I’m currently investigating hair transplant surgery, and while meeting with one physician, I was told that I should use an antibiotic shampoo before the procedure. Is this something all hair restoration surgeons recommend? Do I need to do this?
I personally recommend that patients wash their hair the morning of the procedure. We also use a very strong antibacterial scrub on the scalp for all patients prior to the surgery, but keep in mind that the incidence of infection following hair restoration surgery is extremely low.
Additionally, you might also want to check to see if your doctor uses antibiotics. I give a dose of antibiotic the morning of the procedure and then provide the patient enough to last for an additional 2 days post-operative. However, this isn’t universal, and some hair restoration physicians feel that antibiotcs are not necessary.
I had a hair transplant 12 days ago and I’m experiencing thinning hair. I keep running my hands through my recipient area and more shedding occurs. Should I stop this? Some of the shedding particles do have hairs in them and some are dark like a root. I still have some scabs remaining that I’m gently trying to remove in the shower. Would trying to rub these off dry be a bad thing? Thanks in advance.
At twelve days after hair restoration surgery it would be very unlikely that you could cause any damage to the follicular unit grafts. But, be careful because the remaining hairs in the recipient area are more fragile than they were prior to the hair transplant.
In order to avoid further hair loss be gentle with any remaining, original hairs in the recipient area.
Dr. James Vogel discusses the services and procedures he offers hair loss sufferers including; surgical hair restoration, medical hair loss treatments such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) as well as topical concealers.
To learn more about Dr. Vogel, his experience, skill, philosophy and to see examples of his excellent hair restoration results, visit his Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center profile.
I am always curious as to why exactly the the head has to be shaved for a hair transplant? Why do some hair restoration physicians do it this way vs. not shaving the area? Obviously I am sure there are medical reasons but, from a cosmetic stand point, it is horrible to have to shave half your head. How can patients cover this? Thanks in advance.
I freely admit that I lose some patients to local competitors due to my shaving the recipient area.
Four reasons we shave are:
1. Visibility and placement without getting tangled in nearby hair. I tell patients that if I asked them to fill out our registration form and then I covered it with hair and blood, or spaghetti and sauce, they’d not be able to see what they were doing and they’d likely fill out the form sloppily.
2. Dense packing. In my opinion, our office can pack tighter without other hairs around. We want to pack a balding area, not fill in around hair that is likely to “go” in a few years, so that A: the patient only has one procedure in a given recipient area and B: so that they don’t think the transplant failed when the “stragglers” eventually go away, leaving a very thin result if not packed.
A new study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, suggests that certain hair styles may cause a specific type of hair loss in African-American women.
Along it’s been associated with female hair loss in African-American females for quite some time, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, or “scarring hair loss” – a condition where excess hair pulling results in follicular inflammation, scarring, and eventual loss, was thought to occur from using hot-comb straightener and, until now, was never fully investigated.
However, Cleveland Clinic Dermatologist Dr. Angela Kyei recently decided to take a deeper look at scarring hair loss and determine whether or not a correlation existed between certain hair styles (namely tight braiding and hair weaves) and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in African-American females.
The study investigated over 326 women and found 28% suffering from some type of hair loss; 60% of that 28% suffering from serious balding, and discovered that more than half of these 60% of women had either tight hair braids, hair extensions, or hair weaves. According to Dr. Kyei, this study does not prove that these hair styles directly cause scarring hair loss, but does demonstrate an interesting correlation and requires further research.
Over the years I have approached my hair loss patients in a conservative manner allowing for the various options with regards to treatment to be fully explored. This approach also allows them to hold off on unnecessary surgery or excessive graft numbers while they get a better understanding of what is and what is not possible in the field of hair restoration.
For many years I have read on the forums how some who post seem to think this is too conservative of an approach. Instead, many people think the only solution is greater graft numbers…”More Is Better”. So below I present the recent case of a very young man that I am sure some would have told the only answer to his problem was transplantation of some 3000-5000 follicular unit grafts grafts.
Well, that was not my approach. After evaluating all data, I felt he should not have a hair transplant but instead begin a full court press using only non-surgical hair loss treatments. Below are presented his before photos and current photos, 5 months into medical treatment.
So, while some hair transplant physicians and posters might feel hair transplants are the panacea for all balding, I hope this example shows many who are wondering what to do that there are options available to them and all means of treatment need to be explored. While I firmly believe in the values of transplantation, I also know it is not the only choice patients need to consider.
As with previous follicular unit extraction devices, much like the NeoGraft Hair Transplant Machine, the ARTAS claims to automate and standardize the FUE process and carelessly markets itself to the novice hair transplant surgeon. This is concerning because while tools are designed to make things easier for the surgeon, the outcome of a follicular unit extraction procedure depends mostly on the artistry and skill of the surgeon, and not the nature of the tools he/she uses. The ARTAS Hair Restoration System has yet to prove it can produce reliable results. Additionally, it has not been reviewed by nor has it yet to garner the approval and support of many of the world’s leading FUE practioners.
According to the press release:
ARTAS is a physician-controlled, state-of-the-art, interactive, computer-assisted system that enables harvesting of hair follicles during hair restoration procedures. It combines several features including an image-guided robotic arm, special imaging technologies, small dermal punches, and a computer interface. The ARTAS System is capable of identifying and harvesting individual follicular units to implement the follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique.
There is growing interest in FUE because of its many patient benefits, such as less discomfort and a quicker return to normal activities. The ARTAS System solves many of the technical challenges experienced by physicians currently attempting the FUE procedure which gives physicians and patients an exciting new choice.
My hair loss started after major surgery to my leg; I was told by a doctor that trauma can kick male pattern balding into effect. I was just wondering about the time frame in which major surgery would jeopardize the survivability of transplanted grafts?
Trauma or a major surgery can cause a temporary shedding called Telogen Effluvium (TE). Hair that is already weakened by pre-existing Androgenic Alopecia (AGA) may not grow back after a bout of TE. For example, many women notice excessive shedding a couple of months after they deliver a baby and their hair gets thinner. Most women find their hair grows back 6 to 12 months later. Women with female pattern balding who have a bout of TE often don’t get a full recovery. Some women with genetic balding find they have a step-wise worsening of their AGA after each pregnancy.
I have not met or examined you but if you have AGA (MPB), you have had the genes all along. The trauma could have led to a bout of TE, which in turn uncovered your MPB.
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