Category: Hair Transplantation

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Hair Loss InformationDoes Couvre Cause Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman
Great site…thanks for helping out so many concerned men and women. I am a 42 year old male, with Norwood class III hair loss. I had 2 hair transplants about 10 years ago at the temples, and was happy with the results(they have taken me back to a norwood class I or II look). Now my hair is thinning more in the centre. I use a scalp covering paste (couvre) applied with a sponge, that does a great job of helping to cover the thinning area…but I am wondering if using this will cause my hair to fall out even more? Also, I read that most men slow down or stop their hair loss in their mid 40’s..my hair loss is starting to pick up again over the last year. Can I use products like minoxidil with products that colour the scalp?
Thanks for your help.

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CouvreI highly doubt Couvre causes hair loss. You can use minoxidil with scalp coloring agents. For more on Couvre, see their site here.

I suspect you are losing hair due to general male pattern hair loss as it is a progressive process (something we do not like to admit). Hair loss should slow down as we age, but it still happens in men at all ages. There is no rule or exception if it is happening to you. You may consider seeing a doctor for a good diagnosis and you may be a good candidate for finasteride (Propecia/Proscar).

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Hair Loss InformationI am Concerned My Hair Transplant Won’t “Take” – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 46 yr old female wanting a hair transplant. I am concerned the transplant won’t “take”. I have no conclusive diagnosis. One Doctor thinks genetic, another thinks hormonal. Also, the texture changed to bumpy/kinky, like pubic hair. I wouldn’t want to transplant it. Any suggestions?

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I don’t quite understand what you are asking. All surgeries have risks, just as driving your car has risks. You need good examination and a diagnosis before considering surgery. You also need to trust the doctor and establish a good communication line where your risks and benefits and expectations are addressed. Hairs that initially grow out from a hair transplant surgery may grow more coarse and wavy (rarely as you describe like “pubic hair”), but that is a risk and over time and it generally returns to its normal texture… unless the hair was harvested from your pubic area, of course.

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Hair Loss InformationI’m 20, and My Hairline Has Matured More Than I’d Like – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,

I am a keen reader of your blog. I’m 20 years old (male), there is no balding in either my father/mother, or their father’s/mothers.

However, from early puberty, the corners of my hairline have “matured”, but a little too far for my liking. I understand that your general rule is not to perform surgery on young patients, however… if you are satisfied that there would be no further progression, would you “fill in” a young person’s hairline? .5-.75″ and also possibly lower the actual hairline down a small amount?

I know I’m in the UK and your offices are in the US, but I’ve not yet found what looks like a reliable, trust worthy, honest hair transplant surgery in this country! Approximately how many grafts/hours/sessions etc would the process take? I can e-mail pictures if required.

Thank you.

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It is understandable that you do not like your current hairline, but even with no evident balding in your family, you may have genetic male pattern balding. It is difficult to tell how bald you may or may not be at such a young age. At the least, you need a miniaturization study, a good history, and exam — and then develop a good Master Plan for the future management of your hair loss.

There are doctors who are willing to transplant hair in patients who are in their early twenties with only slight balding or recession. However, I am cautiously resistant to the idea of lowering your hairline at this point, because I do not know if you will bald further as you get older. With that said, a hair transplant may accelerate balding and cause you to lose more hair, leaving you in a worse position than you are currently at. I would wait for perhaps at least about 5 more years before considering a hair transplant.

For more about the mature hairline, please see Maturation of a Hairline — Moving From Juvenile to Mature.

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I Was Told I Should Stop Minoxidil Use 2 Months Before a Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was told that one should discontinue minoxidil 2 months before hair transplant as it can adversely affect outcome. I was told it can be started again two weeks after the procedure. Is this medically sound or is someone trying to create a more obvious gap between before and after pictures?

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I have never heard of this. There is no medical reason why you should stop minoxidil 2 weeks or 2 months prior to a hair transplant surgery. Furthermore, stopping minoxidil may cause the loss of hairs that have built dependence on the drug.

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What Percentage of Growth Can I Expect 6 Months After a Hair Transplant? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman, I went for a strip procedure 6 months ago. My doc placed 2500 grafts in the front third of my scalp. I’m seeing some good growth but it’s still pretty thin. Is it fair to say that I can expect another 50% growth at this point? Your feedback will be very much appreciated…

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Of course, knowing what you look like would help. Your doctor is your best source. Generally speaking, growth starts between 2-5 months and then grows at about 1/2 inch/month. Hair comes in “waves” so you should see increasing numbers of hair and length over the first 8 months (at which time you should have 80-90% of the growth).

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Shock Loss from Female Hairline Lowering Procedure? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 23 year old female considering having my hairline surgically lowered. What I am wondering about is shock loss with this type of procedure. How often does this problem occur and how much hair is usually lost when it does happen? Are there any factors, besides female pattern baldness, that increase the risk of this side effect? Also, do you recommend using Minoxidil to lessen the possibility of fallout, and is it safe if there are no signs of FPB? (The label says not to, but doesn’t say the exact reason why.)

Thank you for your time!

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There are no published numbers of the shock hair loss risk after a hairline lowering procedure. This may also depend on the surgeon who performs the surgery and his/her expertise with it. This is a question that should be reserved to the doctor who may be doing your surgery, asking for his/her experience with shock loss and the surgery.

Assuming (worst case) that hair loss occurs, it could be caused by just the manipulation of the hairline and if it did, it should return. If it is caused by too much tension at the suture line, it might not return. Experienced surgeons know this and rarely put much tension on the suture line.

You should also be well informed about other options such as hair transplants to lower the hairline. I do not believe minoxidil will have a significant impact on shock loss.

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Losing Hair Around Scar from Car Accident Years Ago – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i have a scar above my hair line from car accident, but am slowly losing hair around it from shock i guess. it’s been 3 years now and i’m getting concerned that the scar will become visible if the loss continues. any experience w hair transplants over or around scar tissue?

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The ‘acute’ hair loss impact, when it occurs, usually happens in the first few months. Any change beyond that is not directly related to the trauma, but the hair loss could be permanent. In other words, your hair loss is probably not related to the accident.

Generally a hair transplant into scars caused by an accident, face lift, or brow lift is a common procedure and very successful done in my practice. You can send me a photo for a confidential consultation. Please reference this post when sending.

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Shock Loss Risks – FUE vs Strip Harvesting – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I heard of the possibility of shock and its harm to cause loss of existing hair from hair transplantaion. How frequentlly does this happen and is the risk lower with follicular unit extracton?

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Shock loss occurs in the recipient area, so the method of extracting the donor hair is not impacted. The best way to reduce the risks for shock loss is the use of Propecia (finasteride 1mg) to be taken orally prior to the surgery and for the subsequent 6-8 months.

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Too Much Scarring From Previous Transplants, So I Want Body Hair Transplantation – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr.,

Are there any Doctors in New York City that are performing Body Hair Transplant (BHT)?

I have a lot of scaring from my previous transplants (no more donner area available). My hair on my scalp is also thinning more, resulting in my existing transplants not to look natural. I
would like to visit with a BHT Doctor in New York City.

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I believe Dr. Robert True in New York does body hair transplants (BHT). I am generally not an advocate of BHT (see I Want Body Hair Transplants for my reasoning).