Posts

Posted on

Lot’s of things wrong with this transplant

I saw this photo posted and decided to comment on it. There are many things wrong with this surgery, and as I don’t know the age of the patient nor the number of grafts he received, it is hard to complete my assessment; nevertheless, it is important for those of you who are considering a hair transplant to understand the difference between good and bad hair transplant techniques.
The transplant donor area was unusually focused above the donor area, and that hair may be lost if this man develops an advanced balding pattern with age. The surgeon did not confine his surgery to the permanent zone (a 3-inch high area around the side and back of the head). The surgeon created a picket fence to the leading edge of the hairline, which will show up if the hairline finally grows in. The patient needed to be instructed in proper washing techniques, as residual crusting increases the risk of infection. ‘Cleanliness is close to godliness‘, so proper early washing is critical (see here for my golden standard: https://baldingblog.com/one-day-post-op-2150-grafts-photos/). If this man was under 25, he shouldn’t have done this because the amount of hair transplanted may have been disproportionally high when compared to his donor supply.
Posted on

Lots of Questions About PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and ACell Use

I am quite interested and for many years now have been following and consulting with numerous HT doctors around the world regarding their results of using injectable hair stimulation PRP (+/- ACell) for treatment of MPB as stand-alone non-surgical treatment. HT surgery is something I am not interested at this time due to myriad of factors (e.g., DNA genetic programming resulting in possible future progressive hair loss and miniaturization of existing hairs, accelerated loss of native hairs due to the trauma of surgery, depletion of donor hair, multiple transplant procedures / sessions over my lifetime, not every person knows if they will achieve 100% satisfied result, picking right doctor is not easy as HT doctors have varying egos/costs/skills/artistry/ethics, etc). So for now I am content with only non-surgical methods and not HT surgery.

Obviously, I am not a doctor, and just another 55 year old male suffering from MPB thinning and receding hairline….but from all these years this is the information I have been able to glean regarding PRP (+/- ACell) treatment for MPB without HT surgery:

• Currently there are no scientific studies to indicate PRP (+/- ACell) works to regrow hair. There are positive anecdotal results with some enthusiastic and cutting edge HT doctors (e.g., Dr. Jerry Cooley and Dr. Gary Hitzig) but nobody can tell me what success percentage I will achieve, and will it be significant or not. Unfortunately, there is no established, standardized, or proven protocol that has been shown to be superior to any other delivery method….and each doctor is trying something different on their own through a trial-error effort to get to the point where a proven protocol will provide consistent results.

• Some HT doctors are spinning their own PRP with cheaper equipment and injecting what they claim are optimal platelet concentrates at < 5x platelet concentrates….on the other hand there’s Dr. Cooley who claims optimal results using 5x or > platelet concentrates via the ANGEL system….and some HT doctors are now copying Dr. Cooley’s protocol after networking and sharing his notes @ various ISHRS meetings and conferences. Bottom line, it appears HT doctors are injecting differing platelet concentrate amounts in their practices depending on results….which again shows there is no established, standardized, or proven protocol for PRP (+/- ACell) hair injections.

• With HT surgery, as it is with PRP (+/- ACell) treatment by itself without HT surgery, it appears individual DNA genetic programming plays key role in determining overall treatment outcomes/success for each individual….and the ideal platelet concentration amount of PRP injected appears to have profound impact regarding how patients respond and their results….and presence of different cell types and growth factors also impact final results.

• Appears there is limited evidence to suggest lasting benefit with injection of PRP (+/- ACell) or growth factors, although there may be thickening of native hair follicles. It is unclear how long the benefits of treatment last and if the benefit will continue through subsequent hair growth cycles. However, all HT doctors agree on several factors regarding duration of treatment benefits: 1) underlying genetic balding pattern (e.g., PRP will last for a shorter time period for those who are DNA genetically prone to bald faster); AND 2) other maintenance treatments the patient is using (e.g., Propecia, Rogaine, LLLT or LaserCap, other topicals).

• Appears for many HT doctors/Dermatologists/Cosmetic Surgeons/Estheticians….especially in the United States….they charge excessive amount for PRP (+/- ACell) injections because they view as easy revenue steaming source due to desperation and gullibility of people with MPB issues buying into the HYPE for the next BIG THING or BALDNESS CURE….which it’s not.

With that in mind, I do have specific questions regarding personally using PRP (+/- ACell) for MPB without HT surgery. These questions may seem anal and more detailed than normal, but I have to ask because of the personal costs involved, and the fact there are still no established, standardized, or proven protocols to date for PRP (+/- ACell) hair injections for MPB without HT surgery .

• What specific protocols are you using that provide consistent results for PRP (+/- ACell) for MPB patients (without HT surgery)? Where did you receive and why did you determine to use these specific protocols?

• What centrifugal equipment are you using for PRP platelet concentrations? What PRP platelet concentration levels are you getting? What amount of PRP (+/- ACell) injections for individual patients? And how do you determine concentration level amounts of PRP (+/- ACell) injections for individual patients?

• How much do you charge for PRP (+/- ACell) injections?

• How many PRP (+/- ACell) injections per year do you recommend someone getting? Is PRP (+/- ACell) injections perfectly safe over the long haul many years from now due to stimulating cell growth? Obviously, cancers are concern for everyone and nobody wants to wake up or stimulate genetically predisposed cancer cells, etc.

• How many PRP (+/- ACell) injections for MPB (without HT surgery) have you performed to date? How long have you been performing these PRP (+/- ACell) injections in your practice?

• What is the success percentage of total PRP (+/- ACell) injection patients for MPB (without HT surgery) that actually grow more hair and increase diameter size of existing miniaturized native hairs? From these successful injections, can you measure or visually see the significant or appreciable percentage difference in overall hair growth and appearance for your patients? (e/g., 25% better stronger looking hair?/50% better stronger looking hair?/75% better stronger looking hair, etc)?

• Do you have portfolio of these patients before/after photos that I can see on-line? Even better if possible, can I contact these patients myself either via email or telephone to ask their overall impressions regarding their results?

The above text was written to my private email and is a good overview of the PRP topic, so I have included it in our blog.

I do not engage in using PRP and ACell for hair growth or in hair transplantation. We do use on occasion ACell with the patients permission for donor wound healing, but we do not charge the patient any money for this. We absorb the few hundred dollars for the ACell since we cannot positively claim its benefit. Once I see value, clinical proof, and scientific proof, I can change my mind about the offering.

I don’t believe that these treatments are anything more than human experimentation for profit, or just a profitable venture. Desperate people will spend lots of money chasing the pot of gold under a distant rainbow.

Posted on

I Have a Lot of Baby Hairs That Don’t Grow at My Hairline, Why Is This?

So my temple receded from NW 1 to NW 2.5 at age 16 and it happened super fast. However, there does seem to be hair there. When I sweat on my scalp, my baby hairs form a sort of sweat line where my original hairline once was. The hairs are also pretty thick but haven’t grown. It’s been a few years now. Is this common with mpb?

These baby hairs are actually miniaturized hairs which will eventually fall out. The observation that you made that they don’t grow is what happens to hairs when they become miniaturized. Without seeing your hairline with your eyebrows lifted high, I can’t tell if this is a transition to a mature hairline or not.
Posted on

Lost Weight, Taking Antidepressants — Which One Is Causing My Hair Loss?

Hello,
For the past two weeks or so I have noticed that my hair is falling out a lot more than usual. I recently started using a new acne face wash (it is not prescription) that is very strong. I also am taking Wellbutrin for depression, but I have been on it for a few months already. Also, I had a hairloss phase in the past that I thought was related to high blood sugar and unhealthy eating habits, but I recently have lost 30 lbs. I do not know which of these factors, if any, is causing this hair loss. What do you think?

Thank you

There is no way to separate the various causes for hair loss and blame the one or a combination of them. Weight loss on its own shouldn’t cause hair loss if it’s done in a healthy way, but I don’t have enough info on how fast you lost weight or in what way you did so. Extreme dieting can cause hair loss, though.

Also, Wellbutrin and other antidepressants are known to cause hair loss in some people. A full list of side effects can be found here (it’s listed on that page as alopecia). Stress can also be a cause of hair loss, and dieting and depression will likely involve stress in some form. There’s just too much going on for me to be able to pinpoint a cause of your hair loss. Sorry.

Posted on

Lost Two Inches of My Frontal Hair After an Advancement of My Hairline. Will It Come Back?

This type of hair loss will almost certainly return in women. However, the hair along the incision may not fully return and may leave a visible scar. You will not know this until 6-8 months after your surgery. If you are a male, on the other hand, it is likely that the hair will not return if this is the result of an acceleration of your genetic balding, which is most often the case. For this reason, I don’t recommend hairline advancements for men for fear of accelerating genetic recession and genetic hair loss.

 

 

Posted on

Lost Much of My Hair at 19 (Photo)

I’ve been looking into FIN and MIN but the amount of hair left on my head suggests that both of those might not work. I’ve also heard a lot about hair systems but there’s not much information on it on google from what I have searched. Where are you supposed to go for a hair system, barbers? I’m located in the Bay Area and don’t know much about hair systems cause I don’t know anyone who does it or has gotten it before.

Is there anything I can do for this amount of hair left? Seems like there isn’t but I still have hope. Don’t want to completely accept being bald just yet.(pic in comment)

For 19, it looks bad, but hair can be maintained for life with medications and/or hair transplants. You need to be evaluated by an expert who can measure your donor density and then determine a Personalized Master Plan for you. Since you are 19, drugs like finasteride have reversed the balding in some men, but working with a good doctor has no substitute if it is the hair you want to keep. Some men will do Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) which will give you the look of a shaved head for life (see here: https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/ but be selective on the men you look at on our site).


2020-06-20 10:56:07Lost Much of My Hair at 19 (Photo)

Posted on

Lost Leg Hair

i have lost the hair on the front of my lower leg below my knee. the rest of my legs have hair except this part. can you tell me why this is and ways to get the hair to grow there again. i am a 35 year old male. thank you.

This is unusual. You should start by checking your Testosterone and DHT levels. Body hair is a ‘benefit’ of DHT. That includes leg hair (and the appropriate target genes), nose and ear hair, and body hair. Many men in our modern society do not look forward to the increase in these hairs!

Checking with a good dermatologist would be a start for leg hair loss. Is this a pattern in your family?

Posted on

I Lost More Hair Than I Got from My Hair Transplant a Year Ago (Photo)

What can I do about this? I am 21 and thought that the hair transplant would solve my problem.

Your doctor should have never done a hair transplant on you, a 21-year-old male. Your balding is progressive, and as you get older, it will get worse. You developed shock loss over the past year, accelerating the hair loss that was going on at the time of the hair transplants. I will not do a hair transplant on a patient under 25 unless circumstances are highly unusual. Your doctor is guilty of malpractice and greed because he put your money in front of your welfare.