Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

Hair loss sufferers seeking real hair loss help often come to our hair restoration forum asking questions about hair restoration methods that might work best for them.  This hair restoration forum member asked whether or not a synthetic hair transplant is a viable option.  This insightful answer was posted by well respected hair restoration discussion forum member “BeHappy”.

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Synthetic hair transplants are illegal in the USA because of the problems and complaints synthetic hair transplant patients were making as a result of having it done.  I looked into doing this as one of my hair restoration options because it was still being done then.  It was banned shortly after I was considering it.  The hair transplant doctor would attach hair (could be real or fake) to tiny aluminum (or or something similar such as plastic) tips, sort of like putting a small piece of metal around the end of the hair and crimping the metal so the hair stays on it. Then they make the slits in the recipient area and put the synthetic or real hair grafts in so the metal ends are in your scalp. After a few days the healing of the holes they made will grow around and over the metal tips, so they can’t come out.

Our hair restoration discussion forum is regularly is chalked full of important answers to hair loss and hair transplant related questions.  Additionally, questions are answered daily on our news and blog sites including the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, the Hair Transplant Network, and the Hair Loss Learning Center.

Be sure to check frequently as new highlighted questions and answers will be featured on our hair restoration forum!

Some recent hot hair restoration topics include:

How Does Stress Play a Roll in Causing Hair Loss? Many online articles indicate that stress can play a role in the balding process. Read this article to learn the truth of stress related hair loss and whether or not you are at risk.

Why are Some Patients Better Candidates for Hair Transplant Surgery? Some bald men and women are better candidates for hair replacement surgery than others. Read this article to see why some patients are better candidates than others.

Minimizing Scar Stretching After Hair Transplantation: Read this article to learn how a hair transplant surgeon creates a minimal scar and what you can do to assist.

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

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair transplant, hair restoration, stress, balding, stress related hair loss, bald, hair replacement, hair transplant surgeon

Aloe Vera as a Hair Loss Treatment 

There are a number of herbal supplements out there that claim to work as a treatment for hair loss.  Whereas there is no question that marketing is over-reaching at best in order to sell a product, the real question that any hair loss sufferer asks is: will this product help combat baldness or is there any chance that it will regrow hair?  To date however, it is important to understand that there is no hair loss cure, therefore realistic expectations must be kept when considering any hair restoration product.

Below I decided to take a look at an herbal supplement that has been said to combat hair loss.  This product is an “active” ingredient in a few hair loss remedies such as HairMax MD.  Aloe Vera is also sold as a stand alone product in local drug stores. 

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera, native to Northern Africa, is a short stemmed plant approximately 90 cm tall. Its leaves are thick and fleshy, grayish green in color. Aloe produces a yellowish flower on a spike toward the top.

Aloe Vera is typically used to treat various skin conditions including cuts and scrapes, and very commonly used for burns such as excessive sunburn. The sap from the Aloe Vera plant allegedly eases pain and reduces inflammation though the evidence that it facilitates wound healing is seemingly contradictory.  For those who have undergone hair transplantation, Aloe Vera is typically used to help with postoperative redness and alleviate scalp dryness, dandruff, and itchiness.

When considering hair transplantation, one must consider the varying philosophies and techniques between hair restoration physicians.  Some hair transplant surgeons seem to prefer smaller hair transplant sessions of follicular unit hair transplantation and prefer to accomplish a patient’s hair restoration goals over multiple sessions for those with extensive balding. I know those who typically believe in smaller hair transplant sessions typically are concerned mostly about minimizing the risk of donor scarring.  This is what is typically referred to on our hair restoration forum as the “conservative” approach.

Larger hair transplant megasessions are performed by some hair transplant clinics when appropriate and is typically referred to as the “liberal” approach.  Those hair transplant surgeons who perform hair transplant megasessions on a regular basis believe there is no additional risk of scarring assuming the patient has proper scalp elasticity.  There is also some debate as to what is considered a hair transplant megasession.  Because of many of the recent advancements in hair transplantation, some hair restoration physicians are doing 2500 to 4000 follicular unit grafts in a single hair transplant session on a regular basis.  Depending on the hair transplant patient’s hair characteristics, these hair transplant surgeons may even be able to excise 5000+ follicular unit grafts from the donor hair in a single hair transplant procedure.  This enables many hair transplant patients to meet their hair restoration goals in fewer sessions than those who are receiving smaller hair transplant sessions. 

I am suffering from hair loss in Cincinnati, OH and considering a hair transplant. But after looking at some shocking results, I am nervous.  Do you have any advice on a hair transplant doctor you would recommend?  Do you feel that hair replacement surgery is worth it?

Whether or not hair transplant surgery is right for you is something that you will have to determine through extensive research.  Personally speaking, hair replacement surgery was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

With any surgery, there are certainly risks, though in the hands of a first-rate hair transplant clinic, the risks lessen significantly.  Risks however, are never eliminated therefore, it is extremely important to learn about the benefits, limitations, and potential risks associated with hair restoration surgery.

In selecting a quality hair transplant surgeon, don’t let proximity determine which hair restoration physician you ultimately select for surgery.  However, you are lucky enough to have Dr. Haber, an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians local in the state of Ohio.  I’d encourage you to at least consult with him as you are researching your hair restoration options.  Be sure to research thoroughly all surgeons you are considering and look for positive consistency in hair transplant patient results.

Reading real patient posted experiences and viewing hair transplant photos is a great way to research hair restoration physicians.  You can find a number of hair transplant pictures and real experiences shared on our hair restoration forum.  Feel free also to ask questions and interact with our helpful and knowledgeable members.

Many hair loss sufferers before any traces of balding have heard rumors that frequent sex or masturbation can cause baldness.   Let’s come out with it up front, this is a hair loss myth and a fallacy.  Ironically, the oppositive rumor has also been heard.  There is no scientific evidence however, to suggest that any chemicals released during sex or masturbation can impact hair loss or hair growth in one way or the other. 

The most common type of hair loss is hereditary which is caused by the genes.  These genes are responsible for programming certain hair follicles to be susceptible to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  When 5-alpha-reductase enzymes combine with testosterone in the body, this DHT is created.  When it bindes to the receptor sites of the hair follicle, the hairs that are susceptible to DHT begin to weaken and eventually die.  Symptoms of the hair follicle dying include, hair miniaturization, additional or rapid hair shedding due to a quicker hair growth cycle, thinner, finer, and lighter colored hair, and going bald.

Learn more about genetic hair loss.

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

Technorati Tags: balding, baldness, hair growth, hair loss, dihydrotestosterone, DHT, 5-alpha-reductase, testosterone, hair follicle, hair miniaturization, hair shedding, hair growth cycle, bald

Does the new Rogaine foam for hair loss make your hair look greasy? I used it before on my balding crown and it made my hair very sticky, heavy, sticky. Why use if my hair will look bad?

Rogaine in the form of a foam is a relatively new way to apply minoxidil, and is one of the two FDA approved hair loss drugs for male pattern hair loss.  The positives in my opinion, is that it is less irritating on the scalp due to the lack of the ingredient Propylene Glycol which is found in Rogaine liquid.  It is also seemingly easier to apply to the balding scalp. 

Speaking to many hair loss sufferers, I have found that most balding men and women prefer Rogaine foam over Rogaine liquid.  Having used Rogaine 5% liquid in the past, I have personally found that it left my head greasy, sticky, and hard to style my hair.  Though I have not used Rogaine (minoxidil) foam, I haven’t heard any discussion about sticky or greasy hair until now. 

Rogaine’s primary purpose is to help hair loss sufferers potentially regrow hair.  If you feel that Rogaine foam is making your hair sticky and greasy, you will have to determine if continual use is worth it for you. 

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

Technorati Tags: Rogaine foam, hair loss, balding, Propylene Glycol, Rogaine, Rogaine 5%, minoxidil

I have had several hair transplant procedures over the past 15 years. The first hair transplant procedure was the old hair plugs technique and then Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) in order to help hide the “pluggy” look in the front of my scalp. My hair loss isn’t too extreme but I have been classified as a level 5 on the norwood scale.Onto my question: I see hair transplant photos on almost every hair transplant clinc’s website that shows men with advanced levels of baldness with a full head of hair.  I know this isn’t possible and yet hair transplantation is marketed this way.  How can these companies get away with this false manipulation?

Thank you for your inquiry.

Firstly, you are absolutely 100% correct.  Achieving a “full head of hair” with hair transplantation, especially in those hair loss sufferers with advanced degrees of balding is hardly possible.  Marketing at best, in many cases will tend to exaggerate in order to sell a product.  Sadly, this is also true with hair transplantation.  How some companies can get away with this type of marketing is beyond me especially because it can be completely deceiving to the perspective consumer.  

What can be achieved in the hands of a first-rate hair restoration physician  depending on the physiology of the hair transplant patient is an illusion of hair density.

These physiological characteristics include:

• The amount of donor hair available (follicular unit grafts) which depends upon a hair transplant patient’s scalp elasticity and hair density

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. Ricardo Mejia of Jupiter, FL who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

Hair transplant physicians have utilized a variety of techniques to try to measure scalp elasticity. Hair restoration surgeons have injected saline underneath the skin in the subcutaneous area to determine how much the tissue balloons. We have used scales using a ruler to measure the “stretch” from one point to another in both the vertical and horizontal plane. All of these measures depend on tissue mobility or how the skin glides over the skull and the extensibility of the scalp or how much it is able to stretch. These are two different phenomena.

To get a better idea of this, these are the scalp exercises I recommend to my hair transplant patients and will illustrate the two concepts.

1. With your head straight, clasp your hands behind your head as if you were doing sit ups. WIth good firm pressure on the scalp lift the scalp up and down with your hands together. You will notice the scalp gliding over the skull. Do this at least 15 minutes twice a day for 4 weeks
2. Bend your neck as far forward as you can and repeat the exercise. This time the amount of movement or gliding action is reduced (especially in the lower part of the neck) as you are isolating more of the extensibility of the scalp itself.  For the engineers out there, this is the mechanical creep.

This insightful article was written by well respected hair restoration forum member “Janna” who is also the lead hair transplant technician for Shapiro Medical Group of who is a well respected member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

Two types of incisions one great hair restoration result at nine months.

A while ago Pat Hennessy, the Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog inquired about hair transplant photos where Dr. Jerry Wong and Dr. Ron Shapiro were asked to perform a live hair transplant surgery demonstration at the 2006 ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons) Live Surgery Workshop. Pat asked if I could aid in getting some postoperative hair transplant photos of this particular hair transplant patient. The main objective of the live hair transplant procedure was to showcase a side by side demonstration of sagital and coronal (lateral) incisions while dense packing the hairline. The demonstration went extremely well, so well in fact that both hair transplant surgeons were asked repeat this educational demonstration again at the 2007 European Conference in Paris last May.

Since Dr. Shapiro went through the trouble of putting the hair transplant pictures together for great side by side comparison, I thought there may be seeking hair loss sufferers interested in seeing if they can tell a difference between sides. Most of the hair restoration physicians that have seen the photo as well as Dr. Wong and Dr. Shapiro feel that both sides look very good. I think it demonstrates that as long as fine follicular unit grafts and tiny incision are used properly, the great majority of hair transplant clinical results are due to the skill of the hair transplant physicians rather than a specific incision type. All parties have consented to showing the pictures on the hair restoration forum.