Month: January 2011

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What Hair Restoration Procedures Actually Work? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Assuming price is not an issue, what are the hair restoration procedures/companies that actually work? (It’s one thing to drop 20 grand and get results, it’s quite another for expensive snake oil).

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What we do in hair transplants really work. The other day, I saw a man who had 2000 grafts about 14 years ago and he looked absolutely normal with no signs of balding. His pre-op pictures from oh-so-many years ago showed his Class 3A balding pattern clearly. I looked closely at this man’s hairline now and could not see any hint of surgery, even though I knew what was done.

I can only speak for my own practice and the work we do. You can and should research other clinics on the web, but always remember to meet with patients that had surgery with the doctor you choose. Photos are one thing, but seeing the hair in person is much better. We hold monthly open house events so potential patients can meet patients in person. Most doctors don’t do events like that, but you should ask to meet their patients nonetheless.

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Donor Recharging – Using Body Hair to Fill Out the Scalp Hairs Used in FUE – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doc,
I have slowly come to rely and trust this site on a day to day basis, so thank you.

I am considering an FUE surgery and have been reading a lot about “donor recharging”, where body hair is placed into FUE sites to help the donor region out. Ive unfortunately been around the block with this whole field and now feel the only way FUE should be done is by adding body hair as you remove a follicle from the donor.

My Question… Why aren’t more FUE specialists offering this technique? Won’t an FUE surgery be detrimental as the area will thin to the point of very shallow density in anyone with a norwood 3 and beyond.

I was hoping that the A Cell treatments would make this more viable but no one seems to be talking about it. Hence my question and my wishes for a great day for you and your staff!

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“Donor recharging” is an interesting term I have not heard before. I do not buy into recharging the donor area from the scalp with hair from the body. I am just not convinced that the quality of the body hair will make for a good substitute for the donor hair that has been transplanted earlier.

It is easy for a doctor to do this to make more money, but unless there is proven value, I do not want to get on that bandwagon.

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I Still Form Scabs Years After My Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello

I had hair transplant 5 yrs ago and am very pleased w/ the results. My only question is this: I still have some scabs that form on the crown of my scalp, even after 5 yrs. They are irregular shaped and are off white and some have hair in them when they come off. One in particular is the size of an pencil eraser and it comes off, then later on, it reforms again in same place. The others are about pinhead sized and keep coming back too.

So is this going to be an ongoing thing? Thank you!

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On rare occasions, I see patients with ingrown hairs that present this way. If a doctor should look closely at the exit of the hair, one might see what looks like two hair coming out of the same hole. One of those may be the ingrown hair, which can be teased out with a pair of forceps. Otherwise, I would have to see you to give you an opinion.

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Hair Transplant Company Claiming “100% Natural Results” – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’ve just come across the DHI Direct Hair Implantation approach. DHI claims that it is better than FUE and Strip Surgery for reasons that include the following: (*) it leads to a 100% natural result, and (*) it involves no scars or holes. I do find it difficult to believe anyone claiming to have achieved 100% at anything. I also find the “no holes” idea self contradictory. However DHI seems to be rather convincing, except for the fact that no single Doctor’s career seems to be at stake. I have several questions, which I’ll limit to the following:

* Are you in a position to shed some light on the quality of the technique’s results? Perhaps in relation with FUE and strip surgery performed by average (and top notch) doctors?
* Are you aware of which method is used for the extraction of follicles? I couldn’t find this information on the company’s website.
* Is it possible for anyone to claim 100% natural results?

Finally, I’d like to disclose my personal situation and perhaps gain your opinion. I am 27 years old and have experienced gradual hairline recession. I’ve been on propecia for 1.5 years now. I’d like a lower hairline, but am in a position to wait at the expense of some self esteem issues. Should I go for a non-invasive technique such as DHI’s, or should I await the development of hair cloning techniques? Or might it be worth going for FUE or Strip?

Sorry for the difficult questions. I’m just confused, and I’m a PhD candidate researching informed consent!

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If there is a cut on the skin, then you will certainly have a scar. All follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedures done, regardless of how small the instrument used, will produce some scar and from what I know about DHI, they are doing FUE. The point is that the small scars (dots or scar tissue) would not be as noticeable to the casual observer as a linear scar from strip surgery — especially when there is hair growing around it. If you sent a series of good pictures, I can offer you a telephone consultation.

As you have stated, you should always be cautious when someone (or some company) claims 100% of something. Sounds like marketing. With respect to certain medical groups, it is not my place here on BaldingBlog to endorse or discredit anyone. If you are interested in a particular doctor or clinic, you need to see the doctor, and meet some of their patients (in person). See if the claims stand up to your scrutiny. Anyone can have a convincing internet presence. Now you have to do the hard work of finding out the real truth.

You can wait for cloning, but it’s still in the early development stage and there’s no guarantees. It depends on how long you are willing to wait.

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Neil Patrick Harris’s Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Doctor, I was wondering if you think actor Neil Patrick Harris is balding or not…

I had the same rounded hairline as he had as a child (when he played doogie howser)and dont know many people who had that shape. Now he has a very high receded hairline, his temples have moved back and he has recessed corners. I seem to be moving in that direction as well but probably beyond it. If my recession stops where his is i would be thrilled but i’m not holding my breath since i seem to see miniaturization. anyways, let me know what you think!

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I used Google Image Search to try to find some recent photos, but his hairline is not clearly shown in his current hairstyle (at least not that I could find). I suspect that his hairline has moved upward beyond maturing. Here’s photos of Neil Patrick Harris as an adult and as a child. The hairline seen in the childhood photo is a fairly typical juvenile hairline.

NPH

 

The best way to determine your hairline location is to measure the center from the highest crease of your wrinkled brow. If the height is more than one finger breadth above that crease, then your hairline is moving back. You might find a picture that shows what I am talking about or ask Doogie yourself.

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Ichy, Red Scalp a Month After FUE Procedure – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi dr,

1 month ago I had a fue hair transplantation, but almost all of the hair transplant are fallen out right now. they say this is normal but im concerned because some hairs fall flat like a triangle.

also i have many itches and redness on my head. maybe this is the healing process? I assume this is normal?

thanks

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Wasn’t there a doctor who performed surgery on you? Did your doctor abandon you? You should be concerned and should be asking your doctor what is going on with your head. That doctor has more knowledge of you (by way of examination and access) than we do on the internet. What you’re describing a month after surgery is not normal. Not all FUE is performed the same way and not all hair transplants are the same.

The two people in this world that knows what is going on is you and your doctor. This is not a brush off — if there is redness and there is a concern over an operation you have had, the internet is not a place for reassurance.

You may have an active folliculitis that requires treatment, and if you do, the prolongation of the incubation period can only harm your grafts. This isn’t something I should be guessing about, though. Please speak to your doctor.

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I Just Figured Out That My Blood Pressure Medication Made Me Lose Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is my first time to your site but I wanted to share my hair thinning experience because it may help others. I am a 43 year old male who has a full head of thick hair but over the last 5 years I have noticed thinning at the crown of my head. I tried Rogain but never really got my hair back to the thickness that I expected. I couldn’t believe I kept a full head of hair up until my late 30’s and now I have to deal with balding.

Well it wasn’t until I did some research on the blood pressure medication Lisinopril that I had been taking for 5 years that I linked the two together. My blood pressure was around 140/80 and my doctor recommended getting on a low dose of blood pressure medication(2.5mg) to bring it down slightly. Within 2 months of taking it my hair started thinning but my doctor never told me this could be a side effect and I thought I was thinning because of my age.

I have been off the medication for almost 6 weeks and my hair started growing back and the bald spot has almost filled in completely!! I am not telling anyone to stop taking their medication but I can tell you I will look for other ways to lower my blood pressure before I give up my hair!

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Thank you for sharing. I will take your word on your experience, but it is hard to believe you can see changes in hair growth in just 6 weeks after stopping a medication. For a normal person, hair grows about 1/2 inch in a month. So 6 weeks is really nothing in the world of hair. Nevertheless, please consult with your doctor before starting or stopping any medication.

With respect to hair loss in men, there is a reason we call it male pattern baldness (MPB), as in it occurs in a pattern (like the crown of your scalp). Hair loss from stress, illness, and medication would normally NOT occur in such a pattern.

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Short Comedic Film About Hair Loss (with Video) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hey! I’m a balding film maker out in LA, and I recently shot a short comedic film about my hair loss – take a look…would love it if you posted…I think many people would relate. Bald is beautiful!!

Link to the entire 10 min film: Chris Weisberg is Growing Bald

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Keep in mind there is some cursing in the video, so if you’re at work or somewhere that requires the F word not to be uttered, you should probably wait to watch the video. It’s very funny, though! Here’s the trailer:

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Removing a Cowlick and Replacing it With Transplantation – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

A friend of my fathers has recently had a hair transplant to cure his baldness and it got me thinking of a possible solution to a problem I have. I have a cowlick at the front of my hairline and I was wondering if it would be possible for me to have this removed by laser treatment and then replaced by hair transplant. Is this a viable option?

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Yes, this is a viable option. Many people with these ‘licks’ complain about them to me. Of course, I only see those people who are not happy with them. I happen to like the look, as one of my sons has a cowlick and I think it makes him look handsome.