Balding Blog

Patient SYZ regrets his original decision to get a hair transplant. With the plan he and his doctor put together, it would take two more procedures to complete his hair restoration. He came to the conclusion that he wanted the freedom that a shaved look would give him but the huge scar on the back of his head excluded that choice. When he found out about the option of treating the scar and the areas of his head that were thin with the Scalp MicroPigmentation process, he became excited (https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/).

The shaved look worked well for him and it was entirely possible. After undergoing a Scalp MicroPigmentation treatment, he was able to shave his head and keep it shaved. The pigment enhanced his hair line and gave it a consistency in color, thickness and appearance. It took three sessions to achieve the results and cover up the scar which is shown in these photographs here:

https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/scar-covering/#!https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/new_hair_institute-scalp_micropigmentation-patient_photo-005b-scalp_scar-wm.jpg

Hi Dr,
In school we studied how MPB is autosomal and sex influenced, not X-linked. I also read that balding is mixed penetrance. Does this mean there is a possibility that an individual can get a mixture of hair/balding, from various relatives? For example if ones father has no hair loss but his maternal grandfather does.

Thanks for your time.

You are correct. You can inherit balding from either family lines and the genes may not express in your father or mother, but it may express in one or both of their parents. You could be a victim of these genes when you are old enough.

If the damage was done over a one month period of time, the hair is likely to grow back in up to 6 months. Repeated pull outs may not regrow so be careful with the extensions in the future

I am starting to worry about doing damage by picking off my scabs. Is it OK to do that?

Absolutely, do not pick off the crusts from the recipient area as the grafts are attached to these crusts and when you pick or pull on them, the graft will come out especially in the first 2 weeks. An FUE is treated just like a regular hair transplant with regard to the recipient area, but the donor area has open wounds which require daily washing with soap and water. Within 3 days of surgery, you can resume full activities, heavy exercises if you wish. The recipient area requires daily washes as well to keep the recipient area free of crusts. I generally recommend and if you washed it properly, there will be no crusts on it, even the very next day. Use of a sponge which we supply our patients, a surgical sponge to fill with soapy water and press on the recipient area daily. By repeating this daily, all crusts can be washed off without any fear of losing grafts. IF any crusts are present, use a Q tip and dip it into soapy water, and roll it on the crusts and that will lift them off without dislodging them, but never rub them, just roll the Q tip on the recipient crust. I like to see no evidence of any crusting in the recipient area and the crusts from the donor area gone in 7-10 days with daily washing.

We performed a study where we actually picked out the grafts on days 1-15 in over a few dozen patients. The grafts that were removed were sent to pathology. What we learned is that picking the crust (scabs) while they are still there, will pull out the grafts up to 12 days or so. Once the crusts are gone, the living part of the grafts do not come out. The pictures show you still have crusts and are at risk of removing the grafts if you continue to pick on them. Here is the published article for you to read: https://newhair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/mp-2006-graft-anchoring.pdf

Hi,

I have a problem of severe flaking, scabs, and an itching scalp. I am a picker so i often pick off the scabs, thinking that the dandruff will go away. Now I have a bald spot where I’ve been constantly scratching my head. It also seems I have hair loss in other areas as well. I’ve also moved from Canada, US to Jamaica. I am also under a lot of stress.

THe last time I was under severe stress and I had relaxed my hair and put a weave in I had extreme hair loss and extreme large flakes. Although my hair has grown back and my dandruff was under control and almost gone, I have had permanent hair loss around my hair line. I used to have braids in my hair for 7 years..so i think it was from that. That hair loss incident happened when i was 19. Since then I have worn my hair natural without any processing. I am 25 now. I am concerned.

The bald spot at the back center of my head – is it permanent? HOw can I stop scabs? how can I stop dandruff? If it is a stress trigger from high cortisone levels in my body what can I do to normalize this? Is it my diet, exercise? Please help? What can I do to restore hair loss?

Picking skin flakes is an OCD-like condition called dermatillomania (for pulling hair it is called trichotillomania). This picking produces traction alopecia, so there is little doubt that this is what is happening to you. If you stop picking and the hair returns, then you’re lucky… but if you continue to pick at it, the hair loss you are experiencing may become permanent. Braids can also cause traction alopecia. The solution may be simply get rid of the braids and stop picking (that might be easier said than done, though).