Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

This question was  answered by Dr. Michael Beehner of Saratoga Springs, NY.  Dr. Beehner is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

I am planning to have a hair transplant in November this year.  Unfortunately, I can only take a week off of work post-surgery. In fact, my surgery is on a Tuesday and I return to work the following Monday. Roughly, how long does it take for the recipient area to heal and assume its natural look? By a natural look I mean one can go safely about doing his work without anyone having the slightest clue about the HT. The nature of my work does not allow me to wear a hat to the office. Any pointers on that would be great

There’s a big difference between how a patient looks one or two days after a hair transplant versus how he looks at 7-9 days. However, there are a number of factors to consider when deciding if one week is enough time before returning to work and having every person you bump into stare at your head and start asking questions about what happened.

Most follicular unit scabs have fallen off within the first week but there can be persistent, short stubby hairs just sitting in place. As has been already mentioned, there may also be a slight “pinkness” to both the recipient and donor sites. The issue of recipient sites looking pink is a very individual thing and varies from one patient to another. I find that the vast majority of men don’t have this after a couple of weeks but some of the fair-skinned men do keep it for a few months before it eventually fades.

Let’s face it; a hair transplant procedure is a luxury item. For the average guy or gal working to make ends meet, raise a family and prepare for the unexpected curve balls life can deliver, setting aside a few thousand dollars for a cosmetic procedure may seem an unattainable goal. Often, balding men and women desiring to take control of their hair loss simply wait and watch the years pass by hoping for “the right time” to come. Well, the right time may not be as far off as you think.

Some people choose to view surgical hair restoration as not so much an expense but an investment in themselves. If that’s the case for you, then a little financial creativity may have you seriously considering hair transplant surgery sooner rather than later.

Recently, forum member “RCWest” started a thread asking members to share the methods they used to finance their hair restoration procedures. To learn how hair transplant patients faced the high cost of surgery, follow the link, How did you finance your procedure?

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

Several years ago, Coalition physicians Dr. Jerry Wong and Dr. Victor Hasson released an educational video detailing and explaining the process of scalp exercises. In theory, scalp exercises help a patient create additional scalp laxity (or looseness) in the universal donor area before a hair transplant procedure. This allows the surgeon to (potentially) remove and implant a greater number of follicular unit grafts.

Although this video was informative, educational, and comprehensive, Hasson and Wong received a myriad of scalp exercise questions and concerns over the past few years. In response to this feedback, the clinic decided to create a new video that answers these thoughtful questions, presents new information, and provides a wonderful overview of scalp exercising.

To view this new video, click here: Hasson & Wong: Scalp Laxity Exercises.

Enjoy!

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Blake Bloxham – 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

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Technorati Tags: scalp exercise, scalp laxity, universal donor area, hair transplant, follicular unit grafts, scalp exercising

From the initial consultation to the final stages of hair growth, the typical hair transplant patient will endure a roller coaster ride of discomfort, elation, concern, and eventual satisfaction.

Like anything else, one patient’s experience cannot accurately predict another’s.  Thus, discomfort during and after surgery, growth timelines, and patients’ feelings and reactions will all vary.  However, one thing is for sure: the surgical hair restoration journey takes a lot of patience, a dash of humor and a fairly sizeable collection of baseball caps.

In his post, What part of the HT process did you find most difficult?, forum member “gmonasco” asks those who have already taken control of their balding through hair restoration surgery to share the most difficult aspect of their post-hair transplant journey. Follow the link to add your input.

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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
Follow our community on Twitter
Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Technorati Tags: hair growth, hair transplant, hair restoration, balding

This question, from a member of the Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by recommended hair restoration physician Dr. William Lindsey:

I previously underwent an unsuccessful follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure and now have a large strip scar on the back of my scalp. I’m investigating scar revision surgery, but I’m wondering if the follicular unit grafts that surround the scar (and will be removed in the repair) can be salvaged and implanted into balding scalp?

It really depends on how big and thick the hair transplant scar is. If the scar is like beef jerky, then its pretty tough to get any hair out without transecting it or having essentially an antiquated 1 haired minigraft. If the scar is soft, sure. We are doing a scar repair from elsewhere next week and after the pre-operative exam,  we noticed that part of his scar is soft, and part is “jerky”; so I am not sure how many we can save, but we’ll try to get all we can.

Dr. William Lindsey

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Blake Bloxham – 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

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Technorati Tags: Hair Restoration, hair restoration physician, follicular unit transplantation, FUT, strip scar, follicular unit grafts, balding, hair transplant

In an ongoing thread on the Hair Restoration Forums, community members are discussing miniaturization analysis and if it should be performed before a hair transplant procedure. Miniaturization analysis is the process where hair restoration physicians carefully inspect a hair loss patient’s donor region (with a magnification device) and determine whether or not miniaturization is occurring in the harvesting zone.

During the balding process, hairs miniaturize or grow thinner at each expansion (or anagen) phase of the follicular growth cycle. Because of this, hair transplant surgeons must ensure they are not harvesting and implanting follicular units that are miniaturizing and susceptible to future loss.  Granted, miniaturization can occur in any scalp hair, but donor hair analysis is extremely important in a successful hair restoration procedure.

In the discussion topic, two hair loss experts (Louise – a hair transplant technician and consultant for Coalition surgeon Dr. Cam Simmons and Coalition surgeon Dr. Glenn Charles) share their opinion of miniaturization analysis and it’s importance before a hair transplant procedure:

When inspecting/assessing your hair’s characteristics, physicians will look for miniaturized hairs in the recipient and donor regions. If the donor hair is miniaturizing, it will not last and should not be transplanted. Some clinics use magnifying loops or a Densitometer or a close-up camera. Dr Simmons inspects everyone’s scalp personally with magnifying loops and/or a Microvid camera. The Microvid camera is a hand-held device that can be moved around one’s scalp and the physician and patient can see the image on a computer monitor. The follicular groups can be easily seen as well as any miniaturization. If the hair is long enough to hide it, tiny patches can be trimmed to get a very close look at the donor hair.

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

After consulting with several recommended hair transplant surgeons I’ve come to the conclusion that most surgeons implant follicular unit grafts at a density of around 40 – 60 grafts per square centimeter. I’m curious, if I only want to restore my frontal hairline, why can’t the surgeon restore my hairline to the density I had before experiencing hair loss (80 – 100 grafts per square centimeter)?

Although I’m sure each hair restoration physician has specific opinions on implanting grafts at this density (and that final density is unique to each patient’s physiology), there are several reasons why I believe experts do not restore hairlines to an unaffected density:

First, I’m uncertain that the blood supply to the balding areas is sufficient to accept and properly nurture grafts at this density (80 – 100 grafts per square centimeter). Because of this, the graft survival rate and scalp trauma could both be greatly affected. Second, transplanting at this density could negatively affect surrounding native hairs (causing unnecessary damage).

Third, transplanting at this density would require a large strip (in a follicular unit transplantation -FUT case) or various extractions (in a follicular unit extraction -FUE case) for a small transplant area, which could lead to unnecessary scarring. Fourth, transplanting at this density does not take progressive loss into consideration. It seems like a great idea to densely pack or lower a hairline at a young age, but the results can be very unsatisfactory when and if future hair loss occurs. Furthermore, this also depletes precious donor follicular units.

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.

Are there any negatives to FUE that you don’t have with FUT such as survival rate? I know it takes longer and is more expensive. Anything else people should know?

When it comes to hair transplant surgery, there can be no question that growth from follicular unit extraction (FUE) cases is not as consistent as that of strip procedures. The reason is obvious: the amount of trauma the follicular unit grafts must endure during FUE surgery, even the very best and meticulous FUE surgery, is far greater than the amount of trauma experienced by the equivalent FUT grafts. It’s a simple matter of physics.

That said, hair follicles are pretty hearty. Ask anyone who’s undergone multiple waxings, electrolysis, and laser hair removal. Those little guys will often endure all of that and still come back.

FUE is a great procedure, but it is very exhausting and time consuming even on the best hair restoration surgeons. Smaller cases usually do better because lack of fatigue can make the difference between hurting a graft and not hurting a graft. Also, if 10% of 300 grafts don’t grow, it’s not nearly as obvious compared to 10% of 1,500 grafts. That is, you probably won’t miss 30 grafts out of 300, but you most certainly will miss 150 grafts out of 1,500. The bigger the number of FUE gets, the more the equation works against the final result.

Although there are various reasons for seeking hair transplant surgery, many individuals undergo restoration to appear younger, symmetrical, and more attractive. However, one could argue that attraction is not a universal ideal and the heightened sense of appeal after hair restoration is caused by increased confidence.

Could it be that a majority of compliments and post-operative glances arise from a patient’s new found self-confidence? It’s difficult to argue that hair transplantation allows many hair loss sufferers to feel better about themselves and achieve dramatic results, but it’s harder to conclude whether patients are transformed by the new appearance or new confidence.

Regardless, a new topic on the Hair Restoration Discussion Forums address this exact issue. Do you feel more attractive after your hair restoration surgery? What do you think causes this heightened sense of appeal? If you want to discuss these issues, feel free to participate in the thread Are You More Attractive Post Hair Transplant?

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Blake Bloxham – 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

Follow our community on Twitter

Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Technorati Tags: hair transplant surgery, hair restoration, hair transplantation, hair loss sufferers, hair restoration surgery

If only you hadn’t worn a baseball cap to school every day your senior year, perhaps you’d still be sporting that luxurious mane that had all the cheerleaders doing backflips, right? Wrong! Wearing hats does not cause balding. This is only one of the many hair loss myths that continue to perpetuate themselves even in our era of scientific enlightenment. Let’s take a look at some other popular hair loss myths:

• Hair loss is inherited from mom’s side of the family: Stop blaming mom! In fact, go buy her some flowers for the years of guilt she has endured. The balding gene can be inherited from either parent and can even skip a generation.

• Masturbation causes hair loss: Not so. While this may indicate the need for a new hobby, rest assured that masturbation or sexual activity in general does not cause balding.

• Hair length affects balding: Some men believe that wearing their hair longer will stop hair loss while others believe that shaving the head is the key to thicker regrowth. Neither of these theories is correct. The visible hair exiting the scalp is dead tissue composed of keratin. Cutting the hair shaft or allowing it to grow has absolutely no effect on the growth cycle.

• Blow drying/over-styling causes balding: Excessive blow drying and use of styling products can result in dry, damaged hair. However, it should not result in permanent hair loss in an otherwise healthy individual not prone to genetic balding.