Hair Transplant and Propecia Concerns

I’ve seen some promising results from the follicular unit hair transplant  I received in late February 2009. However, I’m concerned that the Propecia I am taking has been a contributing factor to a recurrence of the mood disorder that I’ve been treated for during the past year. Regardless of whether or not the Propecia is the actual culprit here, my question is this: What are my options if I find that I cannot continue on the Propecia? I had about 2,500 grafts in my crown and hairline areas. It seems likely that if I don’t continue on the Propecia –which it seems is the only drug with much hope of stopping my hair loss — then I will become seriously disfigured as my natural hair recedes past the point of the grafts. I don’t think additional procedures will help in this case, it seems like they would make things worse. Thanks for your reply, Scott
- - - - - - - -

Dear Scott:

Thank you for your letter. The good news is that it is likely that you will continue to get more hair as the transplanted grafts continue grow over the next 2-4 months.

There have been sporadic reports of Propecia causing some mood alterations but the problem is that they occur so infrequently that it is unclear if the medication is in fact the cause. If by discontinuing the medication your problems resolve it in fact may have been the Propecia. The other possibility is that it may just be slight changes in the expression of your underlying mood disorder. Read more

Looking For Hair Transplant Scar Repair In Miami

I had a hair transplant when I was 20 and would prefer now to just have a buzz cut. I have a straight scar in the back of my head that is very thin but if I buzz my head it will definitely be visible. My doctor did not take the extra step of stitching or cutting the skin so hair would grow through the scar. Is there anywhere in the Miami area, where I currently live that I can go to get the scar fixed to become hard to see? - Patrick
- - - - - - - - -

First of all Patrick, you bring up a very good case in point as to why young men (those under the age of 25 or so) should not be readily treated for their hair loss with a transplant procedure. Certainly, anyone at that age, I am going to recommend the most conservative approach, most likely Propecia, possible laser light therapy, and conservative follow up. For those men under the age of 26 or so, FUE is essentially the only procedure I would consider, for it does not leave the problem of a visible donor site scar.

With your donor site scar, I have found that the first step should usually be the excision of the scar with plastic surgery closure. While there is no guarantee that this will improve the appearance of the scar, it makes sense to try this first, for it does have a reasonable chance of scar narrowing, and perhaps if there is enough laxity, for the allowance of hair growth through the scar using the HITS (trichophytic) technique. A variety of techniques can be used for scar revision- most commonly it involves the use of deep sutures to help hold the tissue together, with superficially placed skin sutures as well. Read more

Is There An Ideal Season For Receiving a Hair Transplant?

Is there any ideal season for doing hair transplant, like summer winter? Some of my elders are advising to do a hair transplant in the winter season. I need your expert advice. -Hafeez
- - - - - - -

Dear Hafeez,

The ideal season depends mostly on you and the procedure you choose.

Hair loss has a tendency to accelerate in the winter months. We usually see an increase in surgery patients in the fall and winter. As you know, some animals tend to retain more hair in the winter months and have more shedding in the warmer months. With humans, we tend to see more shedding in colder months.

Perhaps this is why we perform more surgical solutions in the winter than in the summer. Perhaps it is because people want a more active life style in the summer.

This leads me toward my recommendations. You are the one who will determine when to have a hair transplant. It will depend on your lifestyle. If you can wear a hat and can get out of public scrutiny in the winter, the winter will be better for you. If the summer is better for a more secluded life style, then have the procedure in the summer. Read more