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On Monday I had the privilege of watching Dr. Victor Hasson of Hasson and Wong and his staff perform a large 5,119 graft session of Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Grafting from 8 am until 8 pm in Vancouver, Canada. I also met and viewed two patients of Dr. Hasson and one patient of Dr. Wong while they were in the office having their staples removed. Another patient who posts on our forum as Qwert also came by the office and I examined his impressive results from one huge session of 6,544 grafts.

To view the photo album containing photos documenting this visit, click here.

It was a very full and interesting day, which confirmed much of what I had come to believe about Hasson and Wong over the past seven years.

Technorati Tags: Dr. Victor Hasson, Hasson and Wong, Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Grafting

Given that the skill and techniques used by hair transplant surgeons vary widely, as well as their end results, selecting the best hair restoration clinic for you will have life long consequences. Research is essential. Fortunately potential patients now have a world of opinions and actual patient experiences available to them online.

As a hair transplant patient (View My Hair Loss Weblog) and the long time publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, I have strong opinions about various hair transplant techniques and the results produced by various clinics. The hair transplant physicians who I choose to recommend on Hair Transplant Network all have a track record for providing quality follicular unit hair transplantation. Those physicians who do not have a consistent track record for patient satisfaction using the latest techniques are not presented on our site (period). View the criteria used to determine Hair Transplant Physician Recomendations.

The physicians who are granted membership in the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians are required to meet even more demanding criteria – including the ability to perform large sessions of minimally invasive Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation. To learn more about these extremely high standards, view the Coalition Membership Standards.

But as the Russians say, “trust but verify”. I encourage all potential hair transplant patients to not simply follow my recommendations or recommendations made by a single physician. I strongly advise people to visit our hair restoration discussion forum and share photos and info with actual patients. You can also use the forum’s “Find” feature to search for posts going back over five years about a particular hair transplant surgeon or hair loss treatment. This “Find” feature is a gold mine of real world data.

“Trust but verify” - Old Russian Expression.

The category Visits to Hair Transplant Clinics is devoted to presenting first-hand information about visits to leading hair transplant clinics worldwide.

As a hair transplant patient and the publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center I know how widely hair transplant results vary. And given the life long impact of surgery, I’m committed to only promoting those hair transplant surgeons who I believe are highly ethical and who perform truly state of the art follicular unit hair transplantation.

All the physicians recommended on our websites are carefully reviewed. Part of this review process includes viewing patient photos, physician credentials, their technique and reputation, as well as feedback from patients on the Hair Restoration Research Forum and in emails. I have also attended over a dozen international hair restoration conferences in which leading hair transplant surgeons present their ideas and techniques.

But ultimately it’s all about walking the talk. That is why I strive to visit as many hair restoration clinics as possible to verify their commitment to quality techniques and results. Over the past seven years I have visited dozens of hair transplant clinics and seen their physicians and staff in surgery. I learn a lot from each visit about surgery, current techniques and each clinic’s actual ability to walk the talk.

In the past I did not generally publicize these clinic visits. But I think that sharing what I find directly on the Hair Restoration Research Forum and this web blog will make the process of how and why physicians are recommended more understandable and transparent.

I’m thinking about getting a hair transplant. I’m 34 and have been thinning on the crown and front for about 10 years. I’d say I’m a Norwood Class 3V. I live in Ireland and there are 2 surgeons that perform hair transplants. However the hair transplant surgeon I consulted with, Dr. Kiely, said the maximum number of grafts he will create in one session is about 1400. I told him of clinics (such as Hasson & Wong) that transplant up to 3000 grafts in a single session. He said he doesn’t understand how they can do this. He guesses that they are splitting the follicular units into smaller grafts to increase the number of grafts. Would this be true? Is it possible to get over 3000 grafts with out splitting the follicular units apart?

I do believe that a patient with very good elasticity and density in the donor area can achieve 3,000 plus grafts that are not 3 and 4 hair follicular units that have been trimmed into 1 and 2 hair “sub follicular” unit grafts. In fact, in my opinion, the leading edge hair transplant clinics have developed the capability to provide 3,000 plus grafts when it is appropriate for a patient.

At almost three weeks post-op, I’m noticing that my newly transplanted hair is becoming quite brittle and dry, even though I’m using a Nioxin conditioner every day. Is this normal? Maybe a sign that it’ll soon be shedding?

After a hair transplant surgery the transplanted hairs shed roughly three weeks post op. In all, anywhere from 80% to 95% of the hairs fall out, leaving the follicles behind to lie dormant for anywhere from three to eight months. There are rare cases where the hairs do not shed immediately and the patient seems to keep almost all of the transplanted hairs throughout the post-op process. However, most patients will shed almost all of the hairs. Before they shed, the hairs can feel dry, brittle, and lifeless.

It can be disconcerting to see the hairs shed after a hair restoration procedure, but try to remember that this is a good sign – a sign of progress. In just a few short months, the follicles will revive from their dormant state and new hair will sprout. The patient can expect this to begin at around four months post-op, with the hair transplant fully maturing at around 12 or 13 months after the procedure.

-Robert

View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, hair transplant

I have a bit of hair on my shoulders and chest and I am not sure if it is just an illusion but it appears to be thinning out. Could this be because the Propecia is suppressing the hormones?

Male-pattern baldness occurs when 5 alpha-reductase Type II (5ARII) mixes with testosterone to produce dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes male pattern baldness when it binds to hair follicles’ receptor sites, slowly killing the follicles by choking their ability to produce healthy hairs.

Propecia’s active ingredient finasteride works to stave off hair loss by inhibiting 5ARII. Get more information on how Propecia works to inhibit 5ARII.

Ironically enough, while 5ARII slowly chokes hair follicles to the point of death, it actually spurs the growth of thicker body hair. So it is no surprise that a Propecia user looking to maintain and thicken scalp hair experiences thinning body hair on the chest, arms, and back.

View the Propecia (Finasteride) dosing and efficacy chart

-Robert

View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: Propecia, Male-pattern baldness, dihydrotestosterone, DHT, male pattern baldness, finasteride, hair loss

My hairline has been receeding a lot lately to the point where it is getting very noticable. I’m only in my early twenties, so hair transplant surgery is not an option at the moment. Is there any way I can reverse this process and grow some hair around my temples?

You are correct that surgery is most likely not an option for you at the moment - it rarely is for hair loss sufferers under 30 years old or so. Of course, there are always exceptions.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But if you are seeing a receding hair line in your early twenties, then you are most likely predisposed for a good bit more recession and thinning in the years to come.

Hair loss at a young age is tough. The first thing that I think you should do is to make an appointment with a dermatologist that is familiar with male pattern baldness to ensure that it is, in fact, male-pattern baldness that you are experiencing and is not the result of some other underlying condition. Since you are balding at the hair line, I am in doubt that it is anything else. But it is better to be safe than sorry. Hair loss that occurs as a result of causes other than genetics (stress, malnutrition, illness, etc) does not follow the “male pattern baldness” pattern, so to speak. It is usually spotty and sporadic as opposed to MPB being a steady recession in the temples and thinning in the crown area. Some men only see recession and others only see thinning in the crown. Others get hit in both places and thin diffusely all over to boot. From looking at your hairloss a qualified physician can reasonably deduct that you are experiencing MPB.

Minoxidil has been a double-edged sword for hair loss sufferer ever since it became available. It was a revolutionary medication when first introduced because it was the first hair loss treatment that actually produced results. While no one is going to ever regrow a full head of thick locks with minoxidil alone, coupled with other hair loss treatments such as Propecia it is a powerful tool in maintaining hair counts and, in many cases, regrowing lost hair. There have been numerous studies that conclude that minoxidil can be a powerful weapon in the hair loss sufferers’ hair loss treatment regimen.

But minoxidil is no picnic to use. It’s greasy and makes the hair sticky and unmanageable. Directly after application, hair looks even thinner than it really is - a real bummer for any hairloss sufferer. There is also the question of whether the medication is actually permeating the scalp at all or just being soaked into the hair shafts, rendering it useless. On top of all this, to apply minoxidil means to drop a full 1 mL of the solution from a dropper directly on to the scalp in the desired location and to try to get the liquid to stay there without touching it. It’s an impossible feat. Most users just end up massaging it into the scalp with their fingertips, making an already unpleasant application into an even messier experience. No wonder minoxidil gets such a bad rap.

By Jessica Yadegaran

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Cheryl Brewster was the envy of every gym rat, with her hard body and shoulder-length, sun-kissed locks.

So when her hair began falling out two years ago, the personal trainer was devastated.

“My part was getting wider, I could see more of my scalp and it was no coincidence that clumps of hair were falling out in the shower,” says Brewster, 40, of Orinda.

A slew of vitamins and thickening shampoos later, Brewster’s dermatologist diagnosed her with female pattern baldness  and started her on Rogaine — the drug minoxidil — which initially caused Brewster to shed more hair. It is only recently, after a year of use, that Brewster is seeing regrowth.

“I was horrified,” recalls Brewster, who went on anti-depressants. “I didn’t want to be the trainer with the bald head.”

It’s likely that stress and anemia exacerbated Brewster’s genetic condition. In fact, there are endless triggers for the millions of women who suffer from hair loss — from medications and crash dieting to thyroid problems and autoimmune disorders, says Alexander Lewis, a Walnut Creek dermatologist. Millions more suffer from traction alopecia a hair loss epidemic caused by cornrow braids and other tight hairstyles.

Unlike male pattern baldness, which is triggered by a known hormone, women with the condition often find themselves on a frustrating journey with more dead-ends than answers. Often they become depressed, coping with the loss of their crowning glory in a society that favors full, youthful heads of hair. For that reason, many don’t seek help. But a growing online community is now spreading the word on what works and where to get help.

I have taken really crappy care of my body ever since I left high school three years ago. Since that time I have had progressive thinning all over my head, especially at the hairline. While still in high school, I never had hair loss. I rarely smoked and I played sports all the time. Following high school, I have smoked pack a day, not really had any consistent exercise, and drank at least 2 nights a week. My dad is a Norwood 5-6. He had lost almost all his hair by the time he GOT TO college.

Realistically, if I stopped smoking, started running, and slowed down the booze, would my hairloss would slow down? I know it would help my cardiovascular health, which promotes blood flow, which is good for hair, right? I don’t expect to stop my hairloss completely, just slow it down. I’m 21 years old.

If it were only that easy…

Your hair loss is predetermined by genetics. You said yourself that your father had severe hair loss at an early age. That’s the best indicator that you can get of what you can look forward to.

Of course, quitting smoking will help. Smoking cigarettes constricts blood vessels that nourish the hair. However, smoking is not the cause of your hair loss; it only exacerbates an already existing condition . It did not cause it.