The Bald Truth About Hair Transplant

Dec. 31, 2009— -- If you're a man who is losing his hair, you have plenty of company.

Two-thirds of men in the United States will have some degree of appreciable hair loss by age 22, according to the American Hair Loss Association. And roughly 85 percent of U.S. men have significantly thinning hair by age 50.

Male pattern baldness, known medically as androgenetic alopecia, is responsible for more than 95 percent of hair loss in men. Twenty-five percent of men start down the road toward baldness before they hit age 21. And it's a hard thing to accept in a society where your appearance counts and youth is valued.

Of course, you can blame your tendency to lose hair on your genes and to male sex hormones, which cause hair follicles over time to shrink in size and produce hair that's shorter, thinner and lighter in color. As the miniaturization of men's hair follicles continues, the follicle gets so small that no hair can grow inside of it.

As hair loss becomes more noticeable, men may start thinking about what they can do about it. Acceptance is one way to deal with hair loss, but it's unlikely to be a first choice and, more likely, to be a last resort.

An over-the-counter hair restoration product, such as Rogaine, might be tried to see if it can help preserve the hair you've got. There is also a prescription drug, a pill called Propecia, that you can ask your doctor about. It may help prevent hair loss and encourage some regrowth as well.

Some men look into everything from laser combs and hair pieces to specialized shampoos and surgical restoration.

In this video diary, Adam Khoudja described the techniques he tried for his hair loss, the research he did and the decision he eventually made to pursue a single follicular unit hair transplant.