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Each year, Baltimore Magazine publishes a list of top physicians in the region from more than 101 specialties. We are pleased to announce that, this year, Coalition member Dr. James Vogel was named by his peers as one of the city’s top General Plastic Surgeons of 2011.

Dr. Vogel is very involved in contributing to his profession and sharing hair restoration techniques with his peers. He is the past president of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) and was the chairman of the scientific committee from 1993 to 1999. He remains actively involved in lecturing and writing with many surgical societies and professional organizations.

Adding to his list of accomplishments, Dr. Vogel has recently been asked by The Aesthetic Surgery Journal to serve as their international section editor on hair transplants. The Aesthetic Surgery Journal is the official journal of The International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Dr. James Vogel is a highly respected member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians and recommended on the Hair Transplant Network. To learn more about Dr. Vogel and his ultra-refined follicular unit hair transplant procedure, click here to view his Coalition profile on the Hair Loss Learning Center.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Vogel by clicking here and adding your comments to the discussion on our popular Hair Loss Forum.

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

Recently, Coalition member and highly acclaimed hair restoration surgeon Dr. Bessam Farjo of Manchester, United Kingdom was interviewed by the Times of India for a lifestyle article about hair loss.  Topics discussed include advancements made in hair loss research, state of the art hair transplant surgery and hair multiplication (cloning). In the article, Dr. Farjo discusses why he chose to specialize in hair restoration and his role in shaping its future through the ongoing research and development of new techniques.

Dr. Bessam Farjo has a long history of performing state of the art, ultra-refined follicular unit hair transplantation with outstanding results. Along with his wife and colleague, Dr. Nilofer Farjo, he founded the Farjo Medical Centre in 1992. Since that time, the Farjo Clinic has become the UK’s premier center for surgical hair restoration, medical hair loss treatment and research.

Dr. Bessam and Nilofer Farjo are both highly esteemed members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians and recommended by the Hair Transplant Network. To learn about our criteria for recommending physicians, click here.

Click the image below to see the full article.

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the Hair Restoration Social Network and Enhanced Discussion Forum

Get Proven Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new Online Hair Loss Treatment Shop.

This insightful hair loss information was posted on our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums: by Dr. Jerry Cooley of Charlotte, NC who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

I hair restoration doctors talk about transplanting the crown border (I am talking about sides and not the bottom of the crown) with less density than the middle of the crown. When I get my crown fixed eventually as it is not all that bad yet, I feel that the center crown would not be all that important to me but rather the outside/sides of the crown would need more density to properly frame the head when viewing from the side. I know the crown side border typically is less dense even in non-balding men so maybe this is the reason?

It is complicated because there are many factors for the hair transplant surgeon to consider including the patient’s age, hair characteristics, current baldness, rate of hair loss, whether they are on Propecia finasteride, donor supply, etc. The goal is to produce not only a look that satisfies the patient in the short term, but also one that will stand up over time. It is best to be evaluated in person to get an individualized recommendation for you.

Dr. Jerry Cooley

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

Hair restoration surgeon Dr. Michael Beehner is recommended by the Hair Transplant Network. To view this discussion and other hair loss topics, visit our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums,

I am 29 years old and have been using Propecia (finasteride) for 3 years, Rogaine (minoxidil) for 3 years and had one hair transplant in the corners of hairline (temples?) of 1800 grafts 1 year ago. (See photo below)

Based on my photo, how many grafts do you think it might take to fully restore my crown? Who is the best crown doctor in your opinion? My donor is dense, hair is wavy, and hair diameter in thick (Spanish ancestors). No one in my family is slick bald. The only person with thinner hair is my mom’s dad but his crown is better than mine and he’s 65. My dad and his dad have Elvis hair.

I think, at the age of 29, it would be a mistake to transplant your entire crown area, especially using maximal density, which I am sure is what you probably would want.

In looking at your “top-down” photo, I can see obvious thinning in a 9-10cm diameter circular area in back. At 29, you likely have 50 years of life ahead of you in which male pattern baldness is going to progress. And unfortunately, the square area of the crown/vertex does not increase in a linear fashion, but rather in a logarithmic way.

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

I recently underwent hair transplant surgery (follicular unit transplantation) and I’m wondering if I’ll experience any sort of additional hair loss from the procedure? Additionally, how soon, after the hair transplant procedure, can I shave my head?

Technorati Tags: Hair Loss, hair transplant surgery, follicular unit transplantation, hair transplant, hair restoration

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.

How much pain you feel during suture removal? Any tips one can use to minimize pain during/before the removal procedure?

Hair transplant patients with highly sensitive skin can purchase LMX Topical Anesthetic Cream and apply it over the suture line 30-45 minutes prior to the suture removal. I prefer that the area be cleaned prior to application so as to facilitate absorption into the local skin region. This cream will numb the superficial skin and make the suture removal process more comfortable.

Dr. Raymond Konior

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the Hair Restoration Social Network and Enhanced Discussion Forum

Get Proven Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new Online Hair Loss Treatment Shop.

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Technorati Tags: hair loss, Hair Restoration, Hair transplant, LMX Topical Anesthetic Cream

Each year, Phoenix Magazine publishes its list of top physicians from more than 50 fields of practice. This year, hair restoration was added to the list of specialties.  We are pleased to announce Dr. Shelly Friedman was selected as Phoenix, Arizona’s #1 Hair Transplant Surgeon for 2011. Dr. Friedman is also recommended on the Hair Transplant Network.

Only a select number of physicians are chosen for this honor each year. Phoenix Magazine nominates physicians for this honor through a peer-review survey.  This includes randomly surveying 5,000 physicians from around the Phoenix area, including M.D.s (medical doctors), D.O.s (osteopathic doctors) and N.D.s/N.M.Ds (naturopathic doctors). The surveys asks physicians to nominate doctors who, in their judgment, are the best in their fields and related ones. Physicians must be board-certified in their respective fields to qualify.

Dr. Friedman has been performing hair transplant surgery as the primary part of his practice for over 25 years and is the Founding President of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS), the certifying board for hair transplant surgeons.

Just as the hair transplant industry has evolved significantly since it began, so has Dr. Friedman’s technique. Dr. Friedman and his dedicated full time staff averaging 9 years of experience have the ability and experience to perform larger, densely packed sessions of high quality follicular unit hair transplantation exceeding 2500 grafts when appropriate for the patient.

Hair restoration surgeon Dr. Michael Beehner is recommended by the Hair Transplant Network. To view this discussion and other hair loss topics, visit our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums,

I’ve noticed that some hair transplant surgeons do all of the work in their procedures themselves. They take the donor hair, close the wound, make all the recipient sites and then do all the planting of grafts. While this seems to be very laudable as they can absolutely control the quality of their patient’s procedure, does anyone think that this approach is too much for one person to take on? The thought of one person doing that very detail-oriented work for hours upon hours seems like it would take its toll in the form of fatigue. And, when fatigue is a factor, mistakes can be made more easily. This is in no way a criticism of their method. Any thoughts on this way of working?

With the size of cases we routinely do today, it is impossible for the hair restoration physician to do everything, even apart from the dissecting of the follicular unit grafts under the microscope. Once a fair number of grafts have been cut and prepared, it is absolutely necessary for two pairs of hands to get busy placing grafts. One of them can, and often is, the physician. If only one person is placing grafts, the grafts will be out of the body too long and past research shows that, after being out of the body over 8 hours, the percentage that survive starts to decrease.

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

I recently began researching hair restoration medications and it seems like many hair loss sufferers recommend Nizoral shampoo. How does it work? Is it an effective treatment? Is it proven to fight progressive hair loss?

Ketoconazole (the active ingredient in Nizoral) is first, and foremost, an anti-fungal agent. In this regard, it may have some hair loss impact by reducing scalp inflammation and, therefore, increasing the flow of blood and nutrients to the scalp (though this is my personal opinion).

However, a 1996 study comparing ketoconazole to minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine) helped demonstrate that the anti-fungal also possesses some anti-androgen (hormone) properties. Because of this, it’s believed that ketoconazole may have some “anti-DHT” (dihydrotestosterone) capabilities and can, therefore, help combat hair loss on the hormonal front as well.

Utilizing ketoconazole on the scalp, versus a systemic ingestion (oral administration), allows the drug to absorb and work at the site of administration (the scalp). This means that, much like using topical minoxidil, you won’t see a system wide blockage of DHT, but you can see some action at the scalp itself.

However, keep in mind that, at this point in time, minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Propecia) are the only two drugs fully approved for treating genetic hair loss, and I highly recommend adding these components to your Nizoral regimen (if you haven’t already).
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Blake – aka Future_HT_Doc

Recommended hair transplant surgeon Dr. Shelly A. Friedman recently released a new book titled To Bald or Not to Bald? That is the Question. Although the book is humorously titled, the content tackles important hair loss issues, such as the difference between male and female genetic balding, effective hair restoration treatments, and obtaining state-of-the-art surgical techniques. As Dr. Friedman explains:

Although it is usually an unwanted sign of aging, hair loss may no longer be inevitable. Hopefully, by the time you finish this book you will understand the proven, effective treatment options that have become so popular. In subsequent chapters you will realize that hair loss is a problem that can be solved with new and exciting methods that will be explained in detail as we move along. We live in a new era of medical innovation and possibilities. Advances in medical research, technology and surgical techniques have restored patient’s faith in the field of medical and surgical hair restoration. This books explains the entire process of hair restoration today.

If you would like to get in contact with Dr. Friedman, feel free to visit his recommendation profile at the Hair Transplant Network. Additionally, please visit our online hair loss product shop for information on purchasing your very own copy of To Bald or Not to Bald? That is the Question.

To purchase this book immediately, click here.

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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