How Do I Camouflage a Hair Transplant Scar?

What’s the best way to camouflage a scar left behind from a scalp reduction that I had in 2001? I am currently wearing Dermatch to cover the area, but the hair parts like the “red sea” on top around the scar so the makeup does not look so good. I would like to fill in the area with hair but I am not sure if a hair transplant will grow into scar tissue. Thank you.
- - - - - - - - - - -

Hair will grow in the scar but, as you allude to, the problem is often the abnormal hair direction rather than the scar itself.  Besides adding hair to the scar, if one transplants hair adjacent to the scar, so that it lies over the scarred area, the visual affect of the “Red Sea” effect can be lessened.  Read more

Can An African American Have a Successful Hair Transplant?

I was wondering if it is possible for an African American to have a successful hair transplant? I do not know anyone who has ever had it performed, and I don’t see too many good photos on the internet.
- - - - - - - - -

Thank you for your question. Not only is it possible for an African American to have a successful hair transplant, often times the result will look thicker than a similar number hairs transplanted into a Caucasian. The reasons for this are that in the African American patient there is less contrast between the hair color and skin color and the curl produced by the hair covers more scalp than straight hair.

When seeking a physician to perform this surgery it is helpful to ask about his or her experience with African American patients. Although the procedure is essentially the same as the surgery performed in patients with straight hair there are some differences that require special attention in the graft dissection and implantation phases of the surgery. Read more

Is It a Waste To Have a Hair Transplant Without Using Propecia?

I just turned 30 years old and really would like to do something about my hair loss this year. I feel that my receding hairline is making me look older beyond my years. This is my problem, I am not a big fan of taking medication, and I am also very concerned about the long term side effects of Propecia. I think I would be a Norwood Class 3 with thinning sides, but the hair on the back of my head is extremely thick. Would it be a waste for me to have a hair transplant, but not take Propecia? Thanks in advance, Carl
- - - - - - - - - -

Carl:

Thank you for your e-mail.

I will attempt to answer your question, “Would it be a waste for me to have a hair transplant, but not take Propecia?” in the following manner.

In my opinion, modern hair restoration surgery deals with an imbalance in “supply vs demand”. What I mean by this is to say that most patients that I perform consultations on have a larger “demand” area, (i.e. the area of the scalp that we transplant into), and smaller “supply” areas, (i.e. the available donor follicles). Stated another way, most patients have a “mismatch” in the larger recipient zone compared to the smaller donor zone. Therefore, it is important for me to council my patients about the importance of “getting serious about stopping hair loss” such that the recipient zone does not continue to expand over time. Read more

Hair Transplant For Balding Crown - Is This a Good Idea?

I’m 43 years old and I have been slowly losing my hair for the past 15 years. I seemed to have retained a pretty good hairline, even though it is slightly higher than it used to be, however, the baldness in my crown has grown over the years. I recently began using Propecia and noticed less hair falling out in the shower, but I haven’t really noticed any regrowth. I would very much like to fill in the balding area of my crown with a hair transplant. Considering my current situation, would this be an appropriate step to take? Thanks, Tom
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Tom,

Thank you for taking the time to write. Your situation is a common one and I’m pleased to hear that you have already started taking Propecia. This is one of the most significant factors for optimizing your long-term cosmetic results. In my experience, it cannot be counted on to preserve frontal density indefinitely, but Propecia WILL stop crown loss from enlarging appreciably. Besides, it is cheaper than surgery!

It is difficult to make an accurate assessment without seeing you, but at a consult with a reputable hair surgeon you should discuss your goals and expectations for your hair first and foremost. In your case, you seem to have a reasonable goal of filling in your crown. Read more

Ability To Cover a Progressively Balding Scalp After a Hair Transplant

I understand that my male pattern balding will continue to progress throughout the crown area on my scalp, leaving the typical horseshoe effect that I’m sure I will inherit from both of my grandfathers. I will be having a hair transplant in about 8 months to restore my receding hair in the front. It recedes about two inches from where my original hairline was once located, and also in that very flattering spot right in the very back.

I am 26 years old and will be 27 before my surgery, have very light blond and extremely curly hair. I will be having follicular unit hair transplants by a reputable company (HC). My question: If I continue to bald in the crown area over my lifetime, can I have additional surgeries to assure that the crown area is covered by hairs not affected by DHT by having this done?

Also, I have read about donor areas and the amount of one’s own hair available to use as transplantable hairs. Say I will eventually develop a horseshoe pattern without surgery and Propecia, does one have enough donate-able hair to cover the whole crown area, and thus keep undetectable natural looking hair transplants? Read more