Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

Non-surgical hair loss solutions and hair transplant surgery can be great, but neither are a cure for hair loss. Balding men and women ought to explore and consider all the available treatments carefully and work with a leading hair restoration doctor to develop a long term and realistic hair restoration plan.

Though the dream of full lustrous locks dance through our heads, developing realistic expectations as to what can realistically be accomplished is vital. Below you will find answers to common questions on what can realistically be accomplished with today’s treatments. You can also ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or by contacting us privately.

Why Less is Sometimes More in Surgical Hair Restoration

Is Transplanted Hair Dependent on Hair Loss Drugs?

Possible Benefits of Combining a Hair Transplant with a Hair System (Dr. Lindsey)

Developing Long Term Hair Restoration Goals

How to Pay and Plan Financially For a Hair Transplant

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss solutions, hair transplant, hair loss, Balding, hair restoration

My dermatologist couldn’t answer this question and I couldn’t find an explanation on the internet.  If DHT is the main culprit of hair loss, then why doesn’t Propecia protect minoxidil dependent hair upon stopping minoxidil regardless of its different mechanism of action.  If Propecia is reducing DHT, then why would stopping minoxidil cause hair loss?

I’d suggest that it’s possible for Propecia to maintain hair regrowth from minoxidil.  

Remember that Propecia only really inhibits about 60% of DHT, leaving 40% to attack hair follicles.  Minoxidil adds extra stimulation to your hair causing hair regrowth.  Removing it from the equation will lessen your chance of keeping some of this hair.

I suppose the phrase “minoxidil dependent” should be explained a bit further.  Healthy hair not affected by DHT won’t become dependent on minoxidil.  Only miniaturizing hair that’s been successfully sustained or rejuvenated by minoxidil is.  If a patient uses minoxidil only, most likely these hairs would fall out upon stopping its use.  However, if Propecia is added to the hair loss regime later, some of these hairs may survive due to Propecia successfully inhibiting DHT. 

Unfortunately, there’s really no way to know for sure what hair you’ll keep and which you’ll lose if you stop minoxidil.

I hope this helps explain things further.

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

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This insightful hair transplant article was written by Dr. Bernardino Arocha of Houston, TX – an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

Hair characteristics, caliber, presence of curl, color, angle of emergence, and sheen play a pivotal role in the outcome of hair restoration surgeries. If your hair genie offered one of two wishes:

1) To double the amount of your hair;
2) To increase the diameter of your hair from thin to coarse.

Which of the wishes would be your choice? Well wish number one is quite simple by doubling the amount of hair you increase the volume by two, but what about the other option? If we go from fine hair with a diameter of 40 microns to coarse hair with a diameter of 80 microns, the area covered increases TWELVE fold since hair shaft is a circle the area is ∏r2 hence  (3.14)(2)2= 3.14x 4≥12. 

The other characteristics have a significant influence on the cosmetic impact of the hair transplant result, but to a lesser degree. The presence of curl can have a great impact on the volume; hence very curly. African-American hair covers a greater volume and more than compensates for the lower hair density in this race. The color or rather the amount of contrast between the color of the hair and the complexion is also important. Black hair looks thinner on the fair skinned individuals, while fuller on a tanned or darker individual. Similarly, a fair skinned individual with black hair who is transplanted will appear to get thicker hair as he ages and his hair turns grey. It is all attributed to the decrease in contrast.

Given the state of today’s current economy, a few members of our hair loss forum have asked if the apparent economic recession is preventing people from proceeding with hair transplant surgery. While a few patients have expressed concern over their own finances and are reluctant to spend any money, others are taking the plunge and restoring their hair with surgical hair restoration.

Overall, those considering hair restoration surgery need to develop realistic expectations and a long term hair restoration plan with a leading hair loss surgeon. This should include sound financial planning and an assurance you can commit to the plan.

You are encouraged to share your input on how financial planning is an important part of surgical hair replacement on this thread.

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, hair restoration, hair loss, hair replacement

Before recommending a treatment, balding men and women must discover what’s causing their hair loss. In most cases, hair loss is due to genetics, causing hair to be vulnerable to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Though DHT is more prominent in men, it’s also found in women and still the number 1 cause of baldness in the world. However, other conditions can contribute to or even cause non-genetic hair loss.

Due to promotional propaganda and misinformation spread through the internet, differentiating fact from fiction can be difficult. Below, we expose the legends and distinguish what can and cannot contribute to or cause thinning hair.

Stress Causes Hair Loss: If you ask just about everyone, most would tell you that stress can cause you to go bald. Read this article to learn whether or not there is any truth to this highly popular belief.

Daily Hair Washing and Hair Loss: Due to the amount of hair men and women find in the shower, some have conjectured that daily washing can cause your hair to thin. Learn if there is any truth to this concern.

Accutane Acne Treatment and Baldness: Learn why Accutane treatment for acne might be detrimental to your hair.

Hair Pulling, Styling, and Hair Loss: Not everyone pulls their own hair out. However, excessive hair pulling or styling can be the cause of isolated balding. Learn why and whether or not this is temporary or permanent.

With proper preparation for future hair loss, men and women with minimal thinning hair can often achieve high levels of both fullness and hair density in a single hair transplant procedure. However, those with extensive baldness are often left dreaming of the long lustrous locks they wore proudly during their high school days.

But there is hope for those who are bald. Though there is a limited donor hair supply in all patients, many leading hair restoration physicians can help bald patients re-create a natural looking mature hairline and a portion of the hair on top of their head.

On this hair loss discussion forum thread, members discuss what can realistically be accomplished in patients with extensive baldness and whether or not it will satisfy them. You are encouraged to share your experience and offer your input on this thread.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, thinning hair, hair density, hair transplant, baldness, bald, hair restoration

This insightful information was posted on our hair restoration forum by Dr. Alan Feller of Great Neck, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

I would like to announce the unveiling of a new tool designed specifically for the performance of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) surgery. It is my hope that every hair transplant doctor already performing FUE surgery, or those who would simply like to start offering this wonderful procedure to their patients, will explore this new tool and perhaps add it to their own clinical practice.

Incorporated into its design are practical solutions to problems that have plagued the follicular unit extraction industry since it’s introduction to the Western Hemisphere in 2001. Deleterious forces resulting in graft damage during FUE procedures such as: Torsion, Traction, Compression, Overheating, and Desiccation are addressed and minimized using this new instrument like none other.

This tool also offers the unique combination of lowering operator skill level requirements while actually raising the quality of each and every extraction. This translates to faster “ramp-up” times for new hair restoration doctors interested in adding FUE Hair Transplant surgery to their practices; as well as making for easy and near seamless integration into clinics that already offer FUE to their patients.

This device allows not only for greater quality of extraction, but greater speed as well. Much greater. And all without any extra risk to the grafts themselves. The same cannot be said of other FUE tools on the market.

Differentiating what really works to treat hair loss and alopecia from the hype isn’t easy. Thankfully, leading hair restoration physicians and veteran hair transplant patients regularly offer their experiences on what works to treat baldness.

Below you will find answers to 5 of this week’s top topic hair loss related questions provided by real balding men and women and physician experts. You can also ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by contacting us.

Do Split Ends Cause Male or Female Hair Loss?

Why Transplanted Hair Can Seem Wispy and Lifeless at First (Dr. Carman)

Properly Preparing for Hair Restoration

Alternative DHT Blockers to Propecia – Are They Effective?

Applying Rogaine over Topical Concealers like Dermmatch

Additionally, these questions and more 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.

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, alopecia, hair restoration, hair transplant, treat baldness, balding

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Robert True of New York, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

How long does numbness last after hair replacement surgery?  Is this normal?

It is common to have temporary loss or change of sensation to the scalp during and after a hair transplant procedure. The most common area affected is the top of the head, or recipient area.

Occasionally, the area above the donor incision may also be affected. The tiny nerve endings located superficially throughout the skin are traumatized by the hair restoration procedure resulting in the sensation change. The sensation does return to normal, but commonly this can take from 2 to 6 months. Rarely, it may take longer and very rarely, there may be small areas in which the sensation does not fully normalize. There is nothing that can be done to speed this process.

Recovery of sensation is often associated with minor tingling, prickling, or itching sensations (signs of healing).

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Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair replacement, hair transplant, hair restoration

Hello, I’ve been considering a hair transplant for a few years now. I’ve had a high hairline my entire life and seem to have a stable hairline. But my hair (or lack thereof) is something that I am very self-conscious about. I’m set on getting a hair transplant. My concern is my age (22). I’ve had one physician tell me I’m too young for a procedure and that he’d only be willing to reconsider once I’m in my late twenties. This isn’t good enough.  What should I do?

This hair loss question was posted directly to Dr. Raymond Konior of Chicago, IL, who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  See his professional answer below.

I agree that hair restoration should be approached with caution in young men since it is difficult to predict the final hair loss pattern in someone who may continue to undergo thinning for many more decades.  However, there are some young men who make very good candidates depending on their family history of hair loss and on their individual expectations.  First off, it is much better to have a family history with little evidence of advanced hair loss patterns.  Although the family history is never a guarantee of what one’s future holds, the evidence it provides certainly helps when attempting to make a long term prediction for a young man.