With the recent FDA approval of laser combs for hair loss, what was at first a fad will no doubt soon be mushrooming into a major sales market. For just $645 and fifteen minutes three times a week, this comb will grow new hair on most of the people who use it. The question to investigate, before you mail off next week's paycheck to the purveyors of this gizmo, is how well do laser combs work? In fact, laser combs grow hair, but the quality is in question. The results to date promise little more than an elegant version of peach fuzz, and new hair often falls out over time.

Laser combs may not produce hair on parts of the head that are already bald. This gadget might not be the permanent hair replacement solution it claims to be. But there is a permanent solution for most people, in the form of hair replacement surgery. When performed by a qualified and highly experienced professional, hair transplantation succeeds in growing natural hair anywhere on the scalp and is effective for thinning as well as balding areas.

Also called micro/mini grafts or follicular unit transplantation, hair replacement surgery harvests hair follicles from the back of the head where the DNA is not affected by pattern baldness. These follicles are then inserted through tiny incisions made in the top of the scalp. The process requires just a local anesthetic and causes little to no down-time. For successful hair grafting, it is extremely important to choose the right physician.

In the past (and unfortunately, still today, in many places) hair grafting resulted in conspicuous plugs and "doll-head hair": tiny unnatural tufts growing out of dozens of spots on the scalp. Scarring was common using such old-fashioned methods, as it is to this day when dated techniques are used. If you are considering permanent hair replacement, ask your prospective doctor to let you view a live procedure and to meet satisfied patients visiting the office. Experienced physicians should have no problem granting those requests. If the doctor is reluctant for any reason, consider it a sign that you should continue looking for a more skilled practitioner.

Laser combs are at best a temporary and limited solution to hair loss. The long-term side effects are not yet known and have not been studied. The only proven way to grow lasting, natural hair on barren ground is to harvest and re-plant your own crop. You need the right professional for that.

Dr. Lawrence Shapiro has performed over 10,000 permanent hair transplant surgeries in the last 18 years. He was the first U.S. doctor to practice strip-incision and micro-mini grafts/follicular unit techniques. Call him at 1-800-799-4247, or visit his website.