Author Archive for Robert H. True, MD

Robert H. True, MD is senior partner of the True & Dorin Medical Group P.C. Dr. True ad Dr. Dorin’s private practice is located in Manhattan and is devoted solely to surgical hair restoration and medical therapy. They also maintain satellite consult offices in Long Island, NY, Duchess County, NY, New Jersey, and Boston where he personally provides complimentary consultations and treatment follow-up for prospective and established patients. Dr. True has a rich medical background. He received his medical degree from McGill University Faculty of Medicine and pursued postgraduate training at the University of Illinois, the Mayo clinic and Johns Hopkins. Before devoting himself full time to hair restoration, he had a distinguished career as the Director of Emergency Medicine for St. Francis, a major suburban Chicago hospital, and as a decorated Clinical Director with the US Public Health Service Commission Corps. Dr. True is a member of the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons and recommended by the American Hair Loss Association. Visit Dr. True's Website: www.truedorin.com

Success Rate of Facial Hair Restoration - Is There Visible Scarring With FUE?

What is the success rate of facial hair restoration and is there visible scarring if I use FUE? How long is the procedure and how long does it take to heal?
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If we define success as survival of grafts, facial hair grafts do as well as hair transplant grafts placed in the balding scalp. The key determinant for survival of hair transplant grafts to the face or elsewhere is the technical delicacy with which the grafts are prepared, stored, and handled during insertion. With proper attention to these details nearly 100% of the grafts will survive and go on to produce living hair over a lifetime.

Grafts for facial hair transplantation can be obtained either by strip harvesting (FUT) or by extraction of individual follicles (FUE). With the strip method there is a fine linear scar left. This almost always has no cosmetic significance if the scar is in an area where hair is worn 1/4 inch or longer. FUE leaves tiny pinpoint scars which do not show if hair is shaved in the area of harvesting.

FUE would be the preferred method of harvesting for a facial hair transplant if the area to be treated is not large or if beard hair is going to be used for donor grafts. For example if a patient simply wants to fill in defects in a moustache or beard FUE can be used to extract grafts from the beard area under the chin where the tiny pinpoint scars will be least evident. Read more

Is Propecia Use Required If You Have a Hair Transplant?

I have been progressively losing my hair for about the past five years, but I am concerned about using propecia because of sexual side effects. I’ve been researching hair transplants but have read that if you have a hair transplant then you have to take propecia to maintain the new hair. This does not make sense to me. I was under the impression that the hair from a hair transplant will last a lifetime. Can you shed some light on this for me?

Your questions and are commonly expressed concerns. Unfortunately you have read incorrect information. Transplanted hair is not dependent on Propecia. The donor hair follicles are genetically different from the follicles that are effected by male pattern baldness. Donor follicles are not sensitive to normal levels of dehydroxytestosterone (DHT). Once transplanted to areas of balding scalp these follicles will continue to produce living hair. Propecia or finasteride lowers DHT levels reducing the effect on native (non-transplanted) follicles and by doing so helps to control progression of male pattern baldness.
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