The main reason they still resort to these techniques is mostly economical. In order to perform the latest cutting edge hair transplantation, a physician or group must upgrade the infastructure of their practice. They must hire and train a full time staff, as well as purchase binocular stereomicroscopes and possibly increase the size of their facility. Time also plays an important role, because quality hair restoration can take up to 10 hours, which is typically an entire work day. There is also a learning curve involved in the conversion of a practice, therefore, it may take several months to properly train the physicians and staff to get up them up to speed. For these reasons, many physicians will still use older techniques and procedures, which you will probably want to avoid.

One of these procedures is the flap and free-form flap. In this procedure, a flap of hair showing skin is moved from the side of the scalp to the front hairline by cutting it on three sides, but not seperating it from its blood supply or severing it totally from the scalp. This is considered a major surgery and is performed in a hospital setting. With the free-form flap, all hour sides are cut and the flap is entirely removed from the donor area so that its new location in the area with the hair loss can be placed in a direction of natural growth. This procedure isn’t recommended for men or women with common androgenetic alopecia and should be reserved for only patients who have severe disfigurements, including burn and serious accident victims. Many problems can arise from these two procedures, including necrosis, infection, loosened skin in the forehead, poor positioning of the flap and scars.

Another risky procedure still being performed is scalp reduction. This procedure is also known as alopecia reduction, galeoplasty or male pattern reduction, and can have many unattractive side effects. It is performed in the physician’s office under local anesthesia, and is done by cutting out the bald part of the scalp at the top of the head, with the edges of the closest hair bearing skin being sewn together. The hair-bearing scalp from either side is brought to meet in the middle. In some cases a permanent scar is left. Other problems may result as well, including an un-natural look, infection, blood pooling, suture reation and loss of hair for future transplants. The last mentioned problem can occur, because scalp reductions don’t save hair for later procedures, eventhough some physicians may claim they do so. The same section of permanent hair is stretched to cover the wider portion of the crown, which in return, thins the permanent hair that would be used as donor hair for a future transplantation.