A hair biopsy or rather a scalp biopsy takes a small piece of your scalp out with a knife or punch, and sends it off to pathology to view it under a high powered microscope after it has been prepared and stained. A HAIRCHECK instrument tests for the thickness of the hair in a defined area of the scalp. As this can be compared area by area, the differences always reflects loss of hair bulk or hair mass. The HAIRCHECK test is non-invasive while the biopsy is invasive
Difference between Telogen Effluvium and diffuse thinning?
Telogen Effluvium is a short term process often related to stress and more common in women usually reversing within a year or less, while diffuse thinning from genetic causes last, are often slowly progressive and generally can get worse over time until your inherited balding pattern is achieved (often before the age of 40, but not always).
2020-12-13 02:40:402020-12-13 22:32:33Difference between Telogen Effluvium and diffuse thinning?
Difference Between Shampoos?
What kind of shampoo would you recommend and product to use. I use gillette and softee indian hemp hair & scalp treatment. But it doesn’t seem it’s helping at all. I looked on the internet found that Nisim can help keep your hair natural. What do you think?
It does not make a real difference. In my book, Hair Loss and Replacement for Dummies, I discuss the ingredients of various shampoos in detail. There are many good shampoos, but none of them will prevent hair loss. If a company makes that claim, they will be violating the FDA guidelines which define what can and can not be said. If they make false statements that can not be proven with appropriate FDA scientific studies, then their business will be shut down. But just because there are rules, it does not mean that companies will not misrepresent themselves.
2009-12-02 12:34:012009-12-01 10:29:53Difference Between Shampoos?
Difference Between Norwood Class 7 Patients (with Photos)
Why is there such a difference between these two previous post’s photographs. They are both, by your report, Class 7 patients.
Thanks for asking this great, insightful question.
The rim of hair in a Class 7 balding pattern contains about 30,000-35,000 hairs. Considering that the normal total hair count of an adult is about 100,000 hairs, the only permanent hair that is never lost in any balding man, is the 3 inch high rim of hair schematically shown on the right (Norwood Class 7 pattern). The art of hair transplantation that I will show you below, reflects the way the surgeon redistributes these 30,000 (or less) hairs so that it looks like more than it is. The surgeon needs all of the help he/she can get from the characteristics of the hair on the patient’s head, including the quantity that can be safely moved.
The texture of the hair in these two patients is very different. The white/grey haired man (let’s call him ZU) has a hair shaft thickness that is easily three times the hair bulk (weight) as the blonde fellow (and for the sake of consistency, we’ll call him BF). The hair of ZU has a good character to it and holds a wave nicely, while BF has hair that lies limp and wimpy. Also, the donor supply of ZU is easily twice as good as BF and has a loose scalp which allows the surgeon to redistribute more hair from the permanent rim of hair around the sides and back. ZU received almost 10,000 grafts with easily 23,000 hairs in these grafts, while BF had only 4500 grafts (about 8,000 hairs). BF’s scalp was tight and his hair density was not as good as ZU. With that understanding, re-read the blog post titled Patient’s Guide — How Many Grafts Will I Need?, and it should be easy to see that we are not all created equal and the surgeon’s hands are ‘tied’ by patient’s hair characteristics (weight, texture, color, quantity) and therefore the hair transplant surgeon is not in control of every variable he/she needs. When putting the patient’s final results side-by-side, ZU has easily 8-9 times the amount of hair bulk (# of hairs and bulk) as BF. What is very important for you, the reader, to recognize here is that even BF is thrilled with his results. The thinly covered crown in BF (both men use a comb-back hair styling technique) is not of a concern for BF, because he looks at the man in the mirror and does not see his hair from behind. ZU also has a comb-back (which I showed in these photos by allowing the hair that is combed back to separate so you can see the scalp) with much better coverage of his crown area. ZU also had a considerable amount of hair transplanted into the crown, making his grooming easier and his crown looking fuller. From BF’s point of view, that man he sees in the mirror has a full head of groomable hair, just like ZU.
It is also important to note that these men started getting hair transplants at different points of their hair loss. ZU was already completely bald when he started getting transplants, where BF was thinning rapidly and on his way to being completely bald (it happened a few years before Propecia became available). So ZU had nothing on his scalp when we began transplanting his head, and BF eventually lost all of his natural hair up top (so what you see in the photos for both men is all transplanted hairs). If you took BF’s hair transplants away, he would look like ZU’s before photo.
This is reality and that is why I appreciated this question when it came in yesterday. People with a Class 7 balding pattern will never have enough hair to replace what was lost (and if any doctor said he/she can give such a person a full head of hair, well, he/she clearly is must be GOD). The key to a good hair transplant is the artistic hand of the surgeon and good styling from the patient, no matter what balding pattern exists.
ZU (before on left, after in middle, after crown on right — more photos here):
BF (before on left, after in middle, after crown on right):
2007-05-25 15:36:572008-05-06 13:45:01Difference Between Norwood Class 7 Patients (with Photos)
Difference Between Androgenetic Alopecia and Female Baldness?
What is the difference between androgenetic alopecia and female baldness???
Androgenic alopecia is due to androgenic hormones, such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Male baldness is predominantly caused by androgenic alopecia and drugs such as finasteride (which block DHT) can help. Drugs like finasteride do not usually help women, because the androgens in a woman are often not responsible for the hair loss. It is worth noting that we all have DHT, and it is just that some men are genetically susceptible to DHT and its affect on hair.
Androgenic alopecia has a distinctive balding pattern, as classified by the Norwood Chart:
Female alopecia also has a distinctive balding pattern, as classified by the Ludwig Scale:
While a minority of females have balding caused by androgenic alopecia, the cause of the majority of female balding is not yet clearly understood. As such, there is no clear medical treatment for the majority of female balding. At best, doctors try to rule out other causes of balding by searching for common medical conditions that may cause balding as its symptoms. This also applies to men when they do not have male pattern baldness. These medical conditions include anemia, thyroid conditions, and many more. What is more frustrating is that even when a medical condition that may contribute to the hair loss is found and corrected hair loss does not completely reverse and patients continue to lose their hair. This suggests that female hair loss is genetic (just as male hair loss is genetic).
2008-09-02 15:32:012008-08-29 11:26:32Difference Between Androgenetic Alopecia and Female Baldness?
Diet Causing Receding Hairline in Woman?
Several years ago from a stressful situation, my hair started receding. I then found out that I am hypothyroid. Over the years it stabilized, but recently due to severe dieting, it started receding some more. What can I do to stop the recession and what can I do to have some of the hair regrow? Thank you.
You provided the answer to your own question. The recent weight loss may have precipitated the hair loss you reported and you will certainly need a proper diet with a positive protein balance before the hair loss can be reversed (assuming that the weight loss is responsible). Radical diet alterations to get a jump on weight loss is something that is common in our overweight society and weight loss of just a few pounds can cause of hair loss. You can imagine where the genetic process exists, extreme dieting can accelerate what may take years to unfold on its own. Some authorities believe that short term loss, by as little as 4-8 pound, can precipitate hair loss in men or women.
You will also need to be sure that your thyroid and other endocrine organs are functioning normally, including hormonal balance in the various female hormones. Although you didn’t specifically say if you were a man or a woman, judging by the name you gave, I’m going to assume you’re female.
Diet and healthy hair (from webMD)
Diet and Healthy Hair
Medically Reviewed by Stephanie S. Gardner, MD on November 12, 2020
- Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fatty fish
- Flaxseed oil, Flaxseeds, chia seeds, canola oil
- Walnuts
- Soy beans, tofu and cruciferous fruits and vegetables
Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid are also important to your hair. Vegetarians and vegans often don’t get enough of them.
Foods with B6 include bananas, potatoes (both white and sweet), and spinach. Major sources of B12 include meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.
You can get folic acid with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits and tomatoes. Whole-grain and fortified-grain products, beans, and lentils also have it.
Did You Trademark the Term “Scalp MicroPigmentation”?
I know you have a scalpmicropigmentation.com site, but I saw other companies and websites on the Internet using SMP with a trademark sign or a registered sign. Did you invent SMP or are you using SMP without permission?
The technique of micropigmenting the scalp has been around for many years, but it has not been widely referred to as “Scalp MicroPigmentation” until a few years ago (since 2010). When we first entered the pigmentation market back in 2010, we tried to come up with various names for the process, such as scalp tattooing and scalp micro tattoo. Dr. Pak came up with the term “Scalp MicroPigmentation” in early 2011, which we abbreviated to SMP. We figured it was a good, catchy term and built our marketing based on this new naming.
We even hired a lawyer to file a U.S. Trademark with the Patent office, but the SMP trademark was rejected on the basis that it was a common descriptive term that was abbreviated. We do own the scalpmicropigmentation.com domain, but anyone can use the SMP terminology. Legally, you cannot place a trademark or registered sign after it. I realize other companies shamelessly do this, but that is false advertising and representation. It’s akin to putting a ™ or ® after the words “computer” or “automobile”. Anyone can use the the abbreviation “SMP” and it is not a brand.
In the end, we are happy that the terminology of “SMP” and “Scalp MicroPigmentation” caught on. If anything, it gives us passive exposure for the small investment we made on purchasing the domain name.
Did You Meet Dr Gho?
Doctor,
A few months back you had mentioned an upcoming trip to Europe. You also said that you planned to meet with Gho to discuss his technique or whatever. I am just following up to see if the visit ever materialized? Many people would appreciate a blog update on that situation. ALSO- many people would like you to be the first doctor to offer HST in the United States!thanks for your time,
anonymous baldy
When I said “on my next trip to Amsterdam” I didn’t mean that I was planning on going there right away.
I was hoping to talk to Dr. Gho at the recent ISHRS meeting in Alaska, but he didn’t attend so we did not have an opportunity to meet to discuss what he was doing.
Did You Know That Alcoholics Die 7 Years Earlier
“Alcohol-dependent patients in general hospitals live significantly shorter than patients without alcohol dependency. According to a German-British study published in “European Psychiatry”, they die 7.6 years earlier on average. In addition, they suffer from several concomitant diseases.
We often get question on if alcohol can cause hair loss. While alcoholism do not cause balding, it seems it causes an earlier death.
This was the result of analyzing 23,371 patients over 1.5 years with know alcohol dependency along with 233,710 patients without alcohol dependency. This, they said, can be reversed with appropriate treatment and cessation of the problem.