Hair Transplantation – Page 115

May 12, 2008

My Doctor Told Me I Needed to Take Propecia to Make My Hair Transplants Grow – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I just had a hair transplant (2 procedures) with a total graft count of about 4100. The area in the crown and just above it only grew partially. My Dr. told me to take propecia to see if it would help. The question is, if it does help and the new transplanted hair begins to grow, will i need to continue the propecia because that hair is “genetically programmed’ to last? Is there any reason that the transplants in that area didn’t grow?

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) will not do much with the transplanted hair. It may help with preventing the shock loss associated with a hair transplant and keeping your native (non-transplanted) hair from falling out, but the story that you need to take Propecia to grow your transplanted hair is just not true. You need to ask your doctor about this and have him/her explain to you WHY it is being recommended. Maybe you misunderstood your doctor’s advice.

If transplants in an area fail to show any growth after a year, there was something terribly wrong with the surgery. As always, I am flattered you would ask me, but having had surgery twice, you should have a good relationship with your doctor to ask questions pertinent to hair growth.

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May 7, 2008

Hair Loss InformationHair Continued Thinning After Hair Transplant, Now I Want to Undo It All – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I had a transplant procedure 7 or so years ago. Since then, my hair has continued to thin and even though the hairline was done well, one can discern that they are transplants. If I was to have the donor scar repaired and buzz my head to a # 1 clipper, would the transplant sites be very discernable (on top of my head?) If I was to pluck them out, would the recipient sites have scars? I am not really sure what to do. If I hadn’t gotten the procedure done I would probably shave my head close. I would also like to know if I had additional procedures done, would I be able to go with a buzz (#1) cut? Thank You

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A hair transplant is forever, which means you shouldn’t do it unless you fully understand what is going to happen to you, even in the worst case scenario. I don’t know how to answer your question without seeing you. If the transplants were follicular unit transplants (FUTs), there is a good possibility you could shave the hairline, but based upon the what you describe, I suspect that the grafts were not follicular units. When there is any significant amount of skin in the transplanted graft, the skin will have some deformities associated with it. The larger the amounts of skin (which comes with procedures like minigrafts, micrografts, larger plugs, follicular families, double follicular units, etc), the harder it would be to get away with shaving the frontal scalp. Most people like you are easy to fix with more transplants, but it has to be done with FUTs and in enough numbers to fill in the problem area, but again I can not say this for sure without seeing you or your photos.

As you indicated that you’re in New Jersey, Dr. Robert Bernstein has offices in your area, so I would suggest that you see him for a straight answer, or you can send me photos to the address on the Contact page (reference this post, please).

May 7, 2008

Can You Keep This Patient’s Hair Looking Dense If He Loses More Hair? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman
Browsing the NHI site i found this 25 year-old man, Patient QE. Very good job. My question is that if this man becomes a type 4a in a few years, can you give him the density he has now?

Norwood Class 4A This is an important question, because the doctor is putting hair where it has disappeared, but the process of losing hair is not static. With progressive hair loss that comes with genetic alopecia, you need to have a Master Plan and a good doctor. The doctor should lay out the worst case scenario for you and the remaining hair after the hair reconstruction should be present in adequate reserves to make up for any progressive hair loss that should occur.

Your particular question is good, because the patient you are referring to could eventually develop a Class 4A pattern and almost everyone with a reasonable hair density can follow hair loss to the Norwood Class 4A or even a 5A pattern with another transplant procedure. If the patient stays on Propecia, then it is likely that the hair loss process will be slowed.

May 7, 2008

Why Don’t Hair Transplant Doctors Get Hair Transplants Themselves? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I see a lot of hair transplant doctors’ pictures who have receding hairlines or who are bald. How come they don’t get hair transplants themselves?

Some doctors have had poor transplants themselves and although it might be hard to believe, comments made amongst the staff at the hotels that host our medical meetings have been overheard. People just don’t expect to see doctors with poor results, considering that they are in the business! Others decide that they do not want a hair transplant for personal reasons and I respect that the procedure is not for everyone. Quite a number of doctors in this business have had transplants and some even have their photographs on the Internet showing nice results, but of course, I can not tell you who they are for privacy reasons.

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May 5, 2008

FastTrack Method? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was looking at the fast track method and was wondering if you had any pictures of the procedure. I am a little confused as to how it is different besides it is more hair in one session.

“FastTrack” as we define it, is putting more hair with dense packing (hairs closer together). The term was how we originally introduced the technique in 1993, when there was nothing comparable performed by other surgeons. Today, the combination of maximizing the number of graft per square centimeter is performed by a small group of surgeons worldwide today.

If you want to see an example of it in a patient followed closely over 15 months, look at radio broadcaster Steve Hartman’s hair transplantation procedure, where he achieved a full look without multiple surgeries.

May 1, 2008

I Counted The Touches to My Scalp During the Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr Rassman,

I received a front hairline transplant back in December of 07′ by a NYC transplant physician. He recommended 2100 grafts for good density. After cutting the donor area and microscopically separating the grafts I ended up with 2168 grafts so they say. During the actual procedure there were three doctor assistants applying the grafts within the incisions(cut by the doctor) in my scalp. One assistant was on the left side the other on the right and one was stationed from behind. I decided to count the number of times my scalp was touched by the transplanting instruments. During the entire procedure I came up with 220 in a period of two hours with a break in between. How could I have received 2168 grafts. A graft consists of 1 -4 hairs. If each graft contained 4 hairs which is very unlikely that adds up to 880 hairs. I think I got ripped off. What is your opinion? I am thinking about taking legal action.

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As I’ve said many, many times before, you must have a good doctor/patient relationship before venturing into a permanent cosmetic procedure like a hair transplant. Counting the touches during surgery sounds like you had trust issues.

You had anesthesia which numbed your scalp, so I can not imagine how you could count what I would expect you could not feel. I obviously do not know the circumstances of your surgery, but before thinking of legal actions you should consider discussing your issues with your surgeon. Get a second opinion and let the second doctor look at the transplanted area. A second doctor should tell you if you got what you bought.

May 1, 2008

I Want a Hair Transplant to Strengthen My Hairline, But I’m Worried It Would Accelerate My Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman. Thank you for this website. I visit every single day and gain some comfort in the support here.

I am a 38 yo male with stong family history on both sides of my family. I started to thin in the front/hairline of my scalp at 22 years old, and started minoxidil immediately. After adding Propecia when it came on the market, I feel have done a good job at slowing down the blading process. My father and only brother were both almost totally bald at my age. I am probably a Norwood 3 – my mid-scalp and crown are still quite thick. My hairline has suffered and is loosing ground slowly every year. Temples are receeding and “widow’s peak” is now almost gone. Watching this happen, as everyone here knows, is devastating. I am contemplating having a consult with Dr. Bernstein for a transplant as he is close to me (NYC), but I am concerned that having a transplant to strengthen my hairline may accelerate my recession and compromise what I do have. I also am not sure whether to opt for FUE or FUT since I beleive around 1000 grafts would do the trick for me at this point. After viewing some of the photos on Dr. Berstein’s website et al., where he strengthens hairlines with approx. 900 or so grafts, the results look so amazing that I want to move forward. Any advice?

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Dr Robert Bernstein is a great doctor who worked with me for over 10 years. If you were contemplating seeing Dr. Bernstein, go see him and he will be able to give you good medical advice after he has examined you. At 38 years old, with the type of hair loss you describe above, a transplant can be a good option (obviously I haven’t seen you so I can’t say for 100%). Follicular unit extraction (FUE) or follicular unit transplantation (FUT or “strip procedure”) will both work, but the likelihood of less surgeries with the strip technique has its advantages.

May 1, 2008

Pimples In Recipient Area Months After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I had a hair transplant 5 months ago. I have been looking after the hair with regard to shampooing, cleaning the scalp well. I have also been using Minoxidil in the form of Rogain in the recipient area the front of my head. Lately the recipient area has begun to itch. I have avoided scratching it…but noticed some pimples. Then while shampooing I scratched a lot, and some pimples burst. There was slight bleeding, maybe pus for the first and only time. It does not itch now, but could this cause a graft to get damaged and lost? thank you for all your help

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No, pimples do not harm grafts, especially after 5 months if they are infrequent. You should read your post-operative instruction sheet (if it was provided for you) as pimples can be a common nuisance after a hair transplant surgery. You should have your doctor look at your scalp to make sure that you do not have a spreading infection.

April 29, 2008

3 Days After Hair Transplant, My Eye Is Swollen and Bruised! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I had my hair transplant 3 days ago and I was told that i’m a bleeder. so my head was wrapped for 2 days and after washing off the wrap i looked swollen but after the 3rd day after waking up my eye is swollen and bruised is this normal?

The bruising is rare, but it is normal to have swelling after a hair transplant procedure if your surgeon did not use large dose steroids to prevent it. It should be found in the pre-operative or post-operative handout you hopefully received — and more importantly in your operative consent form. Most of the swelling should be gone by the 5th day.

Part of me is honored that you would be turning to me for hair transplant aftercare advice, but the other part of me is shocked that you would not be asking this question to the doctor you trusted to performed your surgery. You really should have an open line of communication with your surgeon. I really can’t stress enough how a good doctor/patient relationship is so very important.

April 24, 2008

Transplanting Only to the Temples – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have a question. A couple of years ago I lost a bit of hair around the temples but this process seems to have no progress at all. I shave my head.. well only to about 3mm, have very thick hair. My question is as follows, If I got these temples fixed to get a straight hairline would a buzz cut be appropriate ? would it look natural ? I’d be grateful for your reply.

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Frontal hair loss can be fixed to near-perfection with a hair transplant, provided that you are a candidate for it. That would include such checklist items as:

your age
your miniaturization mapping of your scalp
your expectations are realistic

If you come to any of our free monthly open house events, you will meet some men who have completely replaced the frontal hairline to what I call perfection.