Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

I am considering a hair transplant.  How much will it cost?

Thank you for your inquiry.

The price for a hair transplant will vary on three important factors: 

• The cost per follicular unit graft of the hair transplant clinic 
• How many follicular unit grafts you will need to help you achieve your hair restoration goals.
• Which hair restoration surgical method you choose: Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) Or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) / Follicular Isolation Technique (FIT)

I recommend reading the following articles that will give you additional information about available and needed grafts and pricing:

How many grafts will I need for a hair transplant?
How many grafts are available for hair transplantation?
What is the Cost of a hair transplant?

Selecting the right hair transplant physician is important to ensure a satisfactory and natural looking hair transplant.  I recommend using the map feature of our website to find a quality hair restoration physician in your area. 

However - don’t let location determine who you ultimately choose.  It is best to choose a hair transplant doctor based on the public display of consistent and positive results.  Feel free to use the “find” feature of our Hair Restoration Discussion Forum to view real patient experiences and before/after photos.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, follicular unit graft, hair transplant clinic, follicular unit grafts, hair restoration, FUE, FIT, hair restoration physician, hair transplant doctor

This insightful article was written by forum discussion member “Spex” who is also a showcase for Dr. Feller of Great Neck, NY. 

Shockloss

Shockloss after a hair transplant is something that can be experienced when transplanting into existing hair and is highly unpredictable.  Shockloss occurs when the native hair is weak and isn’t strong enough to resist the surgical trauma thats going on around it.  More often than not the hair that has gone into shock will grow back but after 3/4 months - after the [resting phase.  To learn more about the hair growth cycle, click here.

Hair that goes into “shock” and doesn’t return is hair that was inevitably on its way out anyway due to male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness and wasn’t strong enough to return.  Increased trauma to a localised area will increase the chances of shockloss. 

There are risk factors that either heighten or lessen someone’s risk.  Diffuse thinners seem more prone to shockloss than receders because the hair in a diffuse area is often less stable than that of a receder.  Very often, a lot of the hair in a diffuse area is “on its last legs” and in the latter stages of the hair miniaturization process.

NOTE: Be aware that everyone is different! We ALL heal and grow at different time scales.

Be very patient and take pictures to enable you to see the results a little clearer. The realisation of the results will be hard for you to actually see as is so gradual.

Technorati Tags: Shockloss, hair transplant, hair growth cycle, male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness, Diffuse thinners, hair miniaturization

This insightful article was written by Pat Hennessy, the Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center.  

“Chubby” verus “Skinny” Grafts in Hair Transplantation

Some hair transplant doctors believe that “chubby grafts”, which are trimmed to contain more of the tissue surrounding the follicles, have a higher rate of survival and growth than follicular units that are trimmed into skinny or tiny grafts.

This belief was held by Dr. David Seager and was presented in a study that he authored in 1997 entitled “Micrograft Size and Subsequent Survival”. Thus the “chubby grafts” that both Dr. McKenzie and Dr. Simmons and their staff continue to create using microscopes are based on the assumption that this study and its support for larger grafts continues to hold true. However, many physicians have subsequently questioned and challenged this assumption in both debates, papers and in daily practice.

Many of the leading hair restoration clinics who provide large sessions of ultra refined follicular unit grafting believe that they consistently get both high rates of survival and growth using follicular unit grafts that are trimmed smaller called “skinny” grafts. These skinny grafts enable these physicians to provide patients with higher density sessions using smaller and less invasive incisions.

Thus I find it ironic that Dr. Seager’s “one pass” procedure, which was famous in the nineties for its high density in one session results, now appears to be less refined and dense than the ultra refined techniques employed by leading edge clinics today.

Technorati Tags: Hair Transplantation, hair transplant doctor, follicular unit, chubby grafts, hair restoration, follicular unit grafts, skinny grafts

Hi, I am a 25 year old female with considerable hair thinning at the front and back of my head.  My hair has been gradually thinning over a period of 5 years and I have yet to find a reason as to why.  It is really affecting the way i think about myself.  Can you help in any way?

Thank you for your inquiry.

There are many causes of hair loss, the most common of which is Androgenetic Alopecia or hereditary hair loss.  Though hereditary hair loss is thought to be a male problem only, over 20 million women in the U.S. alone are suffering from hair loss.  The first step therefore would be to see a dermatologist or a hair restoration specialist about what might be causing you to lose hair.

If the cause is hereditary, there are a few treatment options worth considering such as Rogaine for women or hair transplantation for qualified candidates. 

If the cause is not hereditary and it is for some other medical condition, if the medical condition is treated properly, in many cases, hair can return upon treatment of the condition.

Feel free to join and participate on our Hair Restoration Discussion Forum.  Here you can use the “find” feature to search for what other women have been saying about hair loss treatments that have worked for them.  You can also ask your questions directly and our veteran members will respond.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair thinning, hair loss, Androgenetic Alopecia, hereditary hair loss, lose hair

I am losing my hair and have a question.  I have been reading about the hair miniaturization process and want to know what that is and how I would be able to spot it.  Can you help?

Thank you for your inquiry.

Despite popular belief, hair shedding does not necessarily indicate hair loss.  In fact, shedding of the hair is a normal part of the hair growth cycle.  Hair miniaturization occurs however, when the hair growth cycle speeds up during hair loss.   A miniaturized hair can be any hair that is shorter and thinner looking than the rest of your hair. Typically hairs that are further along in the miniatirized process will start to lose it’s color and continue to become finer and thinner than the rest of your hair.  

It is almost nearly impossible to find miniaturized hairs on your own scalp. A dermatologist or hair restoration specialist would be better at spotting them as they are trained to do so and use hair magnification.

Best wishes,

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: losing my hair, hair miniaturization, hair shedding, shedding of the hair, hair growth cycle, hair loss, miniaturized hair, miniaturized hairs, hair magnification

After a hair transplant, what percentage of hair comes in at months 4, 6, 9 and 12?  Regarding the percentage of hair, is the percentage refering to hairs that have broken the skin and are visible or just length of the transplanted hair?  Thanks for your help!

People often want to know what to expect and when to expect it from hair transplantation and rightfully so.

One thing that is important to keep in mind however, is that everybody grows hair at different rates and there is no exact percentage that I can give you to follow as a rule.  I can however, give you some general ranges that might help you.

The percentages I’ve provided below are referring to both new growth and hair maturity rather than only one or the other.

The hardest percentage to give is the initial 3-5 months because this is where most people start to see some visual growth (hair popping through the skin). Most of the time the hair starts growing in as colorless and thin, barely visible with the naked eye (though they can be felt with the fingertips).   So below is what one might expect in terms of new growth and hair maturity.

• Between 3-5 months one might expect to range between 0%-40%.  (Mostly new growth happening at this stage and some thickening of early bloomer hairs.)
• Between 6-8 months one might expect to range between 50%-70%. (Mostly thickening and darkening of transplanted hairs that have already popped through the skin with some new hair growth)

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, transplanted hair, hair transplantation, grows hair, transplanted hairs, hair growth

This article was written by Dr. William Rassman, one of our well respected Coalition Hair Restoration Physicians.  Dr. Rassman has given me permission to post this article on our Hair Loss Q&A Blog in order to help educate fellow hair loss sufferers.  The original article can be found here.

——

Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, Volume 19, Number 2, 1996, Pages 233-235

There has been a recent surge of interest in “laser hair transplantation” that has paralleled the increased use of lasers for a wide variety of cosmetic surgical procedures. Lasers generate great enthusiasm on the part of both physician and patient, but this has sometimes exceeded the actual value of the laser as a surgical tool. An obvious example has been the use of the CO2 laser as a nonselective, destructive modality to remove tattoos which left scarring and a cosmetic deformity worse than the tattoo itself. This has been subsequently replaced by pulsed lasers with specific pigment absorption (such as the Nd:YAG, Ruby, and Alexandrite lasers) operating on the principle of selective photothermolysis that truly offers benefit in the treatment of these lesions. Super- and ultra-pulsed CO2 lasers are now being used to replace “cold steel” in generating hair transplant sites. However, before we rush to use lasers in hair restoration surgery, we should first apply logic and reason to this application, and then proceed cautiously with carefully controlled studies so our patients will only benefit from its use. The following discussion will address various aspects of current laser technology in the specific context of the most recent advances in hair transplantation techniques. The intent will be to challenge the theoretical basis for the use of existing lasers, to question some dubious claims regarding their benefits, and to suggest future areas of laser research.

Technorati Tags: laser hair transplantation, cosmetic surgical procedures, hair transplant, hair restoration, laser technology, hair transplantation

There has been a lot of talk recently on our hair restoration discussion forums about the potential side effects of Propecia (which contains active ingredient finasteride) so I thought I’d address some of the potential side effects and the surrounding discussion here.

Propecia Side Effects

Whereas Propecia may have some benefit for the hair loss sufferer and is one of the two FDA approved medications for hair loss for safety and efficacy, one must be aware of the potential side effects that one can incur from taking it.

Some of the noted side effects from Propecia’s website are: sexual side effects such as less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, decrease in the amount of semen.  These sexual side effects are stated to happen less than 2% of the time and are said to go away as a result of stopping Propecia because of them.  Some side effects have stopped for even those who remained on the medication despite side effects.

Additional sides have been noted such as allergic reactions including itching, swelling of the face and/or lips, rash, hives, breast tenderness/enlargement, nipple discharge, problems ejaculating and testicular pain.  There is no percentage associated with those who have experienced these side effects.

Additionally, Propecia is not to be used by women.

People need to be aware that Propecia side effects are possible and they are real.  Any side effect experienced while taking propecia should be reported to a doctor immediately. 

A Note About Consumer Websites/Discussion Forums:

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, finasteride, Propecia Side Effects, FDA approved, hair loss, Propecia

Hi.  I am 2 months out from a hair transplant and still don’t see any growth.  Did I waste my money?

The fact that you are experiencing no hair growth at month two is perfectly normal.  As much as we’d like to see immediate hair growth from hair transplantation surgery, it doesn’t work that way.

Hairs are transplanted into the recipient areas (balding areas) on the day of hair restoration surgery.  Between two and four weeks, the transplanted hairs will shed.  There is no exact understanding as to why they all shed however, it is speculated that it is due to trauma of the initial surgery.  These hairs shed and go into a resting period known as the telogen phase of the hair growth cycle.

Month one to three are typically referred to as the doldrums because there is no visual activity during this time except for the possibility of pimples in the recipient area which is a sign of growth to come.   

Additionally, month one to five can be relatively depressing in general as there is no to little hair growth activity during this time. I include month three to five in this category because month three is often seen as the “expected” start date of new visual growth. Unfortunately I think many hair transplant patients believe they will see their final result at this time and it simply isn’t true. It is extremely important to take heart and have patience during this time because it takes up to 12-18 months to see the final result.

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, hair growth, hair transplantation, balding, hair restoration, transplanted hair, telogen phase, hair transplant patient

I have hair falling out on each side of my head.  This has been happening gradually over the last 8 years or so.  Is there a hair loss treatment for this matter? 

Thanks for your inquiry.

Knowing more specifics of this case will certainly be helpful. 

The first thing to determine is whether or not your loss of hair is visually noticeable.  If not, you may not be losing hair at all and just experiencing the normal shed of the hair growth cycle.

If your hair loss is noticeable, the second thing to do is to determine the cause of hair loss.  Whereas Androgenetic Alopecia (hereditary hair loss) is the most common type of hair loss, what you are describing sounds like something else.  I would consult with a medical doctor about your condition to determine the cause of loss. 

Only then can solutions be recommended to treat your hair loss condition.

Best wishes,

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair loss treatment, loss of hair, losing hair, Androgenetic Alopecia, hair loss