Hair loss is depressing.

You try new speciality shampoos and they don’t work. You try to hide the growing patch with hats that get less and less conspicuous by the day. You even wonder if you should just embrace going bald early on. When you’re running low on options and time, seeking out professional help may be the light at the end of the tunnel. Scalp micropigmentation and FUE transplant treatments are a few readily available options for men facing hair loss. Not only do they circumvent many of the short-term solutions provided over-the-counter, they can accurately reproduce a full head of hair in just a matter of sessions.

How does the treatment work? Read below to learn more.

Hair loss is inevitable for most men. By the time men reach 50 over 85% will have significantly thinner hair, with some going bald early on thanks to genetics or certain lifestyle choices. The United States sees over 35 million men enduring some level of hair loss, causing many to reach out to salons and drug stores in their area to counteract a seemingly impossible decline. Scalp micropigmentation is a solution yielding impressive appearances for many and something you should look into once you’re fed up with a lack of results.

There are two methods available for a proper hair transplant. Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (shortened to FUSS) takes a strip of the scalp from a non-balding area and surgically implants it in a balding area. FUSS is considered an invasive surgery, meaning it should be considered carefully for those with health issues and poor responses to surgery in the past. It has a higher-than-average complication rate and leaves a notable scar in the back of the head. Although it works out for some, more men are starting to turn instead toward Follicular Unit Extraction.

Unlike FUSS, Follicular Unit Extraction (or FUE) is minimally invasive and considered very safe for the majority of applicants. It has a much lower complication rate, doesn’t leave large scars after the surgery and has a shorter recovery time on average. Sometimes dubbed Follicular Transfer (or FT), this is one of the primary methods of obtaining follicular units and transplanting them around the head. FUE can have as many as seven or eight groupings in a single graft, ideal for those with thinner hair who want full coverage.

It’s thought as much as half of a man’s head of hair will be gone before it starts becoming cosmetically visible. Before balding or general hair loss starts to take effect a strand of hair will grow for two to six years or so, go into a resting phase, then will fall out. Even minor hair loss should be looked into as soon as possible to get you started on the path toward recovery. While simple treatments such as specialty shampoos and dietary changes can yield effective results, more severe hair loss should have scalp micropigmentation or a FUE transplant put in place.

Visit a hair loss clinic this year and ask them about your options. Knowing the origin of your hair loss will help them determine which surgical or minimally invasive procedure will give you the best results. Androgenetic Alopecia, or common male pattern baldness, is the overwhelming factor that results in hair loss in older men. Your average FUE procedure will take around eight hours and the healing time depends heavily on skin type. Expect redness, sensitivity and tenderness for the next week or so. Any questions or concerns should be brought up before the procedure. Scalp micropigmentation and hair loss restoration may seem like a big leap, but it’s certainly better than wasting money on shampoos and conditioners that don’t deliver.

When you’re tired of staring at bald patches in the mirror and wish to enjoy a luxurious head of hair again, a hair restoration clinic will have you covered.