Hair Loss and Replacement For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)) (Paperback)

by MD William R. Rassman (Author), MD Robert M. Bernstein (Author), MD Jae P. Pak (Contributor), MD Eric S. Schweiger (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
What are the causes of hair loss? Can you prevent it? Can lost hair be restored? Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies helps you understand why men and women lose their hair and offers thorough, objective reviews of a wide array of hair replacement options, including hair replacement surgery, prescription and over-the-counter medicinal treatments, hairpieces, natural remedies, and a variety of other options.

This authoritative, user-friendly guide explains the pros and cons of hairpieces, fibers, foundations, and hair thickening techniques. You’ll learn about pharmaceutical, laser, and topical treatments, and you’ll find out how to determine whether you’re good candidate for hair transplant surgery. You’ll even find help in assessing costs, controlling expectations, avoiding hair replacement scams, and determining which option truly is best for you. You’ll discover:

• What you need to know about hair and hair loss
• How to take better care of your hair
• Ways to prevent or reduce hair loss
• Creative techniques for concealing hair loss
• Shopping tips for hair-replacement systems
• How finesteride, minoxidil, and other medications might help
• Advice about low level laser treatments
• The low-down on hair transplant surgery

Complete with helpful myth-busting information about the causes of hair loss and the benefits of FDA-approved treatments, and helpful comparisons of the advantages of non-surgical and surgical hair replacement, Hair Loss & Replacement For Dummies is the resource to consult before you decide on any hair replacement treatment.

From the Back Cover

Avoid scams and expensive failures and find a hair solution that works!

What causes hair loss? Can you prevent it? Can lost hair be restored? This authoritative, user-friendly guide helps you understand hair loss and prevention in both men and women. You'll also find thorough, objective reviews of hair-replacement options, including surgery, prescription and over-the-counter medicinal treatments, hairpieces, natural remedies, and much more.

• Understand the problem — why hair loss and pattern balding occur, what Grandpa's head can tell you, and the diseases and disorders that cause hair loss

• Cover it up — pros and cons of hairpieces, attachment do's and don'ts, hair systems for women, and hairpiece maintenance

• Conceal it — fooling with fibers, applying foundation, and hair-thickening techniques

• Learn about pharmaceutical, laser, and topical treatments — DHT inhibitors, Rogaine®, medications for women only, diet supplements, and LLLT

• Explore the surgical option — choose a doctor, understand surgical and postoperative procedures, and recognize possible complications

• Get real — assess the costs, control expectations, don't be fooled by hair-loss myths, and determine whether surgical or non-surgical options are best for you

Open the book and find:

• What you need to know about hair and hair loss

• How to take better care of your hair

• Ways to prevent or reduce hair loss

• Creative techniques for concealing hair loss

• Shopping tips for hair-replacement systems

• How finasteride, minoxidil, and other medications might help

• Advice about low-level laser treatments

• The lowdown on hair transplant surgery

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (December 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470087870
• ISBN-13: 978-0470087879
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #176,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Men's Health > Hair Loss
  #29 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Beauty & Fashion > Hair
  #54 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Internal Medicine > Dermatology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book for those with a genuine interest in hair loss, May 16, 2009

By	Richard C. Shiell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Apart from the textbooks, written for professional, there have been many books on hair loss and replacement written for members of the public. I have read at least a dozen of these over the past 30 years and they are all quite informative and, for their time of publication, reasonably accurate and helpful.

Hair Loss & Replacement is no exception in this but it is a considerable cut above the rest. Firstly it is very up-to-date and contains a vast amount of information all exceedingly well organized in 7 sections containing 18 chapter,
I- Getting to Know your Hair,
II- The Root of Hair Loss,
III- Creative Techniques for Concealing Hair Loss
IV- Phamaceutical, Laser and Topical Therapies
V- Advanced Hair Loss Solutions (60 pages about hair transplantation)
VI- The Part of Tens (10 myths about hair loss, pros and cons for wigs, hair treatments and transplants)
VII- Appendices- this include a Glossary of scientific terms used in the book. In addition the reader is provided with the addresses of all the well known hair-loss websites and support organizations and many more. There is also an outstanding Index running to16 pages.

Throughout the book important points to remember are clearly marked with an icon in the margin, as are tips and warnings. The reader is even alerted by another icon to technical paragraphs that he can safely skip without losing the thread of the chapter.

Now a warning. Although this book is designed for those with little prior knowledge about hair, it is certainly not recommended for "dummies". It is a very well written and technical book, authored by two of the acknowledged "gurus" of our field, Bill Rassman and Bob Bernstein, The previous scientific writings of these two men are already at the top of any reading list on hair replacement surgery. Far from being a text for the "everyman" the book would be an ideal primer for any doctor wanting to know more about hair loss and its replacement, before committing many months to a specialized training course in hair replacement surgery.

Every aspect of hair growth, hair loss and hair replacement is covered concisely in this book in reasonably simple language and I could find few faults within the text. Perhaps even then, they were just minor differences of opinion between experts, rather than faults.

There is no attempt to "talk down" to the lay reader and in fact the only concession to the layman is that each of the 18 chapters is fairly well self-contained and if he only wants to know about, diseases that cause hair loss, hair transplantation or hairpieces, then he can be well informed in a self-contained section.

Summary. This is a really outstanding book for the beginner who has a considerable degree of education but no place for a true "dummy" to be browsing. Perhaps someone will do a 50-page comic-book version for these individuals who, judging by popular book sales and TV ratings, make up a considerable proportion of our population.

Dr Richard C.Shiell, Melbourne, Australia

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DR. RASSMAN IS A PROBLEM SOLVER. READ THIS BOOK, January 16, 2009

By	JulieB "JulieB" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

What can I say? Well, I am a 52 year old newly divorced woman living in Los Angeles, the vanity capital of the world, and I understand there are some makeovers I can do for myself, and some I cannot. Now I am in the 50+ dating scene, and I have to admit it but I could use some help. I'm not just talking about a oil change and lube job, I think I need a complete overhaul.

So I'm browsing online the other day I find Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies by Dr. William Rassman. Needless to say, my biggest area of makeover concern is my thin hair. Actually, until I read the reviews of this book, and then bought it and read it, did I find out I have options. Until now I didn't know I had options. Being divorced at this age is difficult, but then I have to deal with hair loss which has been devastating for me for years. Never mind that fact I need a few things tightened, and Dr. Rassman gave me referrals to a reputable and well-known plastic surgeon.

What I liked best about Dr. Rassman's book is that it was easy to read. We are all aware of the Dummies books and the light-hearted manner in which serious topics are discussed.

This book covered psychological effects of hair loss and pharmaceutical and topical treatments, transplant surgery, and it talked about hair loss myths. It also talked about how to avoid being scammed. To me it objectively showed me the pros and cons of various treatments. While reading this book, I felt like I was in private consultation with Dr. Rassman.

Then I Goggled Dr. Rassman, found his New Hair Institute website, made an appointment for a consultation, and scheduled my procedure. During my personal consultation with Dr. Rassman he was very informal, caring and especially attentive to my concerns. He asked a lot of questions.

So my recommendation to any one suffering in the same manner I have suffered for years, because of hair loss, I suggest you get this book, digest it, and do what you have to do to take care of yourself. Until now I thought I had no choices, but now I have found a solution I look forward to to a new self-confidence and a renewed outlook on my life. The future is my friend!

I though I'd shared some information about Dr. Rassman, so here it is taken from his website. I hope he doesn't mind.


About The Book's Author

William R. Rassman, M.D.
Dr. William Rassman graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1966 where he received his Doctor of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at the University of Minnesota and obtained a cardiovascular fellowship with Dr. C.W. Lillehei. Dr. Rassman completed a residency in general surgery at the Cornell Medical Center and Dartmouth Medical Center. He served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of Major. He was stationed as a surgeon in the Republic of Vietnam. The American Board of Surgery certified Dr. Rassman in 1976.

In 1991, Dr. Rassman founded the New Hair Institute (NHI), and quickly became a world leader in hair restoration surgery and in hair transplant technology. This technology enables NHI surgeons to perform hair transplants with large numbers of grafts in single surgeries. These high graft counts were previously thought possible only with four to ten surgeries. His many innovations in techniques and equipment have been presented at medical meetings around the world, and published in industry newsletters and prestigious medical journals as he pioneered these advances. He developed a strong stance on the ethics involved in hair transplantation as he condemned doctors who used salesmen to take advantage of naïve, panicky patients. He attacked the use of scalp reductions as an illogical and often damaging procedure that put the patient at risk, and he debated the issues related to scalp reduction procedures at medical meetings around the world. Because of persistent opposition from Dr Rassman and others, and the introduction of improved transplantation techniques, the procedure has been largely abandoned. Dr. Rassman pioneered the Megasession in 1992-4 (he was the first to do 2000 grafts, 3000 grafts and 4000 grafts in single sessions, reporting these advances in the Hair Transplant Forum), dense packing of grafts, and the Fast Track® method of hair transplantation whereby a patient's restoration can be completed in just one or two sessions. With Dr. Robert Bernstein, he developed techniques that have proven to be the gold standard for hair transplantation around the world: The Follicular Unit Transplantation. He and Dr. Bernstein published these results in a series of peer-reviewed articles in major medical journals.

As a professional inventor, who holds both U.S. and worldwide patents, Dr Rassman invented the Densitometer(tm) for the precise measurement of hair density and hair quality. Such precise measurements are now the standard, required of all ethical medical practitioners in diagnosis of the balding patient. Three other inventions in medical instrumentation have U.S. Patents, either granted or pending, in the hair transplantation arena. He holds multiple patents in an artificial heart device, other medical devices, computer software, and, more recently, in the biochip field (patent pending), an area where he has great interest.

Dr. Rassman has presented more than nineteen scientific papers before national and international societies, such as the: International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, International Society for Hair and Scalp Surgery, Annual Global Convocation of Hair Restoration Surgery, American Academy of Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, European Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, and Merck Committee Meetings.
Dr. Rassman's dedication to the dissemination of knowledge is clear in the more than twenty articles on hair transplantation and related issues that he has published in highly regarded medical publications such as: Dermatologic Surgery, International Journal of Aesthetic and Restorative Surgery, Hair Transplant Forum International, and Journal of Dermatology, Surgery, and Oncology. In 2001, NHI published the sixth edition of The Patient's Guide to Hair Restoration. This book explains, in layman's language, what causes baldness, how baldness is diagnosed, the best medical and surgical options available today, the proper use of medication, and how to repair the poor results of older surgical procedures. The Patient's Guide's extensive photo section includes more than 100 color photographs of patients in various stages of hair restoration.

Dr. Rassman continues to push the state of the art in hair transplantation forward. In the summer of 2001, he announced a breakthrough in the field: Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). In this technique, individual follicular units are extracted directly from the donor area without the traditional linear incision in the back of the scalp. An enabling technology, presently in a 'patent pending' status, has been developed to make this breakthrough more practical. The advantages of FUE are that these procedures can be performed on patients with very limited donor hair, and, healing is fast, without visible scarring in the donor area.

Dr. Rassman is motivated to make a difference in whatever he does. He strives to be the best and is never satisfied with the status quo. He is a visionary and has never allowed his goals to be limited by current thought on any subject.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, May 5, 2009

By	Maurice Gambino "reese" (ny) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is alot of good information here, but I found alot of flaws in the book. It contradicts itself in a few places on the topic of blood flow with regard to the laser treatments. Also the book claims to specify which products are superior, but it does not, it simply mentions the products. Other than that, its pretty accurate. Im glad I bought it. Its worth checking out.