The traditional way to attach a wig to the scalp
is with tape or glue. The problem is that the
wig can come off relatively easily, causing
embarrassment in public or humiliation in an
intimate setting. To try to solve this problem
wig manufacturers have developed some new and
exotic methods of attachment.
Some wigs are firmly held in place by actual
wire loops, which are surgically stitched, into
the scalp. While the wig hardly ever falls off,
serious infection (not to mention uncleanness
and odor) easily occurs. That's because the
holes in the scalp usually don't fully heal and
close.
Another method of keeping a wig from falling off
is "tunnel grafting." Pieces of skin are
surgically cut out from behind the ear lobe or
from the groin areas and them implanted into the
scalp to form living loops of skin. When fully
healed, they can accept plastic fasteners that
are then secured to the wig.
Wig makers have even tried individual synthetic
fibers with miniature barbs at the tips that
hook directly into the scalp. These are called "implants"
(not transplants), and have been outlawed in
most states because of the severe pain,
infection and scarring they almost always cause.
In
hair "weaving", the wig is often made up of
severed human hair which is fastened onto a
filament netting that is, in turn, tied tightly
to the client's own remaining natural hair in
several places around the edge of the horseshoe-shaped
balding area.
The problem is that the client often experiences
additional permanent hair loss from the frequent
retying or "tightening" of the wig. Because his
remaining natural hair grows an average of ½
inch per month, the woven wig begins loosening
within the first week. From then on, for as long
as he continues to wear the "system", he will
have to return approximately every six weeks to
have it tightened.
After about six months he can begin to lose hair
permanently along the stress points where the
wig is tied. This is known in dermatology as
permanent traction alopecia.
If you're considering signing a contract to
purchase a wig, be sure to ask for clear and
complete answers to all of your questions about
exactly how your wig will be attached to your
scalp.
Find out also the total initial cost of one wig
and the cost of ongoing maintenance. What wig
advertisements don't tell you is that you
usually have to buy at least two wigs: one to
wear while the other is being cleaned and
refurbished. At $1,000 - $3,500 each for an
average-to-excellent quality wig, and a normal
usability span of less than two years per "piece",
the lifetime cost of wearing wigs is sizable.
And, in the case of the "gradual transformation"
that's often advertised, you may have to buy
four or more different wigs!
Also ask the hard questions about weather-related
and perspiration-related activities. Many wig
advertisements promote the idea that a man can
swim and shower with his wig on. The fact is, a
man can swim and shower with a wig on, but these
activities usually will quickly cause permanent
damage to the wig.
You should ask the wig salesman:
1)
"how will swimming and showering affect the
color and styling of my wigs?" and
2)
"How much damage will exposure to soap, water,
salt and chlorine cause, and what will that do
to the usability span of my wigs?"
Remember, unlike artificial limbs, wig
prostheses are highly visible and extremely
delicate. To keep them looking presentable, they
must be of high quality, and be maintained with
scrupulous care.
In
1988, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved the first medication for application to
the scalp that has been proven to grow human
hair: minoxidil solution 2%. It is currently
marketed under the name Rogaine by Pharmacia &
Upjohn and is now available in a 5% solution to
attempt to satisfy men who found the weaker
solution of little effect or no effect at all.
The fact is, minoxidil has been available since
the late 1970s and had been used as an internal
medicine to treat severe high blood pressure. By
accident it was found to have some ability to
reverse or slow down the balding process in a
few men. However, Pharmacia & Upjohn admits in
its press releases and product literature that
“no effect on frontal baldness (the area of
greatest concern to most balding and thinning
men) has been demonstrated with Rogaine.” Since
we at Bosley make minoxidil available to any
patient who wishes to try it, we have observed
the results on some 6,000 patients and concur
that the drug is ineffective in the frontal
hairline area. The long-term side effects of
using Rogaine or Headway, if any, are unknown.
There is also no assurance that the FDA will not
later revoke its approval of either on the basis
of further clinical experience. For now, though,
these drugs are approved and available, and do
offer, under the right circumstances, hair
retention and limited re-growth opportunities
for anyone wishing to experiment with their
effectiveness. (As new information, based on
more widespread use of these formulations is
released, be assured that you, as a Bosley
patient, will be among the first to learn of
it.)
