Hair restoration procedures, including hair transplants, are often categorised under the term \u2018cosmetic surgery\u2019. Is that an accurate description of hair restoration work? Whatever one\u2019s views on cosmetic surgery, there can be little doubt that the term carries a slightly pejorative air about it. One dictionary definition of \u2018cosmetic\u2019, for example, gives its meaning as \u2018affecting only the appearance of something rather than its substance\u2019. If one accepts this definition, it follows that those who seek out hair restoration treatments are concerned only with their appearance.<\/p>\n
This article will look at why that perception is both wrong and unhelpful. Keep scrolling to learn more!<\/p>\n
Tennis player Andre Agassi<\/a> described in his autobiography how losing his hair as a young man was like losing \u201clittle pieces of my identity\u201d.\u00a0 Those who believe that hair restoration is all about superficial appearances would do well to consider that statement and imagine how it would feel for someone experiencing that.<\/p>\n Agassi\u2019s description of his hair loss as an assault on his identity is supported by a solid body of academic evidence showing how an individual\u2019s self-esteem is affected by alopecia. The link between baldness and lower self-esteem has been accepted for some years. In 2005, for example, Dr Ramon Grimalt of the University of Barcelona produced a study<\/a> in which he noted that \u2018some men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) appear to have a lower self-image, depression resulting in increased introversion, and increased feelings of unattractiveness.\u2019<\/p>\n Grimalt\u2019s identification of depression as a possible consequence of baldness is significant, as it highlights the fact that hair loss is no trivial matter. His work was followed in 2009 by a study<\/a> undertaken by the University of Westminster\u2019s Department of Psychology which concluded that alopecia can impact an individual\u2019s quality of life because of the negative beliefs and emotions that surround the condition. The very fact that psychologists were able to study and measure the negative effects of hair loss shows that the condition is much more than a cosmetic issue.<\/p>\n In 2018, Chinese researchers set out to assess the impact of a hair transplant on an individual\u2019s self-esteem.<\/a> The trial group consisted of men with AGA. The study concluded that \u2018hair transplantation significantly elevated self-esteem level and increased satisfaction with appearance of AGA patients.\u2019<\/p>\n The study also noted that physicians who carry out hair transplants rarely test clients for an improvement in self-esteem. Understandably, their post-op evaluations tend to focus on a client\u2019s satisfaction with how their new hair looks in terms of its density, naturalness and so forth; improvements to the client\u2019s mental well-being are not usually a key performance indicator for many clinics. This begs the question, are clinics underselling one of the most significant benefits of hair restoration treatment?<\/p>\nSelf-Esteem<\/h4>\n
Why It Matters<\/h4>\n