Category: Hair Transplantation

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Hair Loss Information » What Does a Doctor Do If a Big Percentage of Grafts Don’t Grow? – Balding Blog

Having read a number of postings and messages concerning transplants, the question arose as to what percentage of the transplants actually survive and grow. If, say, 25% of the transplants do not grow, does a typical doctor deal with the situation by trying more transplants? Or is the patient stuck with having paid for something he did not get?

Ben Franklin“…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1788

Typically, the success or growth rate of a hair transplant surgery should be in the low to mid ninety percentile, although there may be variability with different clinics. Furthermore, the success of a hair transplant surgery is dependent not only on the doctor, but also on the transplant team and technical staff. That is why the reputation of the entire medical group is just as important as the surgeon. If you feel your hair transplant was not within the acceptable range for survival or it did not meet your expectations, you should meet with your surgeon and address your concerns. On the few cases where yields were less than ideal in our hands, we offered additional transplants at no charge to the patients.

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I’m 26 with Thinning Temples – When Is It Safe for Me to Have a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I’ve heard many different opinions regarding the appropriate age to seek out a hair transplant. I’m roughly a Norwood 2 at age 26, and my father is a Norwood 6 (age 62). I came into your LA office last year and had a miniaturization test done. The test showed I had receded at the temples, but the rest of my hair was holding strong. I’ve been using a Propecia/Rogaine combination for 5 years, since the first signs of balding appeared.

I consulted with another doctor who said I was a good candidate for an immediate transplant. He mentioned I should front load the grafts, using 2400 to fill in the temples. I know he’s a reputable doctor, but isn’t it dangerous to use 2400 grafts to fill in the temples (~1.5 inch receded)? I know the miniaturization test showed the rest of my hair is holding strong, but who really knows what the future holds, especially given my genetics.

Is it prudent to wait a little longer to have surgery? Right now, when my hair is grown out long enough, I can spike my hair in front and the recession is barely noticeable. However, I hate the way my hair looks when I first wake up in the morning or after a workout- it clumps in the middle, clearly showing the recessed temples.

My questions is, even with a miniaturization test and a consistent cocktail of hair loss drugs, when can you safely have a transplant without the risk of looking foolish 10-15 years down the road due to the overzealous use of grafts in the early phases of MPB?

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Let’s look at it this way — I advised you to take Propecia and said I’d retest you a year later with another miniaturization study. I gave you the consultation at no charge. Another doctor that you met wants to immediately perform 2400 grafts on you after just meeting you. Does that sound strange to you… like maybe that other doctor is more interested in your money and less interested in your long term Master Plan?

I could have certainly told you that you’d need 2400 grafts when I met you last year, but it would not have been fair to you, nor would it have been the honorable thing to do. I would have been taking advantage of you. As you point out, if you lose much more hair and already have 2400 grafts in the front, you do run the risk of possibly looking foolish down the road (maybe a bad Master Plan). You should return for another visit with me so that you can have another miniaturization test and a reassessment of your Master Plan based upon what has changed in you since your last visit. To answer your question, I can’t say with any certainty when a good time for a transplant is without seeing you again. This is one of those questions that simply can’t be answered without an exam.

I hate to see patients taken advantage of, and I’m glad you wrote to inquire about this. This could be a case of a doctor that is preying on your insecurities and wants to line his wallet, rather than look out for your best interests. I always suggest that potential patients do plenty of research so that you know what you’re getting into. Many doctors who ‘claim’ a great reputation, promote that reputation with good PR and lot of dollars in advertising. The only protection you have is to perform good research for yourself.

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No Growth After 3rd Hair Transplant Done 7 Months Ago – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i had a transplant on april 9 from a very reputable clinic. i have absolutely no growth plus i have lost much more hair. i have been on propecia for 5 years. this is my 3rd transplant. is it possible there is a delay because it is my 3rd transplant. or is it possible i will get no growth at all since it has been 7 months already without any growth whatsoever. around the donor site there has been regrowth. just none in the transplanted areas.

You need to discuss this with your doctor and view the photographs carefully from 7 months earlier. I have had patients not see the hair grow out and when comparing to the before photos, their after photos showed remarkable growth! I suggest waiting for a full 9-10 months before drawing any conclusions on a failed hair transplant. With regard to hair loss, again, look at your before and after pictures and speak with your doctor. If you are still having a problem after meeting with your doctor and passing the 10 month mark, then seek a second opinion if your doctor has not given you a satisfactory answer to your concerns.

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I Had a Hair Transplant, But I Have DUPA! – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is my story. I went to Dr. [name removed] because my front was thinning more than the rest of my hair. The doctor recommended 2489 grafts in the frontal 1 inch. He lowered my hairline because he said it was the sexy look and at 26 years old, that was a good look. After 9 months, the hair in the front was still very thin so the doctor told me to have another transplant. I purchased another 1804 grafts which did not appear to have grown out after another 10 months. I went back to the doctor and he told me that I needed more grafts. The area that he took the grafts from was very, very thin after the second transplant. I did not feel comfortable with this recommendation, so I went to another doctor to get a second opinion. He told me that I have DUPA and that the entire hair on my scalp was thin and see through. My scar is very visible. This second doctor told me that I should not have had the surgery and that I was in a bad place to do anything but wear a wig. So I went to a wig place and the wig was totally unnatural. The hair on the top was thick, the side hair was not covered by the wig and looked transparent. What do I do? Is there a place to complain about my surgical care? Do I go to a lawyer and if so, how do I find a good lawyer?

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JusticeIt sounds pretty clear that by having Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA), you were never a candidate for surgery. Hair transplant surgery in men such as yourself is a disaster and no you will probably always show this deformity. It seemed that the doctor must have needed your money and did not care about your welfare. First of all, I would like to see you, possibly get pictures from you so that I could ascertain for myself if you had DUPA. I would try the use of dutasteride (only if you really have DUPA), which would be an off-label use of this drug. I have seen some men with DUPA get a response from finasteride, but high doses of dutasteride may have value. The problem with this drug is the issue of sexual drive and low sperm counts from its use. These would be things we would have to talk about and you certainly should not consider having children anytime soon if you try this route.

Your recourse includes:

  1. Complaint to the medical board of your state.
  2. Seek out a lawyer by going to the state bar for assistance in finding one.

The courts are generally not victim-friendly when dealing with hair transplants, because they do not see significant damages so the monies collected in the few cases that went to court have been pretty low. For the readers out there, please keep in mind that the doctor you choose should be ethical, honest, and competent. Try to identify the larceny in the doctors before you bet your appearance on someone you don’t know and can’t research.

I would be happy to help you, but we must first somehow meet.

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Can I Have a Hair Transplant If I Have My Head Already Shaved? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, is it easier to operate on a person with a shaved head (#2)? I want a transplant but i have a shaved head. Someone told me you can’t get a donor strip with the hair to short? Is this right? I thought it would be easier if I have a shaved head?

A shaved head can be transplanted. I generally like a couple of weeks growth so that the hair length will be about 1/4 inch, which is enough to cover the scar from the excision of the donor strip. Although it is easier to transplant a head where the hair is very short, with good skills and a great staff, it is not necessary to shave the head.

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Concerned About Redness After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I am a 30-year old male and one week ago, I had a FUE Hair Transplant along my front hairline. I am concerned that there may be lingering redness in this area which will make it obvious that I had a procedure performed to co-workers.

In addition to products such as Vitamin-E, Aloe Vera, etc. to reduce redness, what are your thoughts about using a self-tanning lotion along the top of the forehead/hairline to blend the redness in this area to my natural skin color (assuming I used the tanning lotion on the rest of my face as well and didn’t go overboard with it)?

Assuming I waited a couple of weeks after the surgery, would the tanning lotion in any way harm the future growth of these grafts or pose any other risks?

In those patients who have a tendency to become red (and hold on to the redness after a transplant), I treat them with a copper peptide treatment. This works to reduce the redness and shorten the ‘red’ time, but if not started immediately, it will not have value. The use of steroids are routine for my post-operative period and when they are started at surgery, they do reduce the redness.

As for the other products you asked about:

  • Tanning lotion — I do not believe that this will work
  • Vitamin E — this may have limited value when used topically
  • Aloe vera — this does not help manage the redness

These are really questions that your transplant doctor should be addressing. I can not offer you much real advice without knowing more about you, but I may be able to come to a solution if I saw you in person.

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Small FUE Procedures Every Couple Weeks – A New Marketing Gimmick or a Reality? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

A patient came to see me last week asking about multiple, short Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) procedures for his frontal hairline, eventually totaling 1400 grafts. He is a busy attorney and wants to have his hairline restored, but did not have the time to get it done. He went to a doctor who told him that he could come in after court every 2-3 weeks, and get 200 FUE grafts placed into the frontal hairline. As an attorney who does not trust anyone at first glance, he came to me for a second opinion. Money was not an issue, but the charge would be $2,000 for each procedure.

I told him that this did not seem like a good idea to me. If he had 1400 grafts total over 7 sessions just two-three weeks apart, the hair would fall out between the surgeries and the surgeon could not see where the previous transplants were placed, therefore possibly causing damage. I also believe that 7 surgeries are not as good as one, but if he insisted on multiple surgeries, he must wait 7-8 months between the surgeries so that the previous grafts would not be damaged. It is possible that two surgeries spaced 2-3 weeks apart (one on the right side and one on the left side) might be able to harvest 500-700 grafts through an FUE surgery, but he would have to keep his hair long.

For more on FUE / FOX Procedure, please see:

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Hair Loss InformationHair Transplant on Nip/Tuck (with Video) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctors, did you see tonight’s episode of Nip/Tuck where they performed a hair transplant? How accurate was the scene, and the resulting effects? I’m sure they took a lot of creative license, I’m just curious, as I am sure others who saw the scene are now.

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Nip/TuckNip/Tuck, an outrageous plastic surgery drama TV series on the FX Network, has two episodes featuring hair transplants — the first of which has just aired this week. We actually advised on the program and they elected to use the hair transplant Carousel (automated rapid fire hair implanter), which I invented in the 1990s. I just saw the first of the two shows with the Carousel. One of the two lead plastic surgeons got a hair transplant by his surgical partner and then resumed a full ‘work and play’ load. Doing too much steam and sauna, the plastic surgeon that received the transplant got folliculitis within a day of the surgery. I laughed like hell as I watched the spoof unfold. The focus of this first show of the season was how to build a successful cosmetic surgery practice. I think the message was right on.

With the permission of the show’s producer, I was allowed to post this video clip from the episode featuring the Carousel in it. I take no responsibility for the appearance of these transplants

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I’m Looking for an African American Doctor – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

i am a 31 year old black women. i was dianosed with alopecia a year ago (10-1-06). i was getting injection in the top of my head and around the temples with this medicine called (clearmgsin and depomedrol a steroid) but i am still bald in the top of my head. some of the side hair started to grow but not fully. the doctor told me that i should consider a hair transplant. i dont know if i am a candidate for transplant. i’m looking for a african american doctor

Alopecia means hair loss in Latin. Hair transplantation in an African American patient is difficult due to the curly hair that extends beneath the skin down to the roots. It is much more difficult to transplant than someone with straight hair. As such, you need to find a very qualified hair transplant surgeon with extensive experience transplanting African American patients. Having an African American doctor as your surgeon does not necessarily mean he/she would have the aforementioned experience. Moreover, most patients are not aware of the technical expertise required by the hair transplant staff. In other words, hair transplantation is a team effort and being an African American doctor will not be a solution for you without extensive experience with similar patients.

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Hair Loss InformationWhy Can’t I Have a Hair Transplant at 17 Years Old? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m a 16 and half year old guy. i started losing my hair since i was 13. (i was overweight and i used not to eat much) which affected me badly afterwards. i lost much hair, but i can say it has stopped. i went to several doctors and dermatologists they say that it’s hereditary (we have many bald men in our family. especially mom’s family).

it’s something that is bothering me all the time and makes me cry alot. i have nothing else to do but to undergo a hair transplant. i searched alot on the internet about that and i read a question on BaldingBlog.Com from another 16 year old guy facing the same problem of mine who wants a hair transplant too. but the doctor told him that he’s too young for a hair transplant.

My only question is … is it too risky for me to have a hair transplant ? or Why can’t i have a hair transplant at this age or at 17 ? … I think it’s the only way to get my hair back. because i’m tired of using Minoxidil and someproducts that won’t help me to get at least 90% of my hair back or something.

I’m really sorry for distrubance … but i feel hopeless about my hair.and Thanks in-advance.

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Here are some basic questions you should answer before considering a hair transplant:

  1. What do you expect to get from a hair transplant?
  2. Do you really know what a hair transplant can and can not do?
  3. If you are receding or thinning, did you get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to determine if you are really balding?
  4. If so, are you being managed by a competent, caring doctor?
  5. Are you on medications?
  6. What is the Master Plan you (or even better, your doctor) has in mind for you?

At 17 years old, you can not know much about the subject if you think that a hair transplant will solve your problem. Hair loss at 17 is at the beginning of a lifelong process and you simply can not know what type of pattern you will develop until it shows with miniaturization and/or recession/balding. You really need to develop a Master Plan before you consider doing anything. Get a good local doctor to evaluate you and start to get smarter and more educated about this.