Hair Transplantation – Page 131

October 8, 2007

My Transplanted Hair Started Growing Immediately – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had a hair transplant surgery 3 months ago. Immediately after my hair transplant,and im talking about the 1.5 to 2nd month, i realized my hair to grow up as now im on the 3rd month and my right hairline is covered with hair, something that does not happen on the right. My doctor also had confirmed this with me in front.My question is, is it guaranteed that my hair where the transplanted area is will continue to grow and generate new hair until the 6-8 month as expected?is there any chance to stop growing from now on?

Thanks

Some hair will grow immediately in about 5% of patients and 5% of the hairs. You might still see more over time, but not more than 100% of what was transplanted. Nobody ever gets two for one.

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October 5, 2007

Hair Loss InformationHypothetical – Hair Cloning Scar Repair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m definitely hoping that hair cloning will one day be a reality, but my question is, even if I opt for a hair transplant today, doesn’t mean I cannot benefit from hair cloning in the future when it is available right? the cloned hair can simply be planted back into the donor area?

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Hair cloning is still in its infancy and we do not have much information about the process of a hair transplant with cloned hair, but I believe you are right and if it becomes available we should be able to transplant cloned hair anywhere that we do with conventional hair transplants now. Currently, we can transplant hair into scalp scars of any kind, including the donor scar in patients who have an unusually widened scar. The process should not be different with cloned hair for all types of scar tissue.

October 5, 2007

I’m Losing My Hair, But I Don’t Want Hair Restoration! – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hello,

I am losing my hair and I am interested in what options you have to fix that. I am not looking just for a hair restoration, I also looking for solution to prevent future hair lose, because doing surgery every year is not an option I am looking for.

I have a Class 3 pattern. Please help me

Norwood Class 4A There are no easy answers to your problem. We can slow hair loss with drugs like Propecia (finasteride 1mg) and we can force some new hair to grow (or slow down the fall out) in some people with minoxidil. However, putting your hair back to its state prior to losing it, is just not where today’s medical science is. The good news, depending upon your age, is that a Master Plan can be developed to predict the hair loss and treat as appropriate.

Hair transplants do not require a lifetime of yearly surgeries, but it is a fall back position when you lost hair and want it back because it works and lasts your lifetime. Let’s say that you have a Norwood Class 3 pattern right now, but you will eventually migrate to a Norwood 4A pattern (see diagram above at right). You would have to chase the hair loss over the time it takes to evolve, but with good drug treatment, that might be delayed for years and years. I wish we had an answer to your basic question, but medical science is where it is. I am optimistic that sometime in the future we can slow the hair loss down even better, perhaps even reverse it with hair cloning (10+ years away by my estimations), or even develop a much better hair treatment drug. Only time will tell.

October 3, 2007

Hair Transplant for Patient with Diffuse Patterned Alopecia (DPA)? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi, i am almost 20 years old and have seen a few derms regarding my hair loss, it looks like a have DPA, strong hair on frontal tuft, sides and back, my thinning hair is blonde and on the remaining areas of my scalp. i am on propecia, but would like to know your opinion on what surgical advice you could give me. I know its best to wait as long as possible but when would be the appropiate time to schedule a surgery? also, do you recommend FUE for patients with DPA?
thanks so much

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I would need to examine you myself and perform a miniaturization study to determine what you actual diagnosis is. I can not offer you surgical advice without understanding the diagnosis, where your hair loss is at the moment, and more about your overall history (including family history). In other words, each patient is different, so I really can’t give you a clear cut time without an exam.

As you indicated that you’re in Southern California, I invite you to call 800-NEW-HAIR to setup a free consultation in my Los Angeles office.

For those curious about DPA, I’ve written about it before:

Diffuse Patterned Alopecia (DPA) is an androgenetic alopecia characterized by diffuse thinning in the front, top, and vertex of the scalp in conjunction with a stable permanent zone. Diffuse Patterned Alopecia is usually associated with the persistence of the frontal hairline represented by the hairline position of the Norwood Class II or Class III patient.

October 3, 2007

I’m Unhappy with the Growth of My Facial Hair – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I am 25 years old, and my beard only grows on my neck and under my chin. Only a few stray hairs appear on the cheeks and face. The beard growth is of low-medium density, but with very thick hairs (the hair on my head is also thick.) I also have a moustace that grows under my nose and above the lip, but it abrputly stops and does not continue at all past the lower lip. In short, I have a beard only under my chin (not on the chin) to the base of the neck, and only above the upper lip.

What could cause this?

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Different patterns of hair growth in the scalp and facial hair are usually inherited. There are some dermatological disorders that can cause patchy hair loss in those areas, such as alopecia areata, but it does not seem to be the case in the way you describe yours. If there is no one else with this pattern in your family, I’d suggest seeing a hair specialist/dermatologist to rule out other causes of hair loss. If you are diagnosed to have a genetic pattern of hair loss in those areas, you may be a candidate to restore your facial hair with hair transplantation.

October 2, 2007

Post-Op Questions After Hair Transplant 6 Weeks Ago – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I recently had a hair transplant (approx 6 weeks ago). The doctor cut 5 strips and transplanted into the vertex and front hairline, leaving the top of the head alone.

Since then I have noticed a lot of shedding (counting about 50-60 hairs in the shower as opposed to the typical 10 before). I realize there will be shedding after a procedure, however, I notice considerable thinning directly on the top of my head. A lot of the hairs that are shedding are long and thick.

I have 2 questions:

Is it common for hair not in the donor site or the recipient site to shed so much?

How much longer is this going to keep going on for?

Assuming you are male, then you may be experiencing shock loss, as it seems to relate to your recent hair transplant. Shock loss in young men often does not reverse. Were you taking finasteride (Propecia) which tends to protect against shock loss? Most importantly, I think these questions should be addressed to your doctor who performed your surgery and/or these things should have been explained to you in advance. At the very least, they should’ve been written out in your pre and post operative hand out.

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October 2, 2007

The Best Procedure for a 22 Year Old That Wants His Hairline Back? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hello, i am a 22 year old male who has had hairloss for about 3/4 years now, a year ago after noticing quite bad thinning i started using regaine and procerin combined, my hair thickened slightly but not much so 3 weeks ago i swapped the procerin for finpecia (generic finasteride) i now have lots of hairs in my hairline but they seem to stay the same length, realising that these medications don’t re grow hair in the receding hairline area i have been considering some form of surgery, baffled by the procedures and sites recommending certain types only i was wondering if you could tell me what the best procedure is for a young man who just wants to fill in his hairline slightly and maybe help thicken the front as well?

regards

I do not quite know what you are asking. If you are considering a hair transplant procedure, you need to see a hair transplant doctor for a good physical examination and his/her evaluation. Generally, hair transplants in a 22 year old man is approached with great caution for two key reasons –

You may have further balding in the future
A surgical procedure like this may accelerate the balding process

A good Master Plan must be created to account for your hair loss worst case scenario so that whatever is done today, will continue to look good as you get older. The best hair transplant procedures use follicular unit grafts by experienced teams.

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October 1, 2007

How Long For Grafts to Take Hold After a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have a question after the procedure of a hair transplant.

How many days does it take for the bulb/graft to take and settle? So even if the scabs and hair fallout it won’t be a problem.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

Dr. Bernstein and I wrote an article in the February 2006 issue of Dermatologic Surgery that essentially says that when the ’scabs’ come off, the grafts are anchored. That can take 3-14 days and is determined by the aggressiveness of your washing process. The abstract of the article is available here — Graft anchoring in hair transplantation.

In an ideal world, the grafts are relatively permanent after the first 48 hours unless you actually work them out. In the real world, I would generally say about a week (just to be safe). If you are determined enough, I am sure you can get a tweezer and pick them out, though I’m sure you are trying to avoid doing.

October 1, 2007

Management of Progressive Balding – Balding Blog

Dear Dr Rassman,

Your blog entry of 17 July 2007 includes before and after pictures of a man with a receding hairline who has been transplanted on. I am curious what his Norwood classification was before he had the corrective transplants. Is balding in this particular pattern common? Am I right in assuming that most men with this kind of hair loss will need more transplants later on as the balding progresses?

His before photo is on the left; after photo on the right. Click the photos below to enlarge. For more photos, see Results After a Single Session.

This patient has a Norwood Class 3 balding pattern, and yes, it is quite common. He is over 50 years old, so I would not expect his pattern to advance much at all. If he was 25 years old he could lose hair behind the transplants, which may require another procedure, but taking Propecia (finasteride 1mg) may help to prevent that. I don’t like surprises and nor do my patients, which is why miniaturization mapping and a good Master Plan in the hands of a caring, experienced and focused doctor go together hand in hand.

September 28, 2007

Hair Loss InformationI’m Considering Laser Chest Hair Removal – But What If I Want to Use Chest Hair for BHT? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 30 and a Norwood Class 2. My dad is almost a Norwood class 6 and I have a feeling I’m heading in that direction. I am considering laser removal of chest hair but am having second thoughts wondering if body hair transplant will someday become more successful. (I have read your postings on BHT so far and understand that the results have been limited). Do you see a more promising future for BHT? And thank you maintaing such an informative site. Glad to have fumbled upon it.

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I do not endorse body hair transplantation (BHT), because it is not the standard of care in hair transplant surgery. Body hair does not grow the same length or texture as scalp hair. Furthermore, the growth cycle of body hair is much slower and different than scalp hair. The growth phase for the hairs is much shorter from body hair and the sleep (Telogen) cycle is longer. If a doctor transplanted 100 hairs, then as many as 40-60% of them will be in sleep mode reducing the total number of hairs that grow at any one time. These are some of the reasons why I do not recommend body hair transplant to my patients. I am sure that there are doctors and patients who claim benefits and success with body hair transplants, but I am not one of them. If you are a Class 2 at 30 years old, you most probably will not become a Class 6 as your father is, but if you map out your scalp for miniaturization and show miniaturized hairs in the Class 6 pattern, then you might follow your father’s class. Mapping is good for that reason, to give your reassurance one way or the other. To answer your question though, I don’t see a more promising future for BHT. The hairs on your body are different from the hairs on your scalp.