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Why are some doctors recommended on the Hair Transplant Network but not members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians? Are there two different standards?

I would like to clarify the distinction between a physician only recommended on the Hair Transplant Network and that of a physician who is both recommended on the Hair Transplant Network and also a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

This distinction is written on the page entitled “How we select the physicians recommended on this site”. But I think that many have not seen this page. In any case, a fuller explanation, with background may be even better. The Hair Transplant Network has existed since 1999. When it began “Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation” was the new “gold standard”. 

The Hair Transplant Network led the way in helping people learn about it and the few hair restoration physicians who at that time performed it. As patients demanded this more patient friendly procedure more and more physicians moved away from mini/micro grafting and embraced the new gold standard procedure. Those who did this procedure successfully were recommended on this site.

Six years ago a “mega session” was 1,500 grafts and hair transplant sessions bigger than 2,000 grafts were rare. Hair transplant surgeons also typically used blades to create incisions that were 1.5 mm (versus incisions as small as 0.6 or 0.7 that are now created with Ultra Refined Follicular Unit grafting). With such big incisions and bulky follicular unit grafts, dense packing was not really possible. Thus to achieve decent cosmetic density patients needed to do two or more sessions in a given area.

After using Rogaine my scalp feels like it is burning. What can I do to easy the pain?

Rogaine (minoxidil) can irritate the scalp and also cause itching. I suggest using a good anti imflammation shampoo like Nizoral to reduce this irritation. In fact, when Rogaine was studied for FDA approval as a hair loss treatment all the patients in the study used Nizoral shampoo while using Rogaine.

If you continue to have scalp irritation I recommend you stop using Rogaine.

Best wishes for stopping your hair loss.

Pat, Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center

Technorati Tags: Rogaine, minoxidil, Nizoral, hair loss treatment, hair loss

The most recent September/October issue of the Hair Transplant Forum (a professional journal distributed amongst hair restoration physicians) featured an article entitled “A super megassession of 2,800 to 4,000 follicular units packed to 40-50 FUs/cm2: Are you prepared?”. The article was written by Coalition member Dr. Arthur Tykocinski of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In this article he raises the big question of the day – “Do we really want to realize that we have to move on, changing again and again the procedure, to get to the new gold standard? Are we up to this challenge?” Dr. Tykocinski then went on to detail his truly optimal ultra refined procedure from A to Z.

Educated patients online have known for the past two or three years – that the “gold standard” in hair transplantation has moved from standard follicular units to bigger sessions of ultra refined follicular units.

But which physicians have risen to the new standard? Those few who have met this new and ultra high standard are eligible for membership in the Coalition. Mastery of the new “Gold Standard” Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation has been a requirement for Coalition members for over a year and a half.

Dr. Tykocinski has given me his permission to present his article, which I think really spells out the new Gold Standard. The article also does an excellent job of detailing his truly optimal ultra refined procedure from A to Z.