Author Archive for James Harris, MD, FACS

James A. Harris, MD, FACS is an internationally prominent surgeon in the field of hair restoration surgery, and a published author of both medical and consumer publications. He is a faculty member of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he teaches hair transplantation to resident physicians in training and community physicians. As director of the Hair Sciences Center of Colorado (HSC), he has established a practice dedicated exclusively to providing the very best in medical and surgical treatments for hair loss. As part of this commitment, patient education and the highest standards of care are his first priority. Dr. Harris personally consults with every patient and is always the physician performing the surgery at HSC. Supported by an exceptionally experienced team of nurses and technicians specialized in hair replacement surgery, Dr. Harris' standard of care does not end with surgery. Personalized follow-up attention is provided after the procedure, starting the very next day. This care continues until the hair is grown out and the patient is satisfied. Dr. Harris is a member of the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons and recommended by the American Hair Loss Association. Visit Dr. Harris Website: www.hsccolorado.com

Does An FUE Hair Transplant Get The Same Yield As a Strip Procedure?

[ Video Response Below ] After reviewing your materials I’ve made the decision to have a hair transplant, but now my biggest dilemma is whether to go with FUE or the strip harvesting method. I’m really struggling with this. I think I will need at least 3000 grafts to make a dent in my Norwood III pattern of hair loss, so I know a strip is probably the best way to go, but I’m very nervous about being one of those people with a bad strip scar. Does FUE really get the same yield as strip? Also, am I being paranoid about the scar?

Thank you for your help in this matter.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for your question regarding your dilemma of whether to have hair restoration utilizing strip surgery or FUE to obtain the grafts. Unfortunately, you may have heard conflicting information on this topic from either patients or physicians, due to either a lack of knowledge about either procedure, or due to a commercial bias. I am going to try and give you some information that may help you sort the facts and make a decision that is right for you.

You are not alone in your fear about ending up as one of those people you have read about with bad strip scars. But, lets take a step back, ignore the hype and look at the two procedures. Read more

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

Would a Hair Transplant Be a Permanent Hair Loss Solution For My 26 Year Old Son?

My 26 year old son has been losing his hair since about the age of 18. Hair loss runs on my side of the family so I feel somewhat responsible for what he is going through. It breaks my heart to see him so unhappy and I would like to help him if I can. I’ve done a great deal of research and keep coming back to your organization as being the one to trust. Can you tell me if hair transplantation would be a permanent solution for my son and will he need follow up surgeries once he begins the process. Should he be taking medication like Propecia before thinking about surgery or do they work together?

Thanks you for your time,
Concerned Mom
- - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for your letter.  It certainly is difficult to watch one of your children, no matter what the age,  have a difficult time with a condition that can be emotionally devastating. You didn’t mention how severe his hair loss is, but the fact that he started losing it at an early age suggests that he has a fairly aggressive case of androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness.

The good news is that with medication the hair loss may be significantly slowed or stopped, and provide some chance that re-growth may occur. Read more

Female Hair Transplant - Concerned That My Hair Appears Thinner Than It Was Before The Surgery

I had a hair transplant done October 08. I had stress hair loss on the upper back portion of my head from consistently wearing  bobby pins in the same spot day and night for years. I found a surgeon through a referral from a friend, we decided on 1000 grafts. On the morning of surgery, I asked for some grafts to be put in the front as it was thinner than it had been when I was younger, I am 49 yrs.old. In all, he put 1200 grafts in the problem area and 375 in the frontal area. Each micrograft was to yield 1 - 3 hairs. The large area is coming in and I can see new growth in the front, but the front is so much thinner than it was prior to surgery, I can’t even conceal it! Needless to say I am very distressed. I contacted the doctor’s office and they said it could be shock and it should grow back. Can I expect it to grow back? Should I be using any product to help the growth? Sincerely, Joyce
- - - - - - - - - - -

Dear Joyce:

Thank you for your letter.  Based on your explanation of the surgery and the number of grafts, I would have to agree with the answer you received from the doctor’s office. The fact that the frontal area is thinner than it was prior to surgery suggests that you have shock loss. Read more

My 16 Year Old Daughter Has Hair Loss - Is She Too Young For a Hair Transplant?

My daughter is currently 16 years old.  She started experiencing hair loss when she hit puberty (approximately 11 years old) as well as fairly serious acne.  She has had numerous blood tests to check for various hormonal issues, but to date, no definitive diagnosis — everything appears within normal range.  Oral contraceptives have greatly improved the acne but have not helped at all with the hair loss.  Her hair loss has now stabilized (does not appear to be getting any thinner); however her hair is very thin on top (you can clearly see through to her scalp and there is no way to do a “comb over” — just not enough hair).  The hair on sides and back is fine (normally thick).

My question is:  Is she old enough to consider a hair transplant?  I’ve read that it is generally preferred to be 25 years or older (???), however I am concerned that female hair loss is a serious social burden that will be especially difficult through the remainder of her high school and college career.  I’d really like to be able to help her now.
Thanks,
Janet
- - - - - -

Dear Janet:

Thank you for your letter. Hair loss can be difficult to deal with at any age but it can be particularly hard for a young woman. Before addressing the possibility of surgery there are some other issues that should be mentioned. Read more

Can an FUE Hair Transplant Be Performed on an Afro-Caribbean Man With Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) ?

My boyfriend has a form of CCCA (Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia) as well as mild Follicutis Keloidalis on the nape of his neck. I am looking to get him the FUE procedure done (Follicle unit extraction) and wanted to know if you guys can deal with or specialize in Afro-caribbean scalps and hair types. I can send photos of his scalp if needed.
Kind regards,
Leeanne
- - - - - - - - - -

Dear Leeanne:

Thank you for your letter and question. The diagnosis of a scarring alopecia, such as CCCA, will require that there is evidence that the process is not active before surgical intervention may be considered. There is no correct answer as to when surgery may be performed but there should probably be a minimum of one year during which there is no active inflammation. The dermatologist that is following your friend should be able to assist in this determination. There is also a risk that the condition can be reactivated by surgery in the involved areas. Occasionally a “test session” can be performed to see if this is a possibility. CCCA, also called “hot comb” alopecia, has been linked to physical and chemical trauma of the scalp by certain hair-care practices. I will assume that if this is the cause of your friend’s hair loss, these practices have been discontinued. Read more

Guidance For Prospective Asian Hair Transplant Patients

I’m Asian, Chinese to be exact, and was curious about any distinct traits of “Asian hair” that may present unique challenges for hair transplant operations. I understand that Asian hair is typically comprised of 1 or 2 follicular units which is the reason the why most Asians have very straight hair. Does this mean it’s harder for Asians to receive a cosmetically successful hair transplant since they have less follicular units? What challenges does this present for the performing hair transplant surgeon? Does this mean “dense-packing” is really important for Asian hair procedures? Would Asians need more grafts to cover a similar area compared to non-Asians since they have less follicular units? Any comments on these issues and any specific guidance for prospective Asian patients would be greatly appreciated. - Alex
- - - - - - - -

Dear Alex:

Thank for your letter. You certainly have a grasp of the unique traits and “Asian hair” and you bring up some interesting questions about the implications of hair restoration in the Asian population.
You are correct that in Asians the follicular units tend to have one or two hairs on the average rather than two, three, and four hairs, but I don’t necessarily believe that that is the reason that Asians have straight hair. Read more

What Is Trichophytic Closure? Does It Improve The Hair Transplant Scar?

I am really struggling with the idea of having a hair transplant and being left with a long scar on the back of my head. I recently read an article about a new technique called trichophytic closure. The article stated that this technique promotes the growth of hair through scar tissue, is this really possible? Have I understood this correctly and does this mean that I will be left with no scar after a hair transplant? Please explain. Thanks! -Ben
- - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for your question. The trichophytic closure is a method of preparing one side of the surgical wound to allow the hair follicles on the margin of the incision to produce hair that will grow through the scar. There are several methods of preparing the incision to allow this but there is no clear “correct” way to do this. If done properly, and the outcome successful, the hair growing through the scar will camouflage the typical straight linear appearance of the scar. Read more

Looking For Options To Conceal My Hair Transplant Scar So I Can Shave My Head

I had a hair transplant over 5 years ago and was fully aware that I would need 3 to 4 more hair transplant procedures to cover a bald head. I thought this was the direction I wanted to go. I have very thin hair, and realize I am not the best candidate for the procedure, so I’m not wanting to commit to putting an additional 3 scars on the back of my head. I wish I could just go back to super short hair/shaved close. Is there anything I can do with the scar on the back of my head? ~ Michael
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for your letter. Once you’ve had a strip surgery it is often very difficult to regain the ability to wear your hair shaved close as the scar may have a slightly different shade of skin coloring than the non-scarred skin and the linear scar, even when very thin, can draw the attention of an observer. There are, however, options to wear your hair short.

If your scar is a “normal” width, say 1-3 mm, you may be a candidate for a scar removal followed by a special method of wound closure whereby one of the skin edges is treated a certain way as to allow healing with hair actually growing through the scar. This method of treating the wound and suturing is called a “trichophytic closure.” Read more

Is Hair Transplant Shock Loss Temporary?

Is shock loss from a hair transplant temporary? I have heard that if you experience shock loss there is a real possibility that this hair will not grow back. Is this true?
- - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for your question. “Shock loss” in the recipient area may be either temporary or permanent depending on the quality and genetic predisposition of the existing hair. It is generally felt that shock loss is likely temporary, however if the preexisting hair is thin and weak (likely to fall out in the near future due to the hair loss process) the transplant procedure may cause the majority of those hairs to fall out permanently. The downside of that situation is that the amount of hair placed may equal the hair that is shocked out and the patient experiences no “net gain” of hair. The upside is that even if there is no net gain of hair, the transplanted hair will last a long time, likely longer than the weaker would have lasted.

The more common situation is that the preexisting hair will thin out in the first 1-3 months after the surgery and will re-grow with the new grafts making the area look much thicker. Read more

Next Page »