The perception of beauty has no defined standards. However, the world of scientific research continues to ponder over the question of what makes people look beautiful in the eyes of others. Undoubtedly, physical appearance is of significance as the industry of cosmetic surgery continues to soar, raking in billions every year. Hair transplant costs greatly vary from one place to another, which has led to the rise of another industry – medical tourism. The projections for the growth look positively on the rise. As the quality of personal health continues to attract greater attention, the demands for such operations seem reasonable.
According to many studies, hair is what makes people exude confidence. It’s because long hair has been associated with attraction. And as much as it is claimed that it is the inside of a person that matters most, research continues to nullify that. It is a fact that people are judged based on the way they look. The slightest changes made to the facial features can have the greatest impact on the health of a person. It then becomes understandable why hair loss is such a cause for concern for many people. More than half the men in the world experience thinning of hair, and the most common cause for it is male pattern baldness. However, women can also experience the same issues.
Almost 40% of women in the world have experienced hair loss, which is a significant number regardless of anything. The data given by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery in 2015 indicated that between the years 2006 and 2014, the percentage of procedures for dealing with hair loss increased by 76%. And studies continue to show the importance of hair for both genders.
According to a study, men who had gotten hair transplants were perceived to be more attractive, successful, young, and approachable. This makes having good hair even more important because it isn’t just one area of life that gets affected as a result of it.
If having good hair means being more confident then, for sure, the professional and social life of a person gets affected. It’s not just the physical aspect, but the mental toll of experiencing hair loss can be devastating for many, which is why many opt for surgical hair transplants. Many reasons can contribute to the process such as natural ageing, genetics, the consumption of certain medicines, poor dietary nutrition and, of course, stress.
The Trend of Hair Wigs
Styling one’s hair is a way of expressing how they feel and who they are. It’s a statement that many like to make. The pleasure of not being able to do so can be overwhelming. But rather than always going for a hair transplant, many choose hair wigs. And certainly, the choice seems logical when there is such a wide variety of wigs that exist out there.
They can differ in terms of their length, texture, colour, and shape. So, it gives people a fun way to experiment with different looks. If not, then they can try to find a style that best fits them so they can feel confident with a single hairstyle. There are certainly some advantages to wearing them, but they are outweighed by the disadvantages.
One myth that is extremely popularized about hair wigs is that they are cheaper than hair transplant costs. This is not quite true because hair wigs have at most been a temporary solution to the problem of hair loss.
Why Hair Transplant is better than Using Hair Wigs
A few reasons to be outlined are as follows:
Wigs are More Expensive Overall
There are many reasons as to why getting a hair transplant is better than using wigs. The one that stands out the most is the affordability, not of the wigs but the transplant. Purchasing a wig for thinning hair isn’t just a one-time expense. The maintenance costs of hair wigs when summed up, indicate a greater loss than profit. And it’s never the case that only one wig would do the job for you. Obviously, during one of the maintenance sessions, you’d need a substitute which would, in reality, cost you even more.
You can find cheaper options. But if you want a wig with natural hair, it can cost thousands and thousands of pounds. All in all, hair transplant costs pale in comparison to the pain of dealing with wigs for the rest of your life.
They Harm Your Natural Hair
Wearing a hair wig means that you are essentially blocking the supply of oxygen to your hair. This means that the conditions are perfect for bacteria to thrive and cause infections in your scalp.
If you’re a newbie in wearing wigs, there are a lot of things that could go wrong, such as the size of the cap. If it is too small, then your overall scalp will be under duress. For starters, it can cause intense headaches as you’re not allowing the skin of your head to unwind from the pressure. This also means that there’ll be unnecessary tugs on your natural hair, causing them to break. Traction alopecia by hair wigs may lead to eventual baldness. They can make your scalp itch and feel uncomfortable overall. Hair wigs will come at the cost of the destruction of your natural hair.
It offers a Temporary Solution
The biggest flaw by far of hair wigs is their temporariness. A hair transplant, on the other hand, offers a long-term solution. In fact, in most cases, it is permanent. It is understandable that in cases where the donor area isn’t enough for the balding areas, or there’s no other solution that you can find, hair wigs might be the best option.
Other than that, short-term conditions such as pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, or infections are also the times when wearing a wig might be the better option. But when it comes to using them for years and years to come, they just cause more hassle. Meanwhile, the fact that wigs are not natural and only temporary continues to linger at the back of the mind. Hair transplant costs are much more affordable than you might think.
They’re Not Comfortable To Wear
It has been commonly said – wigs are uncomfortable to wear, especially for those who have just started wearing them. It’s because of reasons such as heat, itchiness, and unbearable material, among other things.
It can be agonizing to wear wigs when it is hot outside. You’ll naturally sweat, but because the skin under your wig is in a close, cramped space with no area for breathability, it will get extremely uncomfortable to wear wigs as time passes by. This can even leave an unpleasant odour in the wig in the long term, as oils from your head and sweat continue to accumulate in the material. Although wig caps do make things a little better, the problem still stays there.
Another reason is the material and the resulting itchiness from it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing a synthetic wig or a natural hair wig. The chances of your scalp to feel uncomfortable remain high.
The Quality of the Wig Deteriorates
In case of a hair transplant, your natural hair will be inserted in the balding areas. They will grow and look just the same as others. With wigs, however, that’s not possible. They will wear out with time. The colour may fade, hair quality will get worse, and the wig will get more tangled up.
It doesn’t matter again whether your wig is made of synthetic or natural hair. The former lasts for months and the latter for not more than a year. You will have to get new ones as the quality of wigs will deteriorate over time.
They’re Harmful to Overall Health
Headaches, hair falls, infections, hair damage, and dandruff are quite commonly experienced when using wigs. While it may seem that it is only the scalp that is going to be affected, it is not so. Wigs are used to deal psychologically with the problem of thinning hair. But if the condition gets worsened by the use of it, one may feel hopeless as if there is no way out of the situation because no solution is working.
Another thing that stays at the back of the mind is that wigs are not natural. They are only temporary and once removed you’ll be back to square one.
Conclusion
Realising that the cost of the hair transplant is lower than buying hair wigs is important in making the right decision about what you want to do with the problem of continued hair loss. While, with hair wigs, the process may last a lifetime, a hair transplant only takes two days to provide results that last a lifetime.
Although hair transplant cost varies a lot from one country to another, this has led to a thriving medical tourism industry where a person can travel to another place to get cheaper procedures. Turkey has emerged as one of the best destinations for the purpose as it is around £4K cheaper than in countries like the UK. So, if you’re using hair wigs because of the worries of hair transplant cost, then the above data suggests that it may be the time to make the switch.