Southampton - I was shopping at my local grocery and was approached by the wife of one of my children's good friends. She wanted a "curb side consult" - advice and suggestions for a problem she was seeing with her husband - he was loosing his hair and loosing at the same time, his confidence and self esteem. I could tell that they were having a rough go at it and she was looking for a solution.

Research has shown that perhaps the number one silent killer of self esteem in men is the progressive loss of hair. While many can rationalize for themselves that bald is beautiful (and indeed it can be) and that it is only their superficial cover, the majority of men take the hit of hair loss with an attitude of distress and dread.

Education has always been a big slant in my practice and nowadays especially in light of the numerous gadgets and gizmos designed to address this problem or that, educating you the consumer is paramount.

There are no quick fixes for hair loss and options that do exist while providing marked improvement in appearance never can duplicate what God gave you earlier in life. Managing your expectations will be one of the most important jobs your hair replacement physician will offer.

Medical management is important and clinical studies show that two medicines will provide some statistical improvement in either hair retention or hair loss. These medicines are Propecia (1 mg) and Rogaine (5 percent) - the former is one which requires a prescription and the later is available at any drugstore. These medicines should be trialed to optimize long term hair retention and surgical outcome.

The hair loss surgical solution has come an enormous distance with the invention and use of "planting" individual hair follicles (that's right, one hair at a time) borrowed from the back of the head and placed into the front of the head where hair loss matters most.

Gone - LONG gone, are the days of the plugged look or the "dolls head" appearance after hair transplant. The procedure is done in an office setting with local anesthetic and a sedation medicine - the surgeon will plan the new hairline based on the creation of a natural appearing result, he/she will determine how much hair can be moved and at the same time base the hairline design on a prediction for future hair loss and thinning. Your physician will likely use a hair tech to help plant the individual follicles. Your procedure could take two to five hours depending on the number of hair follicles planned for transplant.

Hair replacement may not be for you but it is a sure bet that someone you know may find both physical and emotional improvement in such a consideration. Do your homework and research your doctors training and ability - make a good choice - one that could very likely lift the spirit and re-fill your scalp!

Editor's Note: Dr. Kelly will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on December 17 at 1 p.m. at the Stop and Shop in Riverhead.