Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

Following a series of questions regarding concealer usage after a hair transplant procedure, Spex, a dedicated Hair Restoration Forum member and consultant to Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Alan Feller, comprehensively addressed the issue on our hair loss forums. In his post, Spex tackles questions concerning different types of concealers, when concealer should be used, and the best way to apply concealer:

When and how to apply hair loss concealers:

These hair loss products can be fantastic when applied correctly (I always found less is more). Especially when you find the one/s that best suit you. Balding men and women that do use them know they can be time consuming to apply (especially in a bind), but also very effective. Nevertheless, the products out there are fantastic to help thinning hair and hair restoration postoperative concerns.

Using concealer is honestly a case of trial and error – as there is no hard and fast rule to which one will work best and at what time. However, most can help immensely in the early stages during recovery from hair transplant surgery.

Waiting a minimum of 7-10 days before application  is advisable, simply because the scalp needs to heal. I think the best advice I can personally give guys looking into concealers is to test them out (possibly even before surgery). This way, you get a feel for the different products and how to use them. Don’t invest heavily in everything all at once. Experiment with small amounts/ testers and see how each concealer works. Also, don’t get frustrated if you don’t find success with a product right away. It takes time to find and properly apply the concealer best suited for you. Remember, each hair loss product also requires some pre-existing hair to work, so don’t expect miracle results too soon.

Hair loss sufferers will do anything to hide their baldness from the world. While some sport the fancy comb over look, others wear their favorite hats and head coverings.

Today, many hair loss sufferers have turned to topical concealers such as Toppik, Dermmatch, and Nanogen to mask their baldness and create the illusion of a more lustrous head of hair. But how effective are these hair loss products? Do they effectively mask complete baldness or do they work better on consumers with thinning hair? Will concealers hold up under harsh weather conditions and/or when swimming?

Members of our community were recently discussing the effectiveness of Toppik and other topical concealers on our forum. You are encouraged to join in the discussion to read what others are saying and offer your input.

Bill Seemiller
Managing Publisher of 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 loss, baldness, comb over, Toppik, Dermmatch, Nanogen, thinning hair, concealers, Bill Seemiller

Though some simply accept baldness as a part of life, hair loss can often be the cause of depression and high levels of anxiety for thousands of men and women worldwide. In fact, some are so ashamed of their baldness; they’ll withdraw from formal social situations where hats and other head coverings are considered inappropriate attire.

Vulnerable men and women should heed caution watching slick late night infomercials that would have you believe their product is the miracle hair regrowth cure. And though no cure exists to stop the progression of female or male pattern baldness or regrow hair, several viable treatment options are available today worth considering.

Non-surgical hair loss treatments such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) can be quite good at slowing down or stopping the progression of male pattern baldness. Since both treatments work differently, they are said to have a symbiotic and synergistic effect in treating alopecia. Commitment to these medications however, is the key to success.

Men and women with mild to moderate thinning hair have the greatest chance to keep it. Therefore, catching and treating hair loss early might prevent the need for more extreme treatments. Only surgical hair restoration is proven to grow hair in completely bald areas.

Some men and women also opt to use hair replacement systems also known as pieces or alopecia wigs. Some systems are actually quite natural and can portray the illusion of a full head of hair. But don’t be confused by fancy promotional catchphrases. “Non-surgical” hair replacement is still referring to a wig or a temporary head of hair.

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
Associate Publisher/Editor

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

I’ve started using dermmatch recently to cover my hair loss  and  it appears that it might be  thinning my hair out. Have you ever heard of this happening from this product  or do you think i’m just imagining it?

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the applicator.    Using the brush pad to apply dermmatch concealer tends to slightly pull the hair and facilitate hair shedding.   When you already have thinning hair, it’s nice to keep the extra hair as long as possible before they eventually drop off on their own.  

But though this slight hair pulling  appears to detach hairs from the follicle a bit sooner, hair attached the the Dermmatch applicator is hair that has already detached from the hair follicle.   Dermmatch does not cause hair loss  or shedding.   Because male pattern baldness is a progressive condition, it is quite possible that your hair has thinned out a bit more, but the cause is your genes, not dermmatch.  

Remember that dermmatch does nothing to stop hair loss, but    is just a concealer that makes your hair appear thicker temporarily.    Consider talking to a physician about Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil), the two FDA  approved drugs that can treat baldness by stopping further loss and potentially inspiring hair regrowth.

Bill
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

I have very find hair and although I am told by hair stylists that I have a lot of it, it appears very thin on top.   I don’t think hair transplant surgery is the right procedure for me.   Do you know of any hair loss treatment that will give me more hair to cover the wide part of my scalp showing through the hair?   I have tried Rogaine which worked temporarily despite continued use.   I spent a lot of money on a hair piece alopecia wig that is not comfortable and I believe looks obvious.   It is very difficult to hide the wide part with anything and I do not like the short and spiky hair with bands that are the mainstay of hair pieces.   I hope you can help and please be specific if you have any hair loss solutions.

You have mentioned a number of possibilities already however, there are a few more.   Sadly, none of them are miracle cures or perfect solutions, but are worth considering.

Non-Surgical Hair Loss Treatments

Propecia for men only (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are FDA approved hair growth drugs and when used together, they may boost your chances of hair regrowth.  

Ketoconazole hair loss shampoo such as Nizoral and Revita may  be helpful adjunct treatments given the “weak” DHT blocking properties of ketoconazole.  

Laser hair treatment has been FDA “cleared” however, in my opinion, not enough evidence publicly exists for me to recommend it.  

I had a hair transplant and i use Toppik for hair loss.     I’ve heard that  toppik makes you go bald.   Is this true?

Toppik  is a concealer that is designed for one purpose: camoflauge your hair loss to the world.   Toppik works by creating an illusion of hair density by temporarily increasing the hair shaft thickness and darkening the scalp to blend with your hair.  

Toppik can be used approximately 10 days after your hair replacement  surgery or when the scabs/crusts have been removed from your scalp (whichever comes latest).    I say this because it’s important to give your scalp the proper time to heal and after 10 days, the transplanted hair will be permanently secured to your balding scalp.   Toppik can be a great product to help conceal not only your baldness but the fact that you’ve had hair transplant  surgery.  

Despite what you may have heard, toppik does not cause, facilitate, or expedite natural hair loss.   Genetic hair loss however, is a progressive condition so it is important that you consider the use of FDA approved hair loss drugs such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine 5% (minoxidil) to fight against future hair loss.   Be sure to consult with a physician and learn about the benefits, limitations, and potential side effects of these hair loss drugs.

I hope this helps.

Bill
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

I had a hair transplant about five days ago. My scalp is fine – hardly any redness at all. In fact, it barely looks like I have had a hair restoration procedure done at all. However, before the hair surgery I used Toppik to cover the thin spots in my crown. I go back to work in about a week and I’d like to know if it would be safe to use Toppik or any other hair loss concealer without damaging the hair grafts.

Congratulations on your recent hair transplant surgery. I used Toppik successfully after my own hair transplant surgery with no problems whatsoever. If you want to use Toppik when you return to work, make sure that you are at least ten days post-op before doing so. I say this because it takes about that much time for the transplanted hair grafts to become permanent in the scalp. If they are subject to too much shifting (for example, when patting the Toppik into place) before that you could stand the chance of losing some or changing their carefully-placed angulation. Additionally, it is crucial to allow as much oxygen as possible to permeate the scalp in the days immediately following a hair restoration surgery. Since some Toppik tends to settle between the hairs and directly on the scalp, it is possible that it may impede precious oxygen from reaching the grafts.

Any hair loss sufferer that uses concealers has used or at least heard of Toppik Hair Building Fibers. While Toppik can be a great solution to effectively concealing slight to moderate hair loss, using it conventionally has its drawbacks. Applying the fibers accurately takes practice and a steady hand since they more or less float out of the top of the can’s dispenser. I have found myself applying far too much on areas where I didn’t need it and hardly any at all on the area where I needed it most. Cleanup of the fibers is also an issue, as they will find a way to cover the bathroom sink, floor, walls…virtually any inconvenient surface to clean. After just two days of application, a bathroom can appear positively filthy.

The makers of Toppik have come through in addressing these problems with flying colors with the advent of the Toppik Spray Maximizer.

The Spray Maximizer screws directly on the regular size (10.3 g) and large size (25 g) bottles. It releases a small, concentrated puff of fibers with each squeeze, making accurate application a snap. And since the fibers are going where you want them to go – the thin areas – they are much less likely to end up in every hard-to-reach crevice in your bathroom.

I became a fan of concealers when my crown area began thinning a few years ago. Though I have had two successful hair transplants that concentrated on the hairline and forelock (as detailed in my Hair Loss Weblog), I am hesitant to pursue another procedure that will put grafts into my crown for fear of shock loss, future thinning, and limited donor area. As many have learned the hard way, the crown can be a real “black hole” for hair transplant grafts.

I am currently on a medicinal regimen of Avodart and 5% minoxidil that shows promise in continuing to thicken up my crown and vertex area, but as you probably know from your own experience, it is slow-going. It is for that reason that I looked to concealers to mask the diffuse thinning.

In the past, I have used Toppik, Couvre‘, and DermMatch in the past, all with good success. Each has had their ups and downs but I have found that each can perform a sufficient job of concealing my hair loss with varying degrees of difficulty in application.

Nanogen fibers are closely related to that of Toppik. Both claim to be tiny fibers that electrostatically bond to the individual hairs, actually giving the appearance of not just a “painted scalp” but thicker, fuller hair.

After using Toppik for quite some time and hearing from others that Nanogen is a little better I decided to give it the ol’ “Pepsi Challenge.” Here are my thoughts: