I’ve been trying to research my hair transplant options and I’m starting to get really confused. According to what I read on the internet, FUE is the new state of the art hair transplant procedure to have. I read that it is noninvasive and leaves virtually no scar. However when I speak to so-called FUE experts who perform this type of hair transplant they all try to talk me out of it claiming that it is somehow an inferior procedure. I’m confused, these hair transplant surgeons all claim to perform FUE on their websites, but when I speak with them they try to talk me out of it. Can someone explain to me why this is the case and in truth FUE is the way to go these days?
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FUE is a new and exciting technique of hair transplantation, but it is not for everyone. FUE should be thought of as an adjunct to strip surgery, and not its replacement. And lets be clear about this, FUE is most certainly an “invasive” procedure. In some respects it’s even MORE invasive than strip. There is NO such thing as “non-invasive” surgery; and FUE surgery is certainly no exception. Read the Story

My 19 year old son has been very depressed about his hair loss. He has been talking to me about taking the drug propecia but I am very uncomfortable about him taking this drug with all of its side effects. I’m also concerned about the long term side effects. I was thinking about just gong him the gift of a hair transplant for his 20th birthday so that he can put this behind him an go on with his life. Do you think this is a good idea and what is the best hair transplant procedure for a young person?

Dealing with hair loss in young men can be very challenging. Most of his friends probably have not started losing hair, so I am sure it makes him self-conscious. The problem with performing a transplant at age 19 is that it is extremely difficult to predict how advanced that man’s hair loss will progress in the future. Frequently, men who begin noticing hair loss in their late teens will bald rapidly through their early 20s. Without having a good idea of future balding patterns, it makes it difficult to judge where to safely place hair (keeping in mind that transplanted hair is permanent hair). Young men seem to invariably want transplants that create low hairlines and that fill in the bald spots in the vertex so that they look the same as most of their friends. Please be warned that if hair is placed too low in the hair line or in the vertex, future balding can lead to a very awkward hair pattern. Read the Story

I’m a 23 year old male who seems to be thinning towards a norwood 5ish pattern. I have taken propecia in both 1mg and .5 mg, but have experienced side effects both times. I use Rogaine 5% foam 2x daily. I’m wondering what my next plan of action should be. Should I keep trying propecia? Is it possible to have hair transplant work done if you are not on propecia? Thanks.
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First of all, studies on Propecia showed that approximately 2% of patients who take the medication will experience a decrease in libido, or sex drive. Interestingly, in half of the patients who experienced this side effect, it resolved despite continuing to take the medication; the other half had to discontinue treatment for this side effect to subside. The question in your particular situation is, then, how long you have taken the drug. If it is only for a short time frame, for example, a couple of months, then I would advise you to continue it to see if your body adapts to the medication and the side effects subside. Other options are to change the time of day in which you take the drug. That is if you usually take it in the morning, try taking it at bedtime , or vice versa, and see if that makes a difference . You might also try taking it every other day. Obviously if you have taken it for longer term and attempted to make these changes in dosing schedule and, the side effects persist, you will have to make the decision to discontinue the medication. Read the Story

Introduction: For many years, men were the primary beneficiaries of hair transplantation. However, with the development of more refined techniques, there are now many applications of hair transplantation in women, including the treatment of female pattern hair loss, hairline advancement, eyebrow and eyelash restoration, and the repair of the sequelae of certain plastic surgery procedures. Whereas not more than six or seven years ago seeing women in consultation about hair concerns was rather unrewarding, I now eagerly look forward to treating women due to the tools and experience I now have to successfully help them. Today, women make up over 20% of my patients, and this number continues to steadily rise.

What’s New in Hair Transplantation for Women?

What’s new for women is what has been evolving for the past seven years, to allow for many more successful applications of hair transplantation. Follicular unit grafting, now the state-of-the-art technique, has evolved during this time period to become the technique of choice, capable of creating the most natural appearing results. Of particular benefit to women is that these tiny follicular unit grafts are able to be placed into similarly tiny-sized incisions, expanding the applications to such refined areas as the eyebrows, and permitting the placement of donor hairs between existing hairs in areas of thinning.

Read the Story

As a woman with thinning hair I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity to ask experts questions about my situation. Here’s my story. I am 32 and for the past six years my hair has been getting thinner and thinner. I have not had children and have never taken oral contraceptives. I’ve had every possible blood test known to man and every thing appears to be normal. I have never been diagnosed with Female Pattern Baldness but I think that this is what I am going through. I would like to have a hair transplant but read on The American Hair Loss Association website that most women are not candidates. Is this true?

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Hello, I’m sorry to hear about your hairloss. I know this can be quite be distressing. First, I’m going to assume you have had all the appropriate blood tests and have been evaluated by a Board Certified Dermatologist. You say you have had numerous blood tests but not been diagnosed with Female Pattern Baldness. Have you been given a diagnosis or possible explanation for your hair loss? If you have not seen a Board Certified Dermatologist, preferably with an interest in hair loss, or Hair Restoration Physician that would be my first suggestion. A scalp biopsy would help provide a more definite diagnosis and this is necessary before discussing treatment of course. Assuming you are diagnosed with Female Pattern Baldness, then we would have several options to consider. You certainly would deserve a trial of Minoxidil 5%. Spironolactone, a diuretic with hair growth effects, could be added as well. If you are post-menopausal some doctors use finesteride, although this is only approved for use in men but has been reported to be sometimes effective in women. Read the Story

I have had skin grafts on my head and have scar tissue. I have had some bald spots but generally had good hair growing up. As my head grew it didn’t look the same as when I was a kid. My hairline is now receding (the actual normal tissue) and I guess my question is, would I be able to get a hair transplant just where my normal hair was? Can they work around scar tissue without it being re-constructive surgery? I just want the hair transplanted where the tissue is normal again. Thank you, Jesse
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Thank you for providing photographs of your scalp. Although I do not know any of the specifics of your prior surgical procedures, it is clear that you have scarring present in what is considered the traditional zone for male pattern baldness. Your photos indicate that you do have a relatively early male pattern loss which is developing throughout the frontal, central and crown regions. The thinning appears to be worse in the frontal region, which happens to be the area affected by scar tissue.

First off, you have a relatively early pattern. By this I mean that you continue to have a significant amount of residual hair in the thinning zones. Read the Story

I’ve been trying to research my hair restoration options as best as I can, but keep running into conflicting information. I want to have a hair transplant but I an not sure how to get the best hair transplant for the best price. I keep seeing ads on the internet for doctors who will do a transplant for $2 dollars a graft, but as with everything in life I fear the ” I will get what I pay for.” I’m very glad that I found your organization and was hoping you can give me some guidance. Can I get a good hair transplant for $2 dollars a graft or will these doctors be cutting corners? Thanks in advance for your help, Peter
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It may be possible to get a hair transplant for $2 dollars a graft but you could get a bad hair transplant. Clinic’s that promote price are either hair transplant mills (more then one procedure per day) or a new doctor starting out. When a new doctor is starting out in this business he will offer his services for less money to get your business. Research his patients and his training. Ask if there are any additional fees and how the number of grafts needed is determined. You should find out the largest number of grafts the doctor has transplanted in one session and the type of grafts he usually transplants. Read the Story

I’m recently divorced and thought that getting some new hair might help me to fair better in the dating scene. My problem is that I currently wear a hairpiece and I’m afraid to go through all of the expense and discomfort of surgery only to be disappointed with the outcome. Is it possible to hair transplant enough hair to make by own hair as thick as my hair piece. I currently wear about 65% density so you can see some scalp. Please let me know.
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The answer to the question of whether you can get someone out of a hair system using hair transplantation and achieve a density of ~65% of normal is YES. Problem is that while the answer seems simple, there are a number of factors that have to be considered when attempting this.

First, what is the underlying Norwood pattern? If it is a pattern 3, 4, 5, or even 6 (that has high parietal hairlines) it can be done. If you are a full blown Norwood 7, I don’t believe it can be accomplished.

Second, how much donor is available for harvest? Most guys have 7-10 thousand grafts that can be harvested over time. However, some don’t and without these types of numbers the outcome will probably not achieve the desired coverage and density that is wanted. Read the Story

The one thing that I keep reading about is the possibility of having a large or stretched scar from a strip hair transplant. I am seriously considering a hair transplant but this gives me pause. FUE would seem to solve this problem but I have not seen results that match strip hair transplants. Can scar stretching be prevented somehow and are there any new techniques to address this issue.

This is a good question. We believe that the scarring from FUE is under reported as we have seen numerous cases where the scarring from FUE is quite evident even with less than a shaved donor area. While the scarring we have seen with direct visualization has been fairly common we also find that the sub dermal scarring from FUE is even more prevalent when we are removing a donor strip on a patient that has undergone a previous procedure using FUE.

Wide donor scarring, or “stretch back”, is not common in our practice and is rarely seen. This is because we take measures during our strip excision to help prevent this from occurring. Read the Story

I’ve been wearing a hair piece for almost 5 years and I am getting sick of the constant maintenance and cost associated with being a member of The Hair Club. I was speaking to my stylist the other day complaining about the situation and she suggested that I try a hair transplant. She told me that they have doctors who work at the Hair Club but I find that very suspect so this is why I am coming to you. If I have a hair transplant can I wear my hairpiece until the transplanted hair grows in? Will this damage the new hair in anyway and have you ever had any clients who have done this? This whole wig thing is starting to get me down and I would just like to chuck it. Thank you in advance.

It is generally speaking possible to wear a hair piece shortly after a hair transplant surgery. However it is very important in which manner the hair piece is fixed on the scalp. High quality hair pieces are mostly manufactured in a thin skin-like material, in which the hairs are interwoven or even glued. The hair piece is mostly fixed on the available hairs or on the skin itself, nevertheless it may on no account be fixed in the recipient zone after surgery. The fixing can be done by means of clips or adhesive tape on the not- treated parts of the scalp. Read the Story