Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

I received 2880 follicular unit grafts from a well known and respected hair transplant surgeon 3.5 months ago and have experienced zero hair growth.  Approximately 2000 hair grafts were placed in the crown and the remaining in and around the hairline.

Many hair transplant patients share the same concern at only 3 or 4 months after hair transplant surgery.  Remember that transplanted hair only typically starts to grow between 3-5 months after a hair transplant.

From experience I have found that the wait is one of the hardest parts of the hair restoration process.  I’d spend a lot of time looking in mirrors looking for any signs of new hair growth multiple times a day and then often feel anxious or depressed when I didn’t see any improvement.

Remember that the transplanted hair will grow in gradually and will start to grow at varying times.  The hair will start to grow as fine, thin, colorless hairs and slowly mature over time.  This is why taking hair transplant photos monthly in order to chart your progress is helpful to visually see the transformation from month to month.

But rest easy.  As long as you were in the hands of an ethical world class hair transplant surgeon with a proven track record of producing quality hair transplant results, you will turn out just fine.

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

Technorati Tags: follicular unit grafts, hair transplant surgeon, hair growth, hair grafts, hair transplant patient, transplanted hair, hair transplant, hair restoration, hair transplant photos

Lemon Oil as a Hair Loss Treatment 

Hair loss sufferers seeking hair loss help are often attracted to the many herbal non surgical treatments 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 oil that has been said to fight against hair loss when used topically.  This product is an “active” ingredient in a few hair loss remedies such as HairMax MD, a topical hair loss treatment.  Lemon oil can also be bought as a stand alone product in local nutritional stores. 

Lemon Oil

Lemon has been used not only to disinfect room air and act as a natural deodorant, but it has been noted to support liver function. It has also been commonly used to assist in cellulite reduction and weight loss. Lemon oil is commonly used as both a fragrance and flavoring agent. It may even possibly offer qualities to tighten and tone your skin and even fight off dandruff.

A recent study on test-taking showed the diffusion of lemon oil into a room helped improve test scores of college students more than other oils.

Technorati Tags: Lemon Oil, Hair Loss Treatment, hair loss help, non surgical treatments, treatment for hair loss, baldness, regrow hair, hair loss cure, hair restoration, hair loss, hair loss remedies, HairMax MD, topical hair loss treatment

I started taking Propecia (finasteride) a month ago and I am experiencing side effects.  Is there anything I can do?  What can I do to prevent myself from going bald?  I’ve also heard that women can’t use Propecia, is this true?

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. Michael Beehner of Saratoga Springs, NY who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

If you are experiencing side effects with Propecia, you might want to try a much smaller dose regimen, which is likely to still help you prevent hair loss, and at the same time possibly reduce or remove the side effects. I have had many male hair transplant patients of mine, especially those over 45, use a half tablet of Propecia (finasteride) every other day. This averages out to 0.25mg/day. Merck’s own research showed a 62% reduction of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with only 0.2mg/day.

With regard to breaking Propecia tablets in half, you use an ordinary “pill cutter” (around $3.20 at Wal-Mart or any drug store). The official line you will sometimes hear is that the hair loss medication is not evenly distributed throughout the 1mg (or the 5mg Proscar or generic) tablet, so the dose is not predictable, but I think this is overdone.  Besides, most doses are probably more than you need and do work to suppress tissue DHT for nearly 3 days, so I wouldn’t worry about that.

Technorati Tags: Propecia, finasteride, bald, hair loss, dihydrotestosterone, DHT, hair loss medication, Proscar

I have an extremely large forehead which has been bothering me for the past 10 or so years. I have been wearing baseball caps now for years to hide this.  I don’t go out to certain places that do not allow caps etc and i stopped playing football.  I was wondering if it would be possible to get a hair transplant to lower my forehead about an inch in front of my hairline? I have a good hairline, just a large forehead! What are the costs of this hair replacement procedure?

Yes, hair restoration surgery could be a possible option for you however, consulting with a first-rate hair restoration physician is key to determine whether or not you are a good candidate.  The hair loss doctor will evaluate your scalp and determine whether or not you are a hair transplant candidate based on a number of factors including age, if you have or may experience any hair loss, your donor hair availability (hair density and scalp elasticity), etc.

The cost of hair transplant will vary between hair transplant clinics and depending on the type of surgery you have - follicular unit transplantation (fut) or follicular unit extraction (fue).    The number of follicular unit grafts needed and sessions needed to accomplish your hair restoration goals will also make a difference.

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, hair replacement, hair restoration, hair loss doctor, hair loss, donor hair, hair density, cost of hair transplant, hair transplant clinic, follicular unit grafts

This insightful information was posted on our hair restoration forum by Dr. Martin Tessler Southfield, MI who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

I have thinning hair on my crown and have been losing my hair for about 3 years now. I am 25 and it is really starting to disturb me and curb my social activities. I am worried about continuing further hair loss and it getting even worse.  I want to get a hair transplant to thicken up the crown area and perhaps look at adding something to the receding hairline.  I’m currently on Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) for about 1.5 years.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Without examining you in person it is difficult to give you a definitive answer. From the photos you look like you have a fairly dense donor area and that your hair has some curl to it. Also, if you have a lot of finer, shorter hairs in the crown that are only an inch or so in length you could be a candidate for a relatively small hair restoration procedure even though you are only 25. Over the past 10 years I have done a single smaller surgery on hundreds of young balding men who are willing to take Propecia. The surgery and the Propecia work together, where we see very significant hair growth that exceeds expectations. Most of these hair transplant patients have had minimal further hair loss as long as they continue Propecia. Since a very small amount of donor hair is used, in many there is no real downside. They return for refills on their hair loss medication, not more surgery.

Technorati Tags: thinning hair, losing my hair, hair loss, hair transplant, Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, donor area, hair restoration, balding, hair growth, hair transplant patients, donor hair, hair loss medication

Hair Transplant Patient Photo Albums of the Week

Get past the hype of commercialized claims and come to our hair restoration forum to see “real deal” before and after hair restoration pictures posted by real hair transplant patients.  In a world of uncertainty and commercialism, what you see is what you get on our hair loss forum.

Well respected forum member “NervousNelly” shares his 6 month hair transplant photo update.  NervousNelly had his hair replacement surgery performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro and received approximately 2900 follicular unit grafts.  Though he still has a lot more hair growth to come, he is already seeing the great benefit of hair transplantation.  Be sure to congratulate him on his new head of hair.  See also his before and immediately postoperative hair transplant photos by clicking here.

Forum member “Avrian” received 3000 follicular unit grafts with Dr. Wong and has returned to our hair loss forum to share his one year hair transplant result with us.  Click here to see his photos and congratulate him on his new hair.

Click here to see over 5 years of hair transplant patient posted photo albums and experiences shared.  To create your very own free hair loss blog, click here.

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

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, real hair transplant, hair loss, hair replacement, follicular unit grafts, hair growth, hair transplantation, hair transplant photos, hair loss forum, hair transplant patient, hair loss blog

I’ve been using Propecia and Rogaine for hair loss for about 6 months but am considering stopping Rogaine.  My question is, can Propecia in itself be effective in maintaing the hair that I grew from Rogaine?

I suppose this is possible, but unfortunately, there is no guarantee Propecia (finasteride) will help maintain any hair growth from Rogaine (minoxidil).  Stopping Rogaine may result in hair loss of these regrown hairs.

In my opinion, if both hair loss treatments are working for you, consider staying on both.

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

Technorati Tags: Propecia, Rogaine, hair loss, finasteride, hair growth, minoxidil, hair loss treatment

Flower Pollen Extract as a Hair Loss Treatment 

Hair loss sufferers seeking non surgical treatments often are attracted to the many 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, a topical hair loss treatment.  Flower Pollen extract can also be bought as a stand alone product in local nutritional stores. 

Hypoallergenic Swedish > Flower Pollen Extract

Flower pollens may help reduce the negative effects of naturally occurring androgens that weaken the hair follicles. It may be possible that pollen extracts inhibit the formation of dihydrotestosterone or DHT (the hormone responsible for genetic hair loss) either by blocking the contributing enzyme 5-alpha-reductase or block the binding of DHT to the receptor. Though it is not definite, the tentative conclusion is that it inhibits the binding of DHT to the receptor.

Technorati Tags: Flower Pollen Extract, Hair Loss Treatment, non surgical treatments, treatment for hair loss, baldness, regrow hair, hair loss cure, hair restoration, hair loss, hair loss remedies, HairMax MD, topical hair loss treatment, androgens, hair follicles, dihydrotestosterone, DHT, 5-alpha-reductase

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. William Lindsey of Reston, VA who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

How long does one need to stop drinking and smoking before and after hair transplant surgery?

A lot of literature discusses the increased risk of infection and skin slough (loss) in smokers undergoing hair replacement surgery. Although this is much more risky in facial surgery (in which I require patients to stop smoking for 10 days prior to (more important than after actually))surgery); wound infection is more likely in any surgery in smokers. I advise all hair transplant patients of this and strongly suggest they quit prior to hair restoration surgery. The issue is that smoking decreases the oxygen delivery in small blood vessel areas; and although the scalp is EXTREMELY vascular, I am concerned about the local blood supply to the dense packed individual follicles being compromised by smoking and decreasing graft survival.

As to alcohol; the main concern is anticoagulation: turning a dry surgical field in which dense packing is doable into a bloody field with popping of the transplanted hair and prolonged surgical time; and decreased hair growth yield.

So, we recommend strongly, no smoking or drinking for 10 days prior to hair replacement surgery.

William Lindsey, M.D.

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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, hair loss help, hair transplant, hair replacement, hair transplant patient, hair restoration, dense pack, dense packing, transplanted hair, hair growth

This insightful information was posted on our hair restoration forum by Dr. Martin Tessler Southfield, MI who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

A sudden thinning hair of my scalp has alarmed me. Not too long ago I stopped taking an SSRI medication, after which I started experiencing hair loss  This has happened before, but my hair has seemed to thicken back up afterwards. I’ve been on 1.5mg of Propecia (finasteride) for four months and have just recently started taking Rogaine (minoxidil). I’ve heard that hair loss speeds up as it goes, could this be that? i’d say i’m a level 3V now on the Ludwig Scale, with a lower forehead (thankfully-for now).

The rate of hair loss varies from individual to individual. It can increase for short periods then remain stable for a long time. Propecia or generic finasteride is a very impressive hair loss drug, particularly in younger men with alot of shorter, weaker hairs. When combining it with a single hair transplant surgery, I have seen many of my patients hair thicken up and remain stable for many years (some for more than 10 years)

Dr. Tessler 

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

Technorati Tags: thinning hair, hair loss, Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, Ludwig Scale, hair loss drug, hair transplant