Dr. Priya Daundkar Patil

It's horrible for your health overall and dental health specifically. Tobacco prematurely ages the mouth and leads to mouth cancers. Smoking tobacco stains teeth and interrupts calcium absorption in your body. Additionally masking the smell of smoke means using chewing gums or sweets high in sugar, or drinking tea and coffee, which are notorious for teeth decolorization. 

Who doesn't love a head full of thick, lush and healthy hair? It not only enhances our appearance, but also makes us look and feel young and spirited. So naturally, losing hair in copious amounts or going bald can be a nightmare for many. But with the hair transplant procedure, you can easily get a head full of hair and regain your confidence.

Hair transplant revolves around the surgical removal of hair follicles from a donor site of a body to a balding patch which is called the recipient site. The process is minimally invasive, and grafts containing hair follicles which are resistant to balding, are transplanted to the bald spot. This method is also used for restoring eyebrows, eyelashes, chest hair, beard hair, pubic hair and for filling in accident or surgical scars.

Here is a closer look at how hair transplant is conducted:

After cleaning your scalp, the surgeon will inject a medicine to make the back of your head numb.

He will then either follow the Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS) or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) to implement the transplantation.

FUSS procedure: In FUSS, the surgeon will remove a strip of skin, 6 to 10 inches in length, from the back of your head. He will then sew back that portion of the scalp, and it will be hidden by the hair surrounding it. Next, the removed skin strip will be divided into 500 to 2000 minute grafts, with each containing a single hair or a couple of hairs. The type and number of grafts will be based on your hair quality, type, color and the dimensions of the recipient site.

FUE procedure: In FUE, the surgeon will shave the back of your scalp and remove the follicles one by one. The concerned area will heal with small dots and the surrounding hair will conceal it. FUE technique is the latest and has least complication rates. It is one of the most widely accepted method of hair transplantation due to less bleeding, no linear scarring, faster recovery and better cosmetic acceptability of donor area.

In both the methods of transplant, after the graft is prepared, the surgeon will clean and numb the area where the hair needs to be transplanted to. He will then create slits or holes with a needle or scalpel and carefully place each graft in each hole. It might take 4 to 8 hours for the entire procedure to be conducted. And if you want thicker hair, more sessions might be required.

Here is a look at the other aspects of hair transplantation:

Recovery: Your scalp maybe tender post surgery and you may require pain medicines for quite some time. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs may also be prescribed. You will be able to get back to work in 2 to 5 days after the procedure.

What to expect: Though in 2 to 3 weeks after the surgical process, your transplanted hair will fall off, you will notice new hair growth in a few months. Often, 60-80% hair grow back in 6-8 months.

Risks: Bleeding, infections, scarring and unnatural hair growth are some of the risks associated with hair transplantation. When new hair begins to grow, some people complain of inflammation of the hair follicles, but this can be resolved with medication. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a cosmetic-plastic surgeon.

Drug addiction is a major problem in today's world and kids in their teens are big victims of drug abuse. Your kid may get addicted to hard drugs due to several reasons or just for the sake of being cool. This should be a major concern for you and you are the only person who can help your kid overcome addiction.

Here are a few measures that can help your kid overcome drug addiction:

1. In order to put your kid on the right path, the most important thing is to show them love and concern. You should keep your anger, fear and grief aside and approach them. Tell them why you are scared or angry. Proper love and affection are required to bring your kids back to the normal track.
2. Try to find their strengths and weakness. Your child should be complemented for any good thing that he or she does. You should observe them properly and try to perceive their current nature and mental state.
3. You should talk to them and must not scold, shout or threaten them. You must also listen to them properly and try not to react in any way. Talk to them about your concerns and see whether they are cooperating with you.
4. It is important to get your kid involved in some activity, which will let them mix with a different group of peers and can at as a positive remedy. You have to make them feel good about themselves. Try to find ways so that your kids will get into some positive, productive activity such as engaging them in a sport or enrolling them in hobby classes.
5. You should fix an appointment with a psychiatrist who deals with drug abuse situations. You must explain to your kids that there is an obvious reason behind their addiction and it must be solved for their own good.
6. You should also connect with the school guidance people. They have seen many cases like your child’s and know about the situation well. You can enroll your kids in a substance abuse program which is connected with his school.
7. You must tell your kids that what they are doing is risky and illegal and as parents, you want to help them.
8. Find an expert therapist specializing in teen substance abuse and make your kids have weekly appointments with him. A good therapist knows the best ways to guide your kids to the right path.

Drug addiction in kids is a common syndrome these days. If your kid is into hard drugs, you need to do your best to save him and help him overcome the addiction. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a psychologist5.