The word “dermatology” is derives from the Greek word derma, which can be translated as either skin or hide. The medical discipline of dermatology focuses on conditions and disorders that show symptoms externally, most frequently on the skin. Dermatology encompasses disorders that affect not just your skin but also your hair, nails, and the delicate lining of your mouth, nose, and eyelids. The largest organ in the human body is essentially the skin. It is made up of a variety of structures, including blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, nerve endings, and sweat glands. Due to the importance of it to your general health, you should take care of it. Although primary care doctors and internal medicine experts might be able to diagnose and treat some hair disorders, a dermatologist has a more in-depth knowledge of the subject and more experience in the area. In fact, many general practitioners may refer their patients to dermatologists for specialised treatment for disorders of the skin and hair.
What do dermatologists do?
It should not really come as a surprise to you that the people who first invested in the first and the leading hair transplantation techniques were all medical doctors experienced in dermatology. This includes Dr. Noman Orentreich, who performed the first hair transplant carried out in the United States in 1952 using the hair plug technique, which did not really offer great results. Also, in the early 1900s, a dermatopathology specialist from Texas, United States named Dr. Bobby Limmer performed the first Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). In addition, the first Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) operation was performed around the year 1989 by Dr. Ray Woods, a neurosurgeon with skills in aesthetic dermatology as well as internal medicine. Generally speaking, the work of a dermatologist can be broken down into three distinct categories. The following are some of these:
Medical
Dermatologists are qualified to diagnose and treat a wide variety of hair-related problems. This category encompasses problems such as alopecia areata, hair loss, hair thinning, dry hair, pattern hair loss, and greasy hair. Your dermatologist will also be able to determine the underlying causes of your hair problem, which may be indicators of other health conditions. For instance, if your hair is scratchy and dry, this may be a sign that your kidneys are having issues.
Surgery
Although most dermatologists do relatively basic surgical procedures, some dermatologists choose to specialise in more complicated surgical procedures. Among these operations are hair transplant surgery, the removal of undesirable hair, and the removal of benign cysts.
Cosmetic
Hair conditions that make you look older or worse can be treated by a dermatologist. This could manifest as thinning hair, dry hair, or pattern hair loss. A significant number of dermatologists have also received training to provide aesthetic treatments. In this category include treatments such as fillers, chemical peels, and laser hair removal.
Importance of dermatologist in Hair Transplantation Process
It is essential, for a variety of reasons, to have hair transplantation performed by a dermatologist in order to achieve the best possible results. Some of these include the following:
To minimize the risk of failure
It is well known that hair transplants don’t fail very often. However, a hair transplant can be considered a failure if either the donor area or the transplanted area of the patient’s scalp has visible scars. One of the most common problems with hair transplant surgery is that most of the transplanted hair doesn’t grow back after a certain amount of time. A doctor who doesn’t know much about derma-cosmetics and doesn’t have a lot of experience can be the main cause of scars and weird hairlines. Also, a low survival rate of transplanted grafts could be caused by bad procedures during the operation or by patients not getting the right instructions about what to do after the operation. Both of these things can also contribute to the problem. So, having a dermatologist there during hair transplantation can help reduce the chances of the procedure from failing before, during, and after the operation by taking advantage of the dermatologist’s knowledge and experience.
To maximize the chance of success
A hair transplant can be considered a success if the majority of the hair follicles that were transplanted continue to thrive even after a significant amount of time has passed, and if the donor and recipient areas of the scalp show no signs of scarring following the surgery. It is possible for a dermatologist to assure the success of a hair transplant by first identifying the primary causes of hair loss and then working to address those causes. After doing in-depth pre-surgery preparation, the dermatologist will be in a position to decide whether or not the patient is a good candidate for a hair transplant.
Provide Guidance
The dermatologist will provide the patient with the appropriate guidance and consultation during the pre-surgery phase, and they will continue to be present following the procedure to assist with a successful journey toward a permanent and healthy hair growth. This will be accomplished by informing the patient of the changes in lifestyle and habits that are required to be made in order to improve the success rate.
Dealing with complication
A dermatologist has the education and experience to handle any issue that may arise during a hair transplantation procedure.
Disadvantages of using a non-dermatologist for hair transplant
It is very likely that a hair transplant will fail, and the patient will end up losing the majority of the grafted hairs, if the procedure was performed by someone who is not an expert in the field or who is not a trained medical technician. Because of this, it is essential for the real surgeon (a dermatologist) who performs hair transplant surgery to have competence in the treatment of skin and hair disorders.
Conclusion
It is highly recommended that you do not put your hair’s health in jeopardy by letting a non-specialist to perform the hair transplant surgery for you because this could compromise the quality of your hair. It is important to note that the hair transplantation process does not end with the surgery. The doctor will transplant the hair follicle in your scalp, but it is ultimately up to your body and the expertise of the surgeon to decide whether or not those follicles will survive the next six months or two years after they have been implanted.
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