Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

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

I’m looking to undergo a follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure, and I’m wondering what type of post-operative complications can occur with hair transplant surgery?

While hair transplantation is considered a minimally invasive and low-risk procedure, all surgeries carry some probability of complication (both during the surgery and during the post-operative, recovery period).

In my opinion, the two biggest complications, specifically post-operative complications, associated with surgical hair restoration include the rare possibility of infection and unanticipated scarring. Most hair transplant surgeons utilize a combination of operative and recovery period antibiotics to highly reduce chances of infection, and scarring is a very subjective process that varies depending on physician skill and an individual’s physiology.

Furthermore, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) some of the possible complications associated with hair transplantation include: “post-operative infection, excessive bleeding, and delayed healing.”
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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

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Technorati Tags: Hair Loss, follicular unit transplantation, FUT, hair transplant surgery, hair transplantation, hair restoration, hair transplant surgeons, International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, ISHRS

This comment, addressed by Coalition hair restoration surgeon Dr. William Lindsey, was shared by a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums:

I am a 23 year old male seriously considering a hair transplant. I am a class 2 on the Norwood Scale with a naturally high hairline and diffuse thinning and recession in the temples about an inch back and slight thinning and recession in the front (minor). I have been on Propecia (finasteride) for 2 years and Rogaine Foam (on the hairline) for 2 years. I also use 2% Nizoral twice per week. I have a few uncles on my mom’s side who are Norwood 5’s and some uncles on my dad’s side who are norwood 2’s and 3’s. My dad is a Norwood 2a. I have been to two hair restoration surgeons who both said I was a good candidate because I have good donor hair and I’ve halted/slowed my hair loss with finasteride. The surgery would be a conservative approach to establish a mature hairline. I’m not trying to get my adolescent hairline back. They each recommended between 800 and 1000 grafts via follicular unit transplantation (FUT). I know I am young but what do you guys think? Will I regret this in 10-20 years? Is shock loss a major concern in my case? Anyone with a similar experience?

I have no problem with your age if you are an informed patient and you plan to avoid the 3 mistakes of hair transplant surgery.

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.

In this hair loss video, hair restoration physician Dr. Edmond Griffin discusses the causes of hair loss and the most effective non-surgical hair loss treatments available today. This includes the only FDA approved hair loss solutions Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil).

Dr. Griffin is an esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians and recommended by the Hair Transplant Network. To learn more about Dr. Griffin, his technique, experience, and hair transplant philosophy, visit his Coalition profile here.

To see all of our hair transplant videos, visit our Hair Transplant Video Channel on YouTube.

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

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

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair restoration, Dr. Edmond Griffin, hair loss treatments, Propecia, finasteride, Rogaine, minoxidil, hair transplant videos, Hair Transplant, YouTube

In 1992, Merck Pharmaceuticals obtained FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approval for a new drug, which utilized finasteride to treat Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) in older male patients. However, during the course of the prostate study, the Merck researchers noticed something unusual: along with decreased prostate size, male study subjects also reported an increase in new scalp hair growth while taking finasteride.

After evaluating these claims, Merck launched a new study to test both the safety and efficacy of treating male pattern baldness with finasteride. The study concluded that finasteride halted and, in numerous cases, reversed progressive hair loss, and, in 1997, Merck launched Propecia – a 1 mg finasteride tablet for treating androgenic alopecia in men.

The drug demonstrated significant results, but many began to question the potential sexual side effects associated with prolonged use of the medication. During the initial FDA trials, researchers concluded that finasteride could cause sexual side effects, such as diminished libido and erectile dysfunction (ED), but these reactions were only seen in 2% of subjects and subsided after stopping the medication. However, many hair loss sufferers weren’t convinced and asked for new studies to test both the efficacy of the medication and the impact of the potential sexual side effects.

Recently, a research team in Japan answered these requests with one of the largest and most conclusive finasteride studies since the initial FDA trials.

This hair loss question was answered by  Dr. Scott Alexander of Phoenix, Arizona who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  His professional answer is below.

I couldn’t get an appointment at my health center to remove my sutures until next Tuesday. That will be 12 days after my hair transplant. Will that be okay?

I always remove my sutures 7 days post op because, no matter how nonreactive the sutures are supposed to be, they still cause irritation to the scalp and, if left in too long, can cause more scarring. The longer you leave them in, the higher the chance of having “railroad tracks” form. This is the scarring that is caused from sutures and has nothing to do with the incision.

Another thing that can happen from leaving sutures in too long is that your skin can grow up around the sutures causing increased scarring. The goal is to remove the irritating foreign body as soon as you can.

I always place deep, simple, dissolveable sutures to take the tension off the outer suture line which also helps to prevent the incision from widening.

Dr. Scott Alexander

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

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

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

I recently started a Rogaine (minoxidil) regimen and I’m wondering how long I need to take the medication before experiencing stabilization and new hair growth? Also, what type of side effects are associated with prolonged Rogaine usage? If I stop the treatment, will the new growth and hair loss stabilization disappear?

Most hair restoration experts recommend utilizing preventive hair loss medications (like Rogaine and Propecia) for 6-12 months before judging the efficacy of the treatments. Many believe that 6 months is sufficient, but waiting the full 12 months could be useful if you’re uncertain or want to “play it safe.”

Rogaine (minoxidil) side effects include:

“burning or irritation of the eye, itching, redness or irritation at the treated area, as well as unwanted hair growth elsewhere on the body; severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; dizziness; fainting; fast heartbeat; sudden, unexplained weight gain; swollen hands or feet; side effects of oral minoxidil may include swelling of the face and extremities, rapid and irregular heartbeat.”

(*compiled from several web sources)

From my experience, it seems like most individuals tolerate Rogaine/minoxidil quite well and the most common side effects include some swelling and unexpected hair growth.

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.

This question, asked by a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Glenn Charles:

A lot of people would say 20 is too young for a hair transplant and, on the whole, I agree. No one knows how hair loss may progress in the future. But surely at some point it’s time to bite the bullet. If I could get 5 years of no real hair troubles before I had to cross the ‘receding again’ bridge, I’d be more than happy. On one hand I worry about further loss, on the other, I worry that I’m wasting my early years worrying about something I should be too young to worry about. For all I know, I could die at age 30.

Age should only be one factor when deciding if a person is a candidate for hair restoration surgery. My thought is that a patient must understand if more balding occurs in the future (which is likely) that more hair transplants may be required and any hairline/frontal work needs to be done in a conservative location that will look appropriate with aging.

I agree that it is more important when you are young. Life is very short. Enjoy it while you can because you never know how much longer any of us will be here.

Dr. Glenn Charles

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In this hair transplant video interview, Coalition physician Dr. Raymond Konior discusses what patients should look for in a hair transplant surgeon. He believes research, especially on the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Network, asking questions, and consulting with several hair restoration physicians is vital when selecting a doctor.

Dr. Konior’s very experienced staff prepare all the follicular unit grafts using microscopes exclusively. He carefully creates all the incisions for these refined grafts using very tiny custom cut blades. By carefully controling the angle, direction and depth of these incisions he creates a very natural pattern and direction for the new hair, even in the temples and sides.

Dr Ray Konior is a member of the elite Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians and recommended on the Hair Transplant Network. View Dr. Ray Konior’s Coalition profile at the Hair Loss Learning Center here.To view Coalition membership standards, click here.

To see all of our hair transplant videos, visit our Hair Transplant Video Channel on YouTube.

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

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

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, Dr. Raymond Konior, hair restoration, follicular unit, Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians, Hair Transplant Network, Hair Loss, hair transplant videos, YouTube