Baldness is one sign of aging that often bothers men, as there seems to be a perceived correlation between a healthy mane and one's masculinity. However, it's not only men that experience this issue, as nearly 40% of the victims of hair loss in the US are female. The main difference is that whereas a man's baldness is usually a result of progressing pattern baldness, women more often see an overall thinning. The psychological impact of baldness to a woman is sometimes much greater than to a man.

It's no wonder that over the ages, a lot of time, energy and money has gone toward finding ways to cure or hide hair loss in both men and women. Here are a few of the most commonly known approaches still in use today:

1. Treatments – There are various compounds peddled as treatments, but a couple of the most commonly recognized are Propecia® (finasteride) and Rogaine® (minoxidil). Propecia® is taken as a pill, and must never be used or even handled by women that are pregnant or could become pregnant. Rogaine® is a topically applied medication, usable by both men and women. But while both can slow or stop balding, they cannot promote new growth;
2. Toupees – Fashioned from synthetic fiber or human hair, these are often referred to as "rugs" -just a small mat covering the bald spot. While they may hide the offending bald patch, they rarely do so without being obvious;
3. Wigs – These are usually a complete hairpiece that cover the entire scalp and the wearer's own hair. Available in synthetic fiber or human hair, the effect is usually more natural appearing. The novelty is the ability to change not only the hairstyle but the color;
4. Comb-overs – This is a poor method of hiding a bald spot by combing long hair from one side of the head over the bald spot. It can usually be spotted from across a wide boulevard as an act of desperation;
5. Spray-on product – This "solution" for baldness was invented by Ron Popeil, a prominent marketer since the 1950s. This spray on solution consists of fibers that cling to existing hair, filling out an area. Results are questionable, unless the user makes it a habit to avoid people - at least sighted people;
6. Plugs – This was the first widely known method of hair transplant in the US, a method that transplanted plugs of multiple follicles into the scalp, creating the "doll's head" effect, with live hair sprouting in a widely spaced pattern that was painfully obvious;
7. Follicular unit transplantation – In this technique, follicles are extracted from the donor area and separated into individual units, then implanted in very small incisions, at an angle similar to normal growth. The results present a natural appearance, are virtually undetectable and aren't expensive.

As you can see, only one of these methods is safe, lasting and virtually impossible to detect: follicular unit transplantation. Let's explore how that's accomplished:

What does the procedure consist of?

Follicles are harvested from the patient via FUE (follicular unit extraction). A small strip of hair is removed from an area that will be normally hidden, and the follicles are separated from each other. When enough individual units have been separated, the transplantation procedure begins.

Minute incisions are made in the tissue of the target area and each follicle is implanted at an angle consistent with normal growth in the area. This will make the new growth totally natural. These incisions are made extremely close to each other, allowing the implantation of more than 50 such grafts per square centimeter (over 322 per square inch).

The process can take a few hours, depending upon the size of the area to being treated. The procedure is performed using a local anesthetic, so there is very little discomfort, and the person can return to work the next day, with only some possible redness in the area, which will disappear in a few days.

There is essentially no risk of rejection and the success rate of this method is extremely high. Recipients of these grafts are always astounded at the natural appearance of their new growth.

Obviously, the hair takes some time to grow out, as the units are very tiny when transplanted. However, once this procedure is behind you, so is the hair loss issue and all the recurring issues it might otherwise entail. The new hair will be growing for the rest of the recipient's life, with no more expensive prescription medications, replacement wigs, embarrassing episodes, avoidance of swimming pools or indoors hat use.

This state-of-the-art hair transplant technique is the most effective and undetectable method there is, while it's also the most cost-effective. The only recurring cost will be more frequent trips to one's barber.