Author Archive for Mark McKenzie, MD

Dr. Mark McKenzie graduated from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1985 and became licensed to practice medicine in Canada in 1986. While researching hair loss in the early 1990s, he became aware of the significant advances that were taking place in the field of hair restoration surgery, and he obtained training in Toronto and Boston in these new techniques, launching his own hair transplantation career in 1994. Since then he has performed hair restoration surgery in Toronto, London and Ottawa, Ontario as well as being invited by the Professor of Dermatology at Memorial University, to perform hair restoration surgery on his patients in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He has been a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery since 1995 and was won the “Best Presented Clinical Case Award” in the Poster Presentation section at their Annual Conference in San Francisco in 1999. Dr. McKenzie has demonstrated his techniques to plastic surgery residents from the University of Western Ontario & has lectured internationally to physicians on the subject of hair transplantation. Dr. McKenzie was delighted to be invited by Dr. David Seager to “take over the reins” of the Seager Hair Transplant Centre in 2006, and is dedicated to maintaining the same standard of excellence that patients have come to expect of the Seager Hair Transplant Centre. Dr. McKenzie is a member of the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons and recommended by the American Hair Loss Association. Visit Dr. McKenzie's Website: www.seagerhairtransplant.com

A Previous Hair Transplant Resulted In Several Ingrown Hairs - Can I Get Rid of Them?

Several years ago I had a hair transplant done by a hair restoration group in Virginia.  The results were abysmal and I now have continuing problems with in-grown hairs. For example, I have three of them now. These in-grown hairs are unsightly and very painful and they take a very long time to heal.  No one there ever told me that this would be a possible outcome of the surgery.

Is there anything that can be done to get rid of them?  Do I have any legal recourse?

Thanks for your help.
Fred
- - - - - - - - -

Hi Fred

Thank you for your question.
In order to find a solution to this problem, it’s important to arrive at a diagnosis.

(1) Are you noticing bumps in the skin which fill up with whitish or yellowish material and then “pop?”
(2) Are these bumps small like pimples or large like cysts?
(3) After they pop, does a hair appear where the bump used to be?
(4) Do they always appear in the same place or can they appear all over your scalp?
(5) Do they only occur in the transplanted areas or do they also appear in the non-transplanted areas? Read more

Female Hair Transplant & Hair Loss Treatment - Lowering and Correcting a Wavy Hairline

I have always had a wavy hairline which goes far up onto my scalp. Recently, I have begun losing far more hair than considered normal. I am wondering whether there are any treatments available to possibly lower, and straighten my hairline and stop the hair loss as well.
Thank you,
Sherry
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi Sherry,

Thanks for your question. There is an enormous amount of variety in both male and female hairlines. You said that your hairline goes far up onto your scalp. I am assuming that what you are talking about is a receding hairline. You also said that your hairline is wavy & I assume that you mean that it is irregular-looking. You also said that recently you have begun to lose “far more hair than is considered normal.”
Hair loss can be very upsetting & sometimes devastating for the hair-loss sufferer. The first priority is to find out why you are losing hair. In females there can be many reasons for hair loss, such as genetic female-pattern hair loss, hormonal disorders, skin disorders and iron deficiency, so it is essential to visit a physician who is knowledgeable about the causes and treatment of hair loss. Read more

What Is The Typical Cost of An FUE Hair Transplant In Canada?

I live in Canada and I am planning on having a hair transplant.  The procedure is going to be non strip (FUE)  and I am wondering what should be the cost of 5000 grafts. Please provide me with a rough idea so that I can compare mine because I think my doctor is asking for too much.
- - - - - - -

I do not currently perform FUE hair transplant sessions, the main reason being that it is a “blind” procedure. This means that the surgical punch which removes the graft is placed over the shaved donor area at the angle in which the doctor thinks the hair is growing and then the graft is “punched out.” There is a risk of damaging the follicle by performing this procedure, whereas with the strip method of harvesting, the donor hair is meticulously dissected under the microscope ensuring preservation of intact follicular units. Also, with strip harvesting, the head does not have to be shaved, only the hair in the strip area is clipped, allowing the patient to maintain their current hairstyle.

FUE is more expensive than hair transplantation, because it is exceedingly time-consuming. 5,000 FUE grafts will take a long time to harvest & re-implant. When thinking about hair restoration surgery, it is important to realize that donor harvesting is only one part of the procedure. Read more

I Want To Get a Hair Transplant of 500 Grafts, But Everyone Seems To Want To Oversell Me!

I have thin hair on the top and require only about 400-500 grafts to thicken it up to my satisfaction. The problem is every hair transplant center I have had a consultation with say they don’t do anything less than a $4000 dollar procedure. Is there anywhere I can get what I want? It seems everyone wants to oversell me! - John
- - - - - - - - - -

Hi John
Thank you for your question.
You feel that you need “only about 400-500 grafts to thicken your hair up to your satisfaction.”
Assuming that you are talking about follicular units, this number of grafts would equal approximately 900-1100 hairs. To put this in perspective, this amount of hair is approximately 1% of the total amount of hair that you had on your head when you were a teenager.  If these grafts were transplanted at a density of 50 FUs per square cm they would only cover 20 square cm which is equivalent to a circle with a diameter of 5 cm or 2 inches. If they were transplanted at a lower density of 25 FUs per square cm they would cover 40 square cm which is equivalent to a circle with a diameter of 7.2 cm or 2.8 inches. Read more

17 Years Old and Losing My Hair - Looking For Answers

I am a 17-year old boy and have been losing my hair for a year now. I am losing quite a lot of hair on top but that’s not the thing, the thing is that I am losing some hair on the sides and the back of my head and it’s really scary. There is no doubt that I have male pattern baldness but I am wondering if one becomes a 5 in the Norwood class, can that person lose density on the sides and the back or does this just happen in more severe cases like Norwood 7 and beyond?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

When experiencing hair loss at the age of 16, the usual reaction is exactly what this person expressed: “it’s really scary.” There is often a family history of male pattern baldness, and the person will often envisage himself looking like his bald dad or uncle or grandfather in a few years time.

The most important first step is to consult a physician who is knowledgeable about hair loss. Although the most likely cause is male pattern baldness, there are several medical reasons for hair loss, such as scalp dermatological conditions as well as systemic illnesses such as an underactive thyroid gland or a low blood level of iron. Read more

Is There a Minimum Age Requirement To Receive a Hair Transplant?

Is there a minimum age requirement to receive a hair transplant? Are there cases where it would be appropriate to transplant an 18 or 19 year old?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
When someone finds out that they are balding, either because they notice it when they look in the mirror, or a spouse, friend or barber comments on their thinning hair, it never comes as good news. However, when the person in question is in their teens or early twenties, the news can be devastating. It is a time of life when the priorities are making your way in life, dating, getting an education or a job, and hair loss can, in some cases lead to social isolation & a feeling of being less able to compete for these goals. Sociological studies performed in Europe have actually shown a bias against hiring balding men in favour of equally-qualified non-balding job applicants.

It is not unusual for a young man in this situation to go rushing in to see a hair transplant doctor desiring a hair transplant to “fix the problem” so that he can get on with his life. His peers all have a full head of hair without receding in the temples and a youthfully low hairline, so naturally he wants the same. His father, uncle or grandfather may be bald & in his mind’s eye, that is what he sees in his future, so he wants to avoid looking like that at all costs. Read more