should never be taken by women. If you qualify you can get a prescription for the medication from Bosley clinics or at a Bosley consultation. Propecia is also often given to men that have had a Bosley transplant to promote continued healthy hair follicles and growth after surgery.

Bosley Medical Institute is considered a leader in hair loss treatment today. Bosley Medical Institute has been operational since being founded by Dr. L. Lee Bosley in 1974. A national survey of previous transplant patients showed an overall of 70% respondents saying they were happy with the results. This compares to only 30% of respondents who received their transplant elsewhere stating they were satisfied with their results. Bosley has a proven track record of excellence.

Majority of complaints against Bosley are for the high cost. Bosley procedures, treatments, and products are more expensive than others. Some have equated the cost to the high level of patient satisfaction.