Is a Hair Transplant Advisable When Losing Hair Rapidly?

I have been noticing that my hair has been falling out faster than ever lately. I’ve been losing it for about 5 or 6 years, but for this time it has been kind of slow. I have been looking into having a hair transplant but now I think it’s critical that I have one as soon as possible. Do you think it makes sense to do this now or should I wait until all of my hair falls out to see what I have to work with? I really do not want to wait. Thanks!
- - - - - - - -
The most important thing that you need to do now is to come in and have a consultation, because the first order of business is to see if we can determine why your hair loss has been accelerating recently. Read more

If I Have a Hair Transplant, Can I Still Wear My Hair Short?

I like to keep my hair short. I buzz the back to a #2 guard and wanted to know if having a hair transplant would limit my ability to wear a short hair cut? Which method is better for this hairstyle, the strip with a trichophytic closure or FUE?
- - - - - - - - - - - -

In general, people who always cut their hair very short would be able to more easily camouflage their donor scars if they did FUE. These are tiny little punctate scars versus a linear incision, however, what a lot of people don’t understand about FUE is that if you have the type of genetic hair loss that your hair loss Read more

Will My Hair Transplant Ever Begin To Thin?

I’ve noticed that my 72 year old father who has been bald since around the age of 40 is now starting to thin out at the back and sides of his hair. I’m worried about this since I know this is the donor area used for a hair transplan, and I am seriously thinking about having one. I know it’s said that hair transplantation is permanent, but if my back and sides thin like my dad does that mean I will eventually lose my transplanted hair, or is this rare? Thanks!
- - - - - - - - -

With today’s closure, if the donor hair is taken in the mid of the donor zone and not on the fringes, and with the techniques of the trichophytic closure, it’s highly unlikely that the scar would be so pronounced that it would cause an interference with your daily life or routine. Read more

Do Megasession Hair Transplants Increase The Chances of Having Complications?

I’ve heard about scar stretching and complications when having a megasession hair transplant, and this concerns me. I definitely want to get the most that I can with one surgery, but is is really possible to do this without causing complications? Please let me know, I need to make my decision in the next month or two.
Sincerely,
Alex D
- - - - - - - - - -

Some physicians in their discussions with patients will relate the size and width of donor scars directly with the width of the strip that has been removed. This is an overly simplistic view of the cause of scaring, and may unfortunately mislead patients on some occasions. Read more

Misconceptions About FUE Hair Transplants

I’m 27 years old and I have been dealing with hair loss for the past 5 years.  I would say that I am a Norwood 3, or at least close to it. I am very interested in undergoing a hair transplant surgery, but I wear my hair fairly short and know that I will be left with a scar. I know with FUE that the scars are very small and spread out all over the back of my head so they shouldn’t be too noticeable, but I have two problems going in this
direction.

The first problem is the cost, it seems that FUE is considerably more expensive than a “regular” hair transplant. The second is what I am reading about the yield of the hair grafts. Is it true that FUE does not grow as consistently well as strip grafts? I would try to find the extra money to have this done using FUE if I was certain that I was making the right choice. Read more

What Are The Best FUE Techniques Currently Being Used?

I’m very interested in having an FUE hair transplant but I’m starting to get confused with all of the different FUE techniques being offered. Do I have a Neograft FUE  (which is extremely expensive), CIT or SAFE?  I also read something about FUE2 . Your website seems to be more straight forward then others and it seems that most FUE is very similar from what I am reading from your organization. I’d like to feel comfortable with my decision to move forward, but this is a big step for me and I keep reading conflicting information on other websites. Can you tell me the best FUE techniques and do you recommend FUE over FUT? Thank you for your time and I look forward to any answer that you can provide. ~Ross
- - - - - - -

There are no comprehensive studies yet on any of the technologies that you mentioned, the NeoGraft, FUE2, and the SAFE Scribe System. Read more

African American Male Hair Transplant Questions and Concerns

I am a 43 year old African American male, and I had a hair transplant when I was 33. I consider my hair transplant to be one of the worst decisions I ever made in my life. The doctor left me with visible bumps and scars on my head that look terrible.

My questions are:

Can African Americans transplant hair from one person to the next? And if so, what are the determining factors to gets this done?

Can African Americans have the FUE procedure done from person to person? If so, what are the determining factors? Also, do doctors know of known donors of hair for a fee?

Last question, if I could get some help where would I start? -Craig

- - - - - - - - - -

Dear Craig,

I am sorry to learn that your experience with hair restoration surgery has not worked well for you.

Your question about transplanting from one person to another is one that prospective patients frequently ask. Unfortunately this cannot be done successfully regardless of ethnicity. The body always will reject foreign organisms, tissue or organs. Kidneys and hearts can be transplanted from one person to another but there has to be a very precise donor match. Even then the person with an organ transplant has to take powerful drugs to prevent rejection of the organ. Read more

Is It Acceptable To Transplant Hair Into Areas of The Scalp That Are Only Thinning?

Do the majority of hair transplant doctors consider it appropriate to transplant hair into thinning areas, e.g., front, mid-section, and/or crown, as opposed to transplanting hair only into bald areas? What are the risks and considerations (e.g., shock loss)? - Robert
- - - - - - - -

Robert,

Thank you for taking the time to write! I am not sure I can speak for the majority of hair transplant surgeons, but through my training and experience with many of the top surgeons out there, the short answer to your question is; it is a judgement call.

The chief concern, as you identified, is whether you will do more harm to the existing hair, than good! If the existing hair is close to complete loss, I believe many surgeons would choose to help that patient by restoring a conservative area of hair/hairline.

If the hair in the area seems to be salvageable, some surgeons would feel more comfortable trying medical therapy alone for 6-12 months, while others would simply exercise caution during the transplant. Too many grafts at once with the latter approach can exacerbate shock loss, especially if the patient has fine or miniaturized hair to begin with.

If you believe you are in this latter category, it is always best to go with the hair surgeon who levels with you about the risk of shock loss; you will be replacing the hair with permanent hair, so you will have a net benefit, but the risk of significant shedding with more limited re-growth does exist. Read more

Looking To Get a Hair Transplant, But Don’t Want A Scar - Is FUE The Best Way To Go?

I am 25 years old and I have been loosing my hair since the age of 17. Currently I’m in a Norwood 3A stage and I am taking Propecia. I used to use Rogaine and when I stopped I noticed a rapid loss. I have been looking to get hair transplants but I do not want a scar in the back of my head.

My question is: Would you recommend the FUE technique? Or maybe another technique that is know to have better lasting results? Also, how do I find an honest hair transplant doctor that I can trust and that does top notch work? - Shawn
- - - - - - - - - - -
Shawn:

Thank you for submitting your question.  I will attempt to answer each component of your question individually.

First let me state that the “A”, (or anterior) pattern of hair loss only represents about three percent of patients with genetic hair loss.  “A” patterns are some of my favorite patterns to transplant because with strong mid-scalp and crown hair, the results can be dramatic and therefore very rewarding for the patient.  However with that said, as a young man you must assume that there will be progression in your pattern of genetic hair loss to a 4A, 5A, or even to a Norwood-Hamilton 6 classification.  Read more

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

Next Page »