Month: April 2005

Posted on

Hair Loss Information » Hair Cloning – Balding Blog

Benjamin asked…

Are there any doctors who can clone donor hairs so that the amount of available donor hairs is no longer an issue with transplants?

The hair cloning issue keeps coming up because it seems to be promoted by some unscrupulous people who use the cloning ‘card’ as a way to elevate their own position of authority in this business. There is no cloning on the short-term horizon for hair, despite claims to the contrary. If and when the cloning problem for hair is solved from a research perspective that can be replicated , it will take legislation to make that reality into a clinical tool. Hair was first cloned by Jahoda in Scotland in the late 1980s. Since then, there is been a relatively long silence in the industry on repeating his work. His report stands alone as a successful cloning experiment. Attempts to do this in mice and other animals have produced many dead animals in at least one study I have been told about. Attempts to do this in humans have met with failure after failure. Fortunately, no deaths have occurred. I would urge all of my readers to be cautious about the cloning option and look skeptically at anyone who promotes it at this time.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationAppropriate Graft Numbers – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was told by my doctor that I need 3000-4000 grafts, but it would take at least 3 surgeries. He said that their maximum per day is 1000-1200 grafts. He said that limiting the number of grafts is better for graft growth and for patient comfort, since each surgery will take 7 or 8 hours. What do you think?

Block Quote

In your doctor’s hand, if his comfortable number is 1000-1200 grafts, than that is what he should do. Seven hours of surgery is a lot, so the number he is quoting is reasonable for him. In our practice, we often perform 3000-4000 grafts in a single session and it takes usually about 5 hours or so. The reason we can do this is because:

  1. We have been doing megasessions for 13 years, originating the technique back in 1992.
  2. We have very experienced team members who do this every day. Many of our staff have been with us for up to 10 years.
  3. Our staff is very efficient. Having enough efficient staff allow us to do more work in less time than most medical groups.
  4. Better growth reflects the issues of quality control and the time it takes to get the grafts into their recipient site. Keeping them out of solution for more than a few seconds, damages the grafts during the placement process.

In conclusion, three sessions of 1200 grafts moves the same amount of hair as one session of 3600 grafts, but it would not be in your best interest to push your doctor’s estimate of what he will transplant in one session for it will, almost certainly, reduce graft growth in his hands.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationAppropriate Graft Numbers – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was told by my doctor that I need 3000-4000 grafts, but it would take at least 3 surgeries. He said that their maximum per day is 1000-1200 grafts. He said that limiting the number of grafts is better for graft growth and for patient comfort, since each surgery will take 7 or 8 hours. What do you think?

Block Quote

In your doctor’s hand, if his comfortable number is 1000-1200 grafts, than that is what he should do. Seven hours of surgery is a lot, so the number he is quoting is reasonable for him. In our practice, we often perform 3000-4000 grafts in a single session and it takes usually about 5 hours or so. The reason we can do this is because:

  1. We have been doing megasessions for 13 years, originating the technique back in 1992.
  2. We have very experienced team members who do this every day. Many of our staff have been with us for up to 10 years.
  3. Our staff is very efficient. Having enough efficient staff allow us to do more work in less time than most medical groups.
  4. Better growth reflects the issues of quality control and the time it takes to get the grafts into their recipient site. Keeping them out of solution for more than a few seconds, damages the grafts during the placement process.

In conclusion, three sessions of 1200 grafts moves the same amount of hair as one session of 3600 grafts, but it would not be in your best interest to push your doctor’s estimate of what he will transplant in one session for it will, almost certainly, reduce graft growth in his hands.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationHair Loss From Hair Color? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Carol asked…

I have hair loss. I also us an herbal hair color. Is using hair color promoting hair loss?

Block Quote

Hair coloring agents only impact the part of the hair follicle which is essentially the visible hair located on the head. Hair represents highly compressed skin which is not alive. As such, coloring agents can not promote hair loss of new hair per se. If chemicals are used which go down below the skin level, then damage to the growing elements of the hair follicles can occur. This would be difficult to do and would require a real chemical burn. What most people who report hair loss from topical solutions are talking about is the hair that is already outside of the head, the hair that we comb and style. Hair can be made brittle by the use of chemicals and as such, hair can break off, creating the illusion that it is promoting hair loss. But this hair loss is strictly above the skin and does not usually impact the hair below the skin which is deep and well protected from the things you can do to it. The new hair, which grows at about 1/2 inch per month, will replace the fallen hair almost 100% of the time. If you are used to hair that is 6 inches long, the normal replacement might take 12 months on its own (a half inch per month), reinforcing the concept that topical agents can promote hair loss.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationSuture Scarring – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a couple stretch marks in my back donor area performed years ago from older methods of harvesting graphs.

My new HT doctor has revised these stretch marks by suturing into the subQutaneous. What is your opinion on this?

Thanks,
Tony

Block Quote

I am having difficulty understanding your question. I think you are saying that there are ‘rail road tracks’ where you were stitched years ago. If widely spaced sutures are placed a bit of a distance back from the wound, they tend to produce ‘hash marks’. Today’s suturing with very fine sutures close to the edge of the wound does not produce ‘hash marks’. Is this what your doctor is suggesting?

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationDutasteride vs Propecia, Round 2 – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Another Propecia question, this time from Thomas…

I have been on propecia now 9 months and have receded more and gotten thinner on top. Propecia either accelerated my mpb or did nothing for it. I am worse off now then when i started. I never used to have hair in the shower, on my hands, or in the sink..Ever since the 3rd month on propecia, it has not stopped. My head even itches now sometimes when it NEVER used to before. My question is can Dutasteride help me or because i had no response to Propecia, is it a waste of time?

Block Quote

I do not know your age or family history, when you started balding, or what pattern you are heading to. This information is critical. Already you know that Propecia has not helped you (slowed or stopped the hair loss) so this is already atypical. It is possible that you have other than a genetic cause for hair loss. Thyroid disease and some other medical conditions can produce hair loss that will not respond to Propecia.

With regard to Dutasteride, there is no doubt in my mind that it is a better DHT blocker than Propecia, but it has not been proven to be by appropriately controlled studies. A few doctors who I respect have used it for genetic hair loss and they tell me there is significant benefit in some patients that do not respond to Propecia.

First and foremost, you need to have a competent doctor make the assessment. If it proves to be genetic hair loss, then using a non-FDA approved medication (called off label use) has implications for both you and your doctor. If you are in the California area, I would be happy to see you personally and make that assessment.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationPropecia and Prostate Cancer – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am almost 30 years old and just started propecia. My general practitioner advised against taking it due to the risk of prostate cancer. I’ve tried to research this and have not really found any evidence to support this other than the increased risk at the 5mg level.

I’ve been told by a few doctors that I should take propecia and not necessarily have a hair transplant at this time given that my hair is only beginning to thin; and that propecia should help.

Additionally, I’ve heard recently that I should not be surprised if “hair cloning” becomes available in the next few years. Would appreciate any comments.

Best Regards

Block Quote

Propecia, according to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, reduces the risk of Prostate cancer by 25% in the men who were studied. I personally believe that it is a good medicine for this. There is some general argument on those who may develop cancer while on the drug, that the drug may have made the tumors look more aggressive. I think that the evidence amongst most knowledgeable people points to safety and Propecia is not a carcinogen. Your doctor is misinformed.

Hair cloning, I believe, will not be addressed in the next decade.

CNN released the following news in 2003: In the study, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute and published in the online version of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at 221 sites nationwide followed nearly 19,000 men older than 55 for seven years. About half of them were assigned at random to take either finasteride, a drug that lowers male hormone levels, or a placebo. By the end of the trial, those taking the drug reduced their risk of prostate cancer by nearly 25 percent over those on placebos.

Also, give the following reference to your doctor: New England Journal of Medicine Volume 349:2387-2398, December 18, 2003, Number 25, The Long-Term Effect of Doxazosin, Finasteride, and Combination Therapy on the Clinical Progression of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, John D. McConnell, M.D.,et. al.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationHair Pieces and Advancing Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I live in Brasil, I’m 41 year old and my grade of baldness is 6 / 7. I use a hairpiece for 18 year and i want to get free of this, but i have a problem, because when i started using , i was able to avoid peolple noticing that was a hair piece, as was very natural and my baldness was class 2/3 and as i used to travel a lot i didn4t see people so frequently. My case i believe is needed a scalp reduction for a start, but i’m afraid of procedures go wrong and i cannot remove the hairpiece to much in advance. Please help me . I can travel to NHI if necesary but I can forward photos to a better evaluation of my case
Thanks

Block Quote

Your story of how one starts with a hair piece and then gets caught in a cycle of more and more dependence as the hair loss advances, is a common story. Many of our patients have been where you are now. The problem for advanced hair loss patterned people is the availability of supply. The basic point is to find out if there is enough donor hair, when combined with good styling, to produce the type of coverage you want or need. That depends upon many factors, of which the number of hairs available for transplants is only one of these factors:

  1. A better match of hair and skin color will work to your advantage, wavy hair and coarser hair also will work to your advantage if that is what you have. What is your skin and hair color?
  2. How loose is the skin in the back and sides of your scalp. For those who have loose skin, the availability of donor hair is generally higher.
  3. Is your hair wavy or straight?
  4. Is your hair coarse or fine?

Sending me a good set of pictures is important for me to establish a good baseline. Please answer the questions above for me in your responsive email. You can use the form or my email address on the Contact page.

In answer to your other point, the idea of using scalp reductions, I will just say that this procedure has fallen into a bad reputation and most good surgeons do not do them anymore. The problems are that there is severe scarring on many patients and thinning of the donor hair to such a degree that there is not enough donor hair to restore the frontal area. Although there are some patients that may do well with them, there are far too many risks for the average patient. I know about these risks because I had three scalp reductions in the early 90s and was left with scars and a return of my entire balding area. I eventually got transplants and had enough donor hair to fill in the crown defect. Best of all for me was that I had no frontal hairloss. Had I been a Class 6-7 balding pattern, I would have been in trouble. So in conclusion, cutting out the bald spot is a risky surgery with many things that could go wrong. The key to a good hair restoration procedure is low risk and a normal, hairy outcome in a reasonable time-frame.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationTransplantation From Body Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Does body hair work for hair transplantation?

Block Quote

There are no survival reports or good data on the subject so there is little to report that is reliable. There is one published case with scant data from an unreliable source so I can not feel comfortable about recommending it.

This is an issue that particularly bothers me. Body hair generally grows one at a time, rarely are there two or three “body hair groups” as it is in donor from the head where groupings of one, two, three and even four hair is not uncommon. For those doctors who are offering it, I wonder if the offering is accompanied by “informed consent” documents that reflect the experimental nature of the process. It would seem to me that for those who are considering it, they should first be sure to consult a competent, ethical doctor capable of doing all of the types of follicular unit transplants including FUE / FOX techniques before going any further.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationPlatinum Blonde Patients – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was doing some research on your company and your service and was intrigued to see a number of actual patient photos and their results. I was very impressed, but I did not see any photos of patients with blonde hair. I am 26 years old and have incredibly blonde, fine hair and I am interested to see if I can get similar results as your other patients and how natural it will look given my complexion.

Do you have any photos of light blonde patients? If so, could you forward them to me or send me a link if you have them posted online. Thank you for your time.

Block Quote

Blonde hair is my ideal patient because of the low contrast between hair and skin color. In our video, there is a fellow with VERY fine platinum blonde hair who had a relatively low number of transplants in an advanced balding pattern. You can see that his results are better in proportion to the balding pattern and other hair colored people. You can get a free copy of our video (now on DVD) by calling 800-NEW-HAIR or visiting newhair.com.

Also, take a look at Patient VS on the NHI site. This young man had excellent results with blonde hair. Unfortunately, the photo made the hair appear much more sandy colored than the pictures suggests. Blondes are my best patients and those blondes with ‘reflective’ blonde hair do even better. We do have a lot of patients online, but I don’t believe there are any that truly represents a platinum blonde hair color. We’re continuously adding new patients, so please do keep checking back for updates.