Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

In this article, recommended hair transplant surgeon Dr. Parsa Mohebi shares his research concerning the effects of wound healing on hair growth.

I recently received an interesting inquiry from a patient regarding hair growth following his leg injury.  The case reminded me of some of my work at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine on hair growth and wound healing.  I thought this would be an interesting subject for balding men and women who are interested in the latest techniques of hair restoration.  The subject could also be of intrigue for doctors who thrive on developing new ways to help their patients through the means of quality hair restoration research.

This patient explained a condition in which he noticed brand new hair which appeared to be growing out of a healing wound he had as a result of a biking injury. The patient found this discovery to be fascinating and wondered what scientific studies have recorded cases of this type, and how his predicament can be seen as a benefit to science.

When doing research on wound healing at Johns Hopkins University, our team did research on an animal model which revealed to us that wound healing can enhance the growth of hair. This result came as a shock when looking at different wound healing studies. It was noted there were gene therapy techniques which may have possibly affected the hair growth in the animals being studied.

Recently, a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion forums, and practicing permanent tattoo artist, shared his opinion of Scalp Micropigmentation (scalp tattooing). Below, the member discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the increasingly popular new procedure:

For the last 13 years I have performed permanent make-up tattooing. I have thoroughly researched the use of tattooing in the setting of thinning or balding hair patients. . To understand the rationale for Scalp Micropigmentation (sometimes called Pigment Substitution Hair Replacement Treatment, scalp tattooing, et cetera) you must understand two basics, pixelation and illusion. I am sure most of you have seen the street art of the person who develops a chalk drawing on concrete that appears to be 3-dimensional. This is the illusion portion, proper shading, dimension and positioning will tell your brain that the image is real – no matter that you see it on a two dimensional surface, this works and is not disputed. The second component is pixels. If you have a good television, you are completely unaware of the millions of “dots” which comprise your picture – yet that is all it is, a group of dots making your brain see an image as a whole – thus the illusion again.

Every year, hair restoration physicians, medical assistants and others in the hair restoration profession from around the world come together to discuss the latest and greatest hair loss treatments at the annual International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) scientific meeting.  Last week, the ISHRS held its annual 2011 scientific meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.

While the publishers of the Hair Transplant Network were unable to attend this year’s ISHRS meeting, the below highlights from this year’s conference came from interviews with several expert hair restoration physicians who provided this community with their feedback on the latest innovations discussed at this year’s meeting. 

Hot topics include updates on hair duplication (formerly known as autocloning) with ACell, follicular unit extraction (FUE versus FUT hair transplant surgery), causes of female hair loss, Propecia and whether or not it can cause permanent sexual side effects, robotic hair transplant surgery using the ARTAS Hair Restoration System, revolutionary tools for hair restoration including updates on the NeoGraft hair transplant machine, hair transplant graft survival rates, and the future of hair loss treatments.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks Coalition member Dr. William Rassman for providing details on many hot topics he found particularly interesting on his Balding Blog (www.baldingblog.com).  Much of Dr. Rassman’s input on the meeting along with others are summarized below.

Other contributors to the below highlights of this year’s ISHRS meeting include:

Dr. Jerry Cooley
Dr. Victor Hasson
Dr. Jerry Wong
Dr. Mike Beehner
Dr. Parsa Mohebi
Dr. Jim Harris
Dr. Ron Shapiro
Dr. Alan Bauman

Although most assume hair loss is a condition exclusive to men, studies indicate that women actually comprise over 40% of the balding population. In most cases, female hair loss (female alopecia) is a devastating condition, causing emotional and psychological distress in a significant population of women. Due to the stress and stigma associated with this condition, various hair restoration and dermatological experts continually seek new ways to treat female hair loss.

One of these researchers, Dr. Bahman Guyuron – a plastic surgeon at Case Western Reserve University, recently conducted a study analyzing lifestyle factors and resulting hair loss in both male and female patients. Dr. Guyuron recruited over 200 identical twins (both male and female) and surveyed each subject’s lifestyle, living habits, and stress factors.

Interestingly enough, the survey results demonstrated a difference in factors causing hair loss in male and female patients. In male study subjects suffering hair loss, Dr. Guyuron found the strongest correlation between genetic predisposition (familial hair loss) and balding. Other elements, such as smoking, excessive sun exposure, alcohol consumption, and exercise, also play a lesser role in male hair loss.

However, the most significant component of female hair loss, according to the study, is the loss of a male spouse. In other words, Dr. Guyuron found that divorced or widowed subjects were more likely to suffer from female hair loss. Additionally, when comparing identical female twin subjects, one divorced or widowed and the other single or married, the correlation between loss of male spouse and female baldness was still observed.

Dr. Jerry Cooley, world renown hair transplant surgeon and esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians, was recently interviewed by the NBC News program Morning Edition in Anchorage Alaska. Dr. Cooley, last year’s president of the International Society of Hair Restoration Physicians (ISHRS) was in Anchorage, along with approximately 500 of his colleagues from around the globe, attending the annual 2011 ISHRS 19th Annual Scientific Meeting.

The ISHRS is the world’s largest organization dedicated to hair loss with more than 850 hair surgeons as members.  The ISHRS provides ongoing education to novice and expert physicians specializing in hair transplant surgery and gives the public the latest information on surgical hair restoration and non-surgical hair loss treatments.

Below, Dr. Jerry Cooley provides us with a preview of what will be discussed at this year’s 2011 ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) Scientific meeting in Anchorage Alaska.

In the above interview, Dr. Cooley touches on the latest advances in surgical and non-surgical hair restoration as well as research into future treatments like Histogen, Inc.’s Hair Stimulating Complex (HSC) and hair cloning. Dr. Cooley further states that treating hair loss in the future will likely consist of a combination of new and current techniques and procedures like Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride) rather than a single “hair loss cure“. Rogaine and Propecia are currently the only clinically proven and FDA approved treatments for androgenic alopecia (male pattern balding).

To view the full interview with Dr. Cooley click here.

The following article is the result of an extensive review of modern Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). The report, which analyzes the evolution of FUE hair transplant surgery, FUE surgeons, and differing FUE extraction tools, provides valuable information for interested patients and hair loss sufferers considering a follicular unit extraction procedure:

The Evolution of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), Physicians, and its Tools

Introduction

Of all the recent advances within the field of medical hair restoration, one that seems to garner the most attention from both hair loss patients and hair transplant surgeons is follicular unit extraction (FUE). Whether it’s the less invasive nature, lack of the linear scar associated with the traditional follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure, or potentially faster healing time, demand and popularity of FUE has increased greatly over the last several years. While most hair restoration experts believe that FUE has been traditionally overhyped or oversold to eager patients, it’s become evident that FUE is here to stay.

The lasting power of follicular unit extraction seems to stem from both patient demand and the dedication of talented hair restoration experts who continue perfecting the procedure, researching new extraction mechanisms, and creating new, more precise FUE tools. By evaluating these dedicated physicians, refined methods, and unique follicular unit extraction devices, this article briefly traces the evolution of FUE and attempts to shed some light on why the procedure continues increasing in popularity and demand each day.

Background

Recommended hair restoration surgeon Dr. Parsa Mohebi recently announced the development of the new Laxometer to accurately measure scalp laxity during hair transplant surgery.

According to Dr. Mohebi, the new tool, aptly titled the “Laxometer II,” allows for an accurate measurement of donor region scalp laxity prior to the strip excision phase of a  Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) procedure. This tool, which will be officially unveiled at the 2011 Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), precisely determines the amount removable donor tissue – maximizing the number of available follicular unit grafts while minimizing harmful transection and post-operative scarring.

In the official announcement, Dr, Mohebi states:

Thanks to this new advancement in hair restoration surgery, today, we can transplant a very large number of grafts and restore a person’s hair in simply one session, even if they are in the most advanced stages of baldness. Until recently, a procedure of this magnitude required two or more hair transplantations to achieve the desired coverage and hair density. This new ground breaking innovation will save time and money for both the patient and the surgeon.

More information about the Laxometer II will be available after the upcoming ISHRS meeting.
_______________
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

Follow our community on Twitter

Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

The following article was presented on our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums by forum member “TM”, Marketing Manager for Dr. Melike Kulahci.

Each year, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) invites a member who lives outside of the United States to organize a seminar in order to share his/her own hair restoration clinic’s research. This year, that honor was bestowed upon Dr. Melike Kulahci of Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Kulahci is an esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians and ISHRS board member.

The Next Big Thing Conference, hosted by Dr. Kulahci, gathered together many of the most prominent names in the study and treatment of hair loss to share the latest developments in hair transplantation technology including; the latest improvements in follicular unit extraction (FUE) with live demonstrations; hair multiplication or cloning; platelet rich plasma (PRP) and the use of ACell and lasers in hair transplant surgery among other topics.  You can view a video promo of the conference below.

The conference included live surgery demonstrations and presentations by several world renowned hair restoration surgeons including; Dr. Jerry Cooley, Dr. Bessam Farjo, Dr. Robert Haber, Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Jerry Wong and Transmed Medical Director Dr. Melike Kulahci.

With 98 surgeons from 32 countries in attendance, 5 live surgical demonstrations and 9 presentations performed, the TNBT Conference hosted by Dr. Kulahci created a strong platform with which to carry these advances in hair transplantation to the next level.

Recommended hair transplant surgeon Dr. Carlos Wesley is currently recruiting participants for a clinical study investigating follicular unit transplantation (FUT) scar reduction and follicular unit graft survival enhancement.

The “Hair Restoration Surgery Enhancement” study, which is approved by the Investigational Review Board, addresses both donor region scarring and graft survival rates, and hopes to significantly improve implanted growth yields and, according to Dr. Wesley, reduce donor scarring to levels below traditional Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).

Interested parties must be available for travel to Dr. Wesley’s New York practice and will receive a number of follicular unit grafts free of charge.

Although the details of the investigation have not yet been disclosed, promising updates will be provided as the clinical results unfold.

Are you interested in participating in the Hair Restoration Surgery Enhancement Study? If so, feel free to visit the discussion topic and contact Dr. Wesley directly: Invitation to Participate in HRS Enhancement Investigation.
_______________
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

Follow our community on Twitter

Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Get Proven Hair Loss Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new Online Hair Loss Product Store

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, follicular unit transplantation, FUT, follicular unit graft, Hair Restoration, Follicular Unit Extraction, FUE, Hair Restoration Surgery

Men’s Health Online, the online version of the popular men’s health, wellness, and lifestyle magazine, recently featured an article discussing modern hair transplant surgery and exciting future hair restoration treatments.

The article covers topics ranging from the evolution of hair multiplication research, Aderans Research Institute‘s “ARI Process,” automated follicular unit extraction (FUE) devices (including an interview with recommended hair transplant surgeon Dr. James Harris discussing the SAFE Powered Scribe and ARTAS Hair Restoration System), and the potential integration of surgical, medical, and stem cell hair loss treatments in the near future.

Although the article does contain some (recently) outdated information and slight misconceptions, it’s still a well researched piece and may be interesting for hair loss sufferers researching current trends in surgical hair restoration and future hair loss treatments.

To read the Men’s Health Online article, click here: The New Science of Hair Growth. 
_______________
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

Follow our community on Twitter

Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Get Proven Hair Loss Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new Online Hair Loss Product Store

Technorati Tags: hair transplant surgery, hair restoration, hair multiplication, Aderans Research Institute, ARI Process, follicular unit extraction, hair transplant surgeon, SAFE Powered Scribe, ARTAS Hair Restoration System, stem cell hair loss, hair loss, surgical hair restoration, future hair loss treatments