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This interesting question comes from a member of our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums:

I understand that during a hair transplant procedure, donor hair is taken from the back of my own scalp and transplanted to the balding areas in the front. However, I was wondering if it would be possible to take donor hair from another individual (a relative perhaps) and transplant it to the front of my scalp? If my donor region was depleted, would this be an option? Would it work?

Definitely an interesting concept, and one I’ve pondered myself from time to time. I think the most unique aspect of this type of true hair “transplant” would be the ability to select a donor with different donor characteristics and blend the new hairs into the native, implanted patient to create different, potentially “fuller” results.

For example, if you have a patient with fine, straight hairs and found a suitable donor with coarse, wavy hairs, the hair restoration surgeon could focus the majority of the patients own donor hair on the hairline (to create a natural, dense appearance) and integrate the “other” donor hair in the scalp to create additional texture and fullness without creating a big distinction between the native and transplanted hairs. I think other surgeons have tried something similar with body hair transplants (BHT).

The subject of hair loss discovered early in teenage patients is a common discussion topic at our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums. Although the degree and circumstances surrounding the teenage hair loss are normally unique, the answer to the question of whether hair transplant surgery is an option for teenage patients is almost universally the same.

Altogether, surgical hair restoration is not an option available to teenage patients. Although this sounds a bit generalized, it’s important to note that there are several reasons why this treatment is not appropriate for teenage hair loss sufferers and also that several safe, effective therapies are available for these individuals.

First, and foremost, hair transplant surgery is not appropriate for teenage patients because the progression of the hair loss is completely unknown, and recreating hairlines and frontal portions of the scalp in the present could result in an unnatural future appearance if the balding continues.

Second, in teenage patients, it’s difficult to tell whether or not miniaturization in certain areas of the scalp, such as the temple region or frontal hairline, is truly genetic baldness or natural “hairline maturation” (very few individuals, even those not suffering from any type of hair loss, retain an adolescent hairline). If this hair loss is simply maturation, then any sort of intervention, especially surgery, may be unnecessary. Third, because of the potential for continued growth and maturation, it simply isn’t advisable to perform this type of cosmetic procedure on an teenager.

The following article, written by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Victor Hasson, was posted on our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums.

Frequently, patients ask us about styling options after the hair grows in from their hair transplant. Will they be able to style their hair in any fashion or will they be forced to style it in a particular way to maintain coverage and naturalness?

In general, if the transplanted hair is directed correctly, the styling options will increase with higher transplant densities. At low density it is important to comb the hair in a particular direction to maintain the hair shingling effect to bridge over balding scalp until the hairs reach the next follicular unit (FU) at which point the hairs from that next FU will take over the coverage function. In addition, lower densities will require longer length hair for coverage. However, there is a point where the hair can be too long, thus making the hair appear to give less coverage. Each patient is different so it is up to the individual to find the best length to maximize coverage given their degree of hair loss and coverage..

If an individual intends to part their hair through a transplanted area that was previously bald the transplanted hair density required rises dramatically. The shingling effect is largely negated here and what becomes impacted is the distance between transplanted FU’s. Generally, for a part to look natural, transplanted densities of 50 FU per cm2 and up are necessary. Obviously the hair characteristics such as shaft diameter, color and curl will come into play as well.

This question, from a member of our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. William Lindsey:

I recently underwent a follicular unit transplantation (strip) procedure and have a few questions regarding scar stretching: At what time period (days, weeks, months) after the hair transplant procedure is the potential for scar stretching maximal? Will leaving the staples or sutures in for a longer period of time help to minimize stretching? Is there any correlation between the amount of time the sutures are in and how much the strip scar stretches?

Scar width is generally proportional to skin edge tension. Therefore whatever can be done to reduce this helps scars. At our office, we favor long, skinny strips, so that there isn’t alot of scalp to pull together. Additionally, deep sutures can take the load off of the skin edges so that the wound doesn’t pull apart or the scar stretch after the skin sutures are removed. In general skin stitches should come out between day 6 and 10. Frequently getting doctors to agree on anything is like herding cats, and you will find no concensus on when sutures ought to come out. Just follow your doctor’s advice as he has a reason for the time frame.

Earlier this week, the hair restoration community was set ablaze by news that a German scientist, Roland Lauster, working at the Berlin Technical University regrew hair follicles from stem cells. According to Lauster, the stem cells not only grew new hair follicles, but injecting these cells into the scalps of hair loss sufferers could make baldness a thing of the past for up to 80% of individuals experiencing thinning.

However, according to the article, and the individuals at the Hair Loss Q & A blog, this finding does not mean patients should throw away their current medications and book a stem cell injection appointment later in the week. As of now, the treatment has only been performed using cells and tissue from mice, and has not been applied to any sort of human model. Second, Lauster himself states that the human phase of the research will not be ready and available for at least 5 years.

So, as previously stated, this new finding is exciting and probably does take us one step closer toward a “cure for baldness,” but in the interim, hair loss sufferers should remain “cautiously optimistic” toward these future remedies and continue utilizing proven treatments (such as finasteride/Propecia and minoxidil/Rogaine) for the time being.

Click here for the original article.

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Blake – aka Future_HT_Doc

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Timothy Carman of La Jolla, CA who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. His professional answer is below.

Three years ago I received a bad hair transplant that resulted in cobblestoning or bumps in the recipient area as well as a bad scar. I have scheduled a consultation with a dermatologist about using a Fraxel laser to smooth the skin. Are there any other non-surgical options? Also, can I sue the hair restoration clinic?

The work that was done, although certainly not stellar, would appear to fall within the category of “standard of care”, so the “suing” issue I believe may be a waste of time. The overall result wherein the follicular unit grafts are placed sparsely more than likely would be the result of “filling in” as many patients request, without attention to the fact that this will be the result when further hair loss occurs. Following the previous “immature” hairline, results in a mismatch between the contour design of the hairline and the density.

As for the raised nature of the grafts as they sit on the scalp, while this is certainly less than ideal, hair that is worn at a “normal’ (i.e. not “buzzed”) length should hide this poorer result. However, I can understand that, as this has evolved the low density you have,   your hair probably doesn’t look too good in the “normal” longer style.

This following article was written by recommended hair restoration physician Dr. William Lindsey and posted on our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums.

I was recently thinking about forehead lifts and the reverse procedure known as hairline lowering. Couldn’t small FUE procedures be used to hide the scars? Perhaps in the case of males who want their hairline lowered in this way, a follicular unit extraction hair transplant could be used to improve the shape of the hairline which, from what I’ve seen, doesn’t always look good in males who undergo hairline lowering.

Yes, a forehead reduction procedure is cheaper and, if done correctly, gives a great result quickly. However, this procedure does come with the the added risk of potentially permanent numbness behind the incision.

Lowering the hairline with hair transplants avoids that risk but uses up valuable   and irreplaceable follicular unit grafts that may eventually be needed elsewhere if hair loss progresses.

I recently removed the sutures of a patient who had a brow lift by a doctor down the street a few years ago. He had a really bad scarline. We transplanted 16oo to 1700 grafts via FUE in front of, in, and behind the scar and I think he’ll look great.

William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS
McLean, VA

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David – aka TakingThePlunge
Assistant Publisher and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

This question comes from a concerned member of our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums:

I’m a female hair loss sufferer looking for effective options to fight my thinning hair. It seems like many of today’s hair restoration treatments are aimed towards males, and I want to make sure I’m using safe and effective therapies. How can I fight my female hair loss?

Although a majority of individuals suffering from hair loss are male, it’s important to understand that the problem is not restricted to men alone. Not only do females experience hair loss, but female thinning is a unique issue and needs to be treated differently than male hair loss. Fortunately, current hair restoration therapies, namely surgical hair transplantation and preventive medications, can be altered and applied to female patients.

For example, preventive medications, such as minoxidil/Rogaine, are available to female hair loss sufferers. Because most female hair loss is manifested as widespread miniaturization and not patterned baldness, a specialized type of minoxidil is designed especially for women. Additionally, it’s important to remember that finasteride/Propecia should not be utilized by women.

Hair transplant surgery is also a restorative option available to female hair loss patients. Like preventive measures, the method of transplantation is slightly altered in women, with follicular unit transplantation (FUT) usually being performed over follicular unit extraction (FUE) and hairlines normally created “lower” and “flatter” around the face.

Aderans Research Institute, a biomedical group working toward developing an injectable hair cloning therapy, recently released updates from the second phase of its hair multiplication research trials. According to Aderans, the results of the trial (the second step in a proposed series of seven clinical observations) showed “significant hair growth” in over 50% of participants at the one year mark. Essentially, half the research subjects demonstrated new hair growth one year after receiving the injectable hair cloning therapy.

Although this is definitely exciting news and suggests that hair restoration research is continually progressing, there are several factors to consider before scheduling an injection appointment. The press release, whether intentional or not, does not contain certain, objective details: What does “significant hair growth” mean? Are these new hairs resistant to dihydrotestosterone (DHT – the hormone directly responsible for genetic hair loss)? Why were no objective “before and after” images released? What type of results were observed in the 50% of patients who did not see new growth?

Granted, this is a very recent update and Aderans may continue to analyze the information and release more conclusive data in the future, but there is definitely room for further clarification. However, as Dr. Ken Washenik, M.D., Ph.D. – the Executive Vice President of Aderans states, these new findings are likely an important first step and will lead to even greater future prospects. As usual, I highly recommend utilizing proven, effective techniques, like finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine), for the time being and remaining “cautiously optimistic” toward future treatments.

Thanks to the valuable feedback from dedicated forum members and several months of revision, upgrades and fixes, our new Hair Loss Forum and Social Community is now working 100%.   We appreciate everyone’s patience while we’ve worked out some of the minor and major bugs to ensure that we could deliver the best user experience for hair loss sufferers worldwide.

Most recently, we’ve solved two pressing issues facing our members; “Russian bride” spammers sending mass messages to our members and issues with our community failing to save a member’s login credentials using the “remember me” option.   If you were one of the many unfortunate users affected by one or both of these problems, you should have a greatly improved experience. For more information on how these issues were resolved, visit the discussion topic, Eliminating “Russian Bride” Spammers and Remembering Your Login Credentials.

While the previous forum served balding men and women well for years, our new community takes researching hair transplant physicians and hair loss treatments, sharing your experience and interacting with other members to a much higher level.   Now, every member has the ability to create and customize their very own social profile, create blogs, share photos, upload videos and join and create groups.   Members can also make and add friends and chat with them online via our instant messenger feature.

Moreover, our new hair restoration discussion forum is much more user friendly and enables users to easily upload photos, embed videos, interact with other members, and research treatments and physicians using our robust “Search” feature.