Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Eyebrow Transplants (with Photos)

Is it true that eyebrow transplants do not behave like eyebrow hair?

Hair for eyebrow transplants come from the head. As such, they retain their head hair characteristics. There is some need to match head hair and eyebrow hair to see that it is appropriate to use it. This matching is critical. In the afro hair, the hair from the scalp is kinky, and if that hair is moved to the eyebrow, it might not behave as you would hope and the kinky nature of the head hair may not look right in the eyebrow. If the shafts of head hair are too thick, it is possible to thin down the shaft thickness in the hands of an experienced surgeon. Most significantly, the eyebrow hair will grow long and it requires trimming a few times a week because it will grow out ½ inch per month. Not trimmed, it could obtain a length of 3 feet (or whatever the maximum hair length might grow to), which is something that will not look normal.

Here is an example of a patient who had eyebrow transplants in the medial part of his eyebrow. He had forgotten to trim it for almost a month before he came in.

The photo on the left is before; the photo in the middle is 6 months after (with long eyebrow hairs); the photo on the right is also 6 months after (with eyebrows trimmed).

The patient had less than 20 single hair grafts in the area where the long hair is seen. Click each photo to enlarge.

 

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Face, Beard Hair, and Sideburn Transplants

Hi, I am 50 years old. I am unable to grow sideburns. I am sure it is inherited because I can grow a great mustache and facial hair on my chin, and from there, down my neck, but no sideburns which I have always wished I could. So, I see you folks may be able to help me. I have the usual questions, cost, and will the results look natural? Thanks!

Unless you have a disease like alopecia areata, you should be able to get hair transplants to place into the face and chin to create a beard, mustache, or sideburns. We do these kind of procedures all of the time and they look completely natural. The use of a fine needle to create the sites in the facial beard area is important to minimize any puckering of the skin. Most doctors charge by the graft, but some charge a flat fee. Your costs can be estimated by sending me photos to the email address on my Contact page. To help get an understanding of where you want the transplants, I would suggest marking up your face, beard area, and chin with a China Marker, which will easily wash off. You can get a China Marker from a local stationary store.

Here are some examples of sideburn transplants we have done at NHI:


2005-10-17 08:33:21Face, Beard Hair, and Sideburn Transplants

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Eyebrow Transplants

Can you transplant an eyebrow?

Yes, eyebrow transplants work nicely. There are a series of problems that hair taken from the back of the head causes when it is moved to the eyebrow:

  1. It will grow long, so it must be cut on an angle a few times a week.
  2. It may take on the thickness of the hair behind the head. If the eyebrow has finer hair, than this might be a problem.
  3. There is always a risk of a change in character of the hair itself (unusual).

I love doing eyebrows on men, as most men want bushy or wider eyebrows. For women, we must be selective and sensitive to hair type. The photos below are of one of our male eyebrow patients who just came back a little over a year after his transplant. On the left is the “before” photo, on the right is the “after” photo.

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Eyebrows Overplucked

Im trying to grow my eyebrows back as i want them reshaping due to overplucking how long would they take to grow back?

Overplucking your eyebrow or any hair may cause permanent damage and the hair may never grow back. At that point, the only solution to get eyebrow hair back is hair transplantation. If you’re looking for a temporary solution, I found an overplucking remedy at About.com. No idea if it works — I don’t pluck.

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Facebook Response from a Nurse in Vietnam

My son Ian, posted my photo when I was in Vietnam on facebook for Veteran’s Day and a nurse, Carol, responded with this very nice post which I wanted to share with you:

Wow. I knew that guy!!!
I watched your dad work tirelessly to heal and help US troops and then when others might rest during off time, he went off to do the same down at the Vietnamese hospital where he shared his skills and knowledge with local practitioners. He was also always trying to find ways to keep our spirits up. He managed to find a popcorn machine and had it helicoptered in for our little club. Something so simple to give us pleasure. He knew that caregivers also needed care and respite from the emotional strain of death and trauma and illness. He heard some nurses talking about how they missed soaking in a bath tub and the next week one appeared in the sky being lowered down from a chopper. He’s a guy I’m proud to know!
I remember that I also found a piano 300 miles away and flew the piano to our hospital hanging off of the bottom of a helicopter to entertain the troops. I was fortunate as I was the officer in charge of the Officers Club which was a night-time job for me. That gave me access is huge amounts of beer and liquor which was worth gold in trading for things. I traded palates of beer for air conditioners and airconditioned the entire hospital patient facilities (the club was very profitable). I remember Carol very well, a great caring nurse who the patients all fell in love with.


2020-11-15 10:17:04Facebook Response from a Nurse in Vietnam

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Facial Hair Doesn’t Fall Out Like Scalp Hair Does?

I have been told, by a colleague, that under normal circumstances, facial hair does not ‘fall out’ as does hair on your head.

Can you tell me if this is true or false?

Facial hair is different than scalp hair, but ALL hairs go through the growth cycle, resting cycle, and shedding (falling out) cycle.

I am not clear what you are asking. Do you have loss of facial hair or are you asking an academic question? The most common cause of scalp hair loss in men is due to genetic causes, and it is often referred to as androgenic alopecia (AGA), male pattern baldness (MPB), or just genetic balding. About 50% or so of the male population will have some degree of genetic balding at some point in their lifetime. Keep in mind that this does not mean 50% of men will go bald. Facial balding patches may not be genetic and you need to see a dermatologist.


2008-04-24 09:27:39Facial Hair Doesn’t Fall Out Like Scalp Hair Does?

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Is This a Failed Hair Transplant from My 5000 FUE Grafts Done 10 Months Ago?

I am sorry to tell you, but I think that your hair transplant failed with the exception of the frontal area which clearly has some growth evident. I think that your doctor does not want to tell you the truth. After having 5,000 grafts in a single session, another FUE procedure would make you bald in the donor area. Therefore, you will have to get a strip surgery if you want to repeat the surgery, assuming that you still have enough donor supply left. I recommend you find a doctor who understands the donor area supply issue, which, for another surgery, is critical for your next possible experience. Alternatively, you can shave your head and have Scalp Micropigmentation which can make you look great and does not require more donor hair.

failed TX

 

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Fading of Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP)

If a man, who has undergone SMP for a class 6 balding pattern, is adamant about applying high SPF sunscreen whenever he is going to be exposed to the sun for extended periods of time, will this completely prevent any fading of the SMP as a result of the sun? Or is some fading inevitable over time? If so, is this easily corrected with touch up procedures? Does the aesthetic appeal and cosmetic value of SMP decrease with each successive procedure? Or would it recreate the look of the initial procedure?

Yes, using a high SPF factor will slow down the fading. However, you can always touch it up after a few years if needed.


2018-06-26 10:10:36Fading of Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP)

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Failed Female Hair Transplant and It Also Produced Brillo Hair

I had an FUT procedure, and my hair looks and feels like a Brillo pad. It is a very unnatural hairline shape for a woman and hair is not growing in line with my natural hair or when it is parted. It looks sparse like I’m balding and it is quite masculine. What can I do?

I recommend having a second opinion by an expert. You can find them through the https://www.ISHRS.org society which recommends doctors who specialize in the hair transplantation field.

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Is this a failure of my hair transplant? (photo)

I had 2000 grafts into my two corners and now, 8 months later, it all looks thin. Is this a failure of the surgery?

Certainly, if each side received 1000 grafts, then this is not reflective of such a number of grafts. I would return and see your doctor as most doctors will ‘make things right’ and redo the hair transplant assuming that you still trust the doctor


2018-01-08 01:43:07Is this a failure of my hair transplant? (photo)