Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

Hair transplant patients are attracted to today’s surgical hair restoration because not only is it proven to grow hair in completely bald areas, but in the right surgical hands it can be so natural that even hairstylists can’t detect the result. Hair transplantation has come a long way since the days of old plugs, but just how natural are they? Can today’s hair transplants be spotted or do they blend naturally with the rest of a patient’s remaining hair?

In this hair loss discussion thread, members of our community share their own personal hair loss stories and how surgical hair restoration has changed their lives. You are encouraged to read others and share your own experience with hair replacement surgery.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: Hair transplant, hair restoration, grow hair, bald, Hair transplantation, hair transplants, hair loss, hair replacement

Can I get body hair transplanted to my scalp?  How effective is this solution?

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Cam Simmons of Toronto, Canada, who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians.

There are other hair transplant doctors who have done a lot more body hair transplants than me. I have performed body to body hair transplantation in rare situations but do not usually recommend transplanting body hair to the scalp for the following reasons:

• Body hair is not the same quality of hair as scalp hair and does not look as good or as natural.
• The life cycle of body hair is different than for scalp hair so it takes longer for the transplanted hair to grow.  Also transplanted body hair will spend less time in the hair growth phase and more time in the resting phase than transplanted scalp hair.  See the normal scalp hair growth cycle for more information.
• Body hair transplantation is still quite new in medical terms, so there is not a lot of data about results or survival of the transplanted hair.  FUE for body hair is usually technically more difficult than for scalp hair.
• So far, I have been disappointed by the few results that I have seen of other surgeon’s body hair transplants.
• Most men still have scalp hair available for transplantation.

Hundreds of hair loss questions are answered on our discussion forum and received in our inbox on a weekly basis. Below, we’ve collected some of these hot topic questions of the week and posted responses by veteran hair transplant patients and leading hair restoration physicians.

You can also ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by using the contact form.

Is Finpecia (Generic Finasteride) as Effective as Propecia?

Can Doctors Predict Future Hair Loss?

Dealing with Hair Restoration Complications (Dr. James Vogel)

What is the Difference between Rogaine and Minoxidil?

How Many Grafts are Needed to Restore a Balding Crown?

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair transplant, hair restoration

This insightful article was written by a Dr. Michael Beehner of Saratoga Springs, NY who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians.

Over the past few years Bill Seemiller (Falceros) and Pat Hennessey have asked me to share with the reading audience my rationale for using multi follicular unit grafts (MFU) grafts (multi-follicular grafts, 4-6 hairs each) in the hair transplant planning for some patients. I will try to do so here.

First of all, in order to get our terminology straight, the difference between a “minigraft” and a MFU Graft, is that the minigraft is cut with less magnification, usually with “loupes” and are “cut to size” and often have a little transection in the cutting process. A MFU graft is cut, at least in our practice, under a 10x stereoscopic microscope and the nurse in our practice who specializes in cutting them each case that we use them, under high magnification dissects out a graft that encompasses two (or sometimes three) follicular units (FUs) that are in close proximity to each other. Incidentally, MFU grafts can be placed into either a small slit (usually made in what we call a “parallel” orientation) or into a small, round hole (usually 1-1.3mm in diameter; about the size of pencil lead)

ADVANTAGES:

1) In most research studies performed on hair growth / survival in follicles within MFU grafts, the survival has been 100%. It is presumed that this is because of the fact that they are buffered and protected by the surrounding tissue around and thus are less susceptible to trauma and drying. Also, hidden “telogen” stage (hibernation) hairs are often present and grow out later, which with FU dissection might be stripped away.

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Robert True of New York, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

I had a hair transplant 2 weeks ago and my scalp is still red.  Is this normal?

For hair loss patients with medium to darker complexions, pinkness or redness of the scalp following hair restoration suture removal is rarely an issue. However for fair complexion patients, a visible pinkness may persist for 3 to 6 weeks and for a small percentage of these patients, even 2 -4 months.

Hypoallergenic flesh toner concealer cosmetic can be used to safely hide the pinkness. The doctor may also prescribe a cortisone cream to speed resolution.

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Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, hair loss, hair restoration

When is it safe to color or dye my hair after a hair transplant?  Can I do this as early as 10 days post-op?

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. Steven Gabel of Hillsboro, OR who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

There is no magical answer to when hair transplant patients can start dying their hair. The reason for this is that each patient heals at a different rate. I have some patients who come back 10 days after their hair replacement procedure and their incision and recipient sites look like they have healed.  I have others that need a little more time to heal.

The postoperative instructions I give patients are to wait until the transplanted hairs have gone through their initial shock period – usually four to six weeks.  By that time, I know that the grafts are firmly in place and exchanging their blood supply. The problem with hair coloring and the dying process is that different hair stylists will use several chemical compounds to dye the hair and I don’t want any risk of injury to the hair follicles with outside chemicals. My advice is always: be patient!

This hair loss article was written by Dr. Ron Shapiro of Bloomington, MN who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. 

What is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)?

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a method of obtaining donor hair for Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), where individual follicular units are harvested directly from the donor area, without the need for a linear incision. With the FUE technique, a .8mm to 1 mm punch is used to make a small circular incision in the skin around the upper part of the follicular unit, which is then extracted directly from the scalp.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) are sometimes mistakenly viewed as being two totally different hair transplant procedures. FUE, in fact, is a sub-type FUT where the follicular units are extracted directly from the scalp, rather than being microscopically dissected from a strip that has already been removed. To say it another way, in Follicular Unit Transplantation, individual follicular units can be obtained in one of two ways; either through single strip harvesting and stereomicroscopic dissection, or through FUE. Therefore, when comparisons are made between FUT and FUE, what is really being compared is the way the follicular grafts are obtained (i.e. strip harvesting and dissection vs. direct extraction). The process in the recipient area is the same.

The main advantage of FUE is that it does not cause a linear scar. Therefore it is useful in patients who for one reason or another may in the future want to have their donor area very short. (<1cm in length). This advantage was the main reason for the development of the technique.

This hair loss question was answered by Dr. Robert True of New York, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

When can I start using hair care products after hair transplant surgery?

A few weeks after the hair restoration procedure, you can return to use of any of your preferred hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners, gels, mousses, etc.

We do believe that the Head and Shoulders and Neutrogena product lines are excellent for maintaining hair and scalp health, but you can use the products you know and like the best.

You can color your hair beginning one month after your treatment.  It is safe to use semi-permanent or permanent coloring agents. Try to avoid strong bleaching agents as these can be damaging to your hair whether transplanted or native.

You can also use alopecia (hair loss) masking cosmetics such as Toppik, Courve, Nanogen, or DermMatch.

You can use a laser comb if you like. We know this will not hurt anything. Although there are claims otherwise, we have not seen adequate scientific evidence that low level laser therapy prevents hair loss or restores lost hair. There is evidence that ongoing use promotes thickening of existing individual hair shafts. It is ok to use this if you want. We have no preference of models or manufacturers.

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Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, hair restoration, hair care products, alopecia, hair loss, Toppik, Courve, Nanogen, DermMatch, laser comb

At the Hair Transplant Network, patients have the final say on which hair transplant physicians are recommended by our community. Thus, we would appreciate your input in considering one of our recommended surgeons for Coalition membership.

Dr. Carman has impressed our patient community with his dedication to providing ultra refined follicular unit hair transplantation and devotion to patient education since he was approved for recommendation on the Hair Transplant Network in August of 2008 (click here to view his recommendation). Thus, given his proven track record of producing excellent results, he is being considered for membership in the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

In addition to gathering actual patient experiences, we often visit the clinics to meet patients in person and observe the surgical techniques (see the photos and highlights from dozens of visits). In June of 2008, Pat Hennessey visited Dr. Carman’s clinic in La Jolla and observed his ultra refined technique. To see highlights from Pat’s visit, view “Visit to Dr. Carman’s Clinic in La Jolla, CA”

We invite you to view his work and credentials and give your input regarding Dr. Carman’s potential Coalition membership. To view this topic, visit “Potential Coalition Membership for Dr. Timothy Carman”.

To see our criteria for recommendation and for Coalition membership, click here. To see the list of all current physicians recommended worldwide, click here

Bill Seemiller - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, Coalition, Dr. Carman, hair transplantation, Hair Transplant Network

Most hair loss sufferers who undergo hair transplant surgery are careful to keep a certain level of discretion about their procedure to prevent drawing attention to themselves. However, there may come a time and a place where you decide to share your experience with members of your family, friends, or other loved ones.

If you’re like most hair transplant patients, you fear how other people are going to react when you tell them you’ve had hair restoration surgery.  In this hair loss forum discussion thread, members of our community explain how others reacted when they shared their hair restoration experiences with people in their lives.  This is a must read for those concerned about how people in their lives will react to their hair transplant.

Bill Seemiller - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair transplant, hair restoration