Increase in Sikh men turning to hair transplants, research finds
INCREASING numbers of Sikh men are turning to surgery to reverse hair loss caused by tightly wound turbans, according to a leading hair transplant specialist.
Dr Bessam Farjo said Sikh men as young as 20 are turning to surgery after suffering traction alopecia, caused by turbans pulling on the hair.
He said his practice, the Farjo Medical Centre, has seen a rise in Sikh men turning to hair transplants to counteract the problem.
Sikh men are required to wear the turban as part of Sikh religious laws.
Most Sikhs wear the turban for 24 hours a day, leading to noticeable premature hair loss, particularly in the frontal scalp area.
The turban is steeped in 400 years of history, meaning that the majority of the 10 million male Sikhs worldwide aren’t aware of the problems that can arise from wearing one.
Dr Bessam Farjo said Sikh men could minimise hair loss by winding their turbans less tightly.
“We are treating a significant number of patients who have suffered hair loss caused by wearing a turban,” he said. “Hair transplant surgery can restore the hair permanently, as long as the wearer puts less stress on the hair.”
