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Ways to Reduce Swelling after Hair Transplant

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Swelling in the forehead and transplanted area is a very common side effect for a majority of people who receive hair transplant in the front and top areas of their scalp. The swelling (or skin edema) is due in most part to the inflammatory reaction of healing incisions. Application of anesthetic solutions by intra-operative injection is unrelated to this common side effect. Some patients may not experience swelling for the first day or two after hair transplant, but may start to notice swelling 3 to 4 days after the procedure. In most cases the swelling disappears 4 to5 days following the hair transplant.

Swelling can be minimized by:

  • Diluted steroid solutions infiltrated into recipient area during surgery (this method may be used on a select few).*
  • Keeping your head above chest level can significantly minimize the amount of swelling so sleeping in a semi-upright position for the first few nights is recommended.
  • Wrapping your forehead with an elastic bandage (do so, only under the instruction of the surgeon).
    Systematic anti-inflammatory medications such as steroids can be prescribed for a short period to most hair transplants to minimize swelling post op.

*Dr. G. Abbasi has conducted a recent study on the effect of diluted solution of steroids to minimize the rate of swelling after hair restoration surgery. Results of the steroid injections on swelling after hair transplant can be found in the Journal of Aesthetic Surgery (Hair Transplantation: Preventing Post-operative Oedema). US Hair Restoration offers this option to patients who are prone to swelling.

Is it Possible to Perform an FUE Transplant From the Body or Beard?

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Good day all,

I recently had a case that I found very interesting and I thought you might as well. A patient was experiencing hair loss and was very unhappy to the point that it had a negative effect on his and his family’s lives. He was attending a school of medicine in another state and was willing to fly to our US Hair Restoration offices in Encino, California for the possibility of receiving a large FUE transplant from his body and beard into the balding areas of his scalp. He was hoping that this would help to end his hair loss once and for all.

Body hair can be used as an alternative method for hair restoration, as long as the patient understands that the end result will not be comparable to a scalp hair transplant due to a shorter growth phase (Anagen), as opposed to a long resting phase (Telogen), and a smaller final length of the hair, which are the characteristics of body hair. Thus, you may only see a portion of transplanted hair follicles in growth phase while the remaining hair stays in resting phase without maintaining a visible hair shaft.

Another option for hair transplantation is the possibility of using beard hair. Beard hair (for many patients) is closer to scalp hair and has a longer growth phase which allows it to grow to be much longer in comparison to body hair.  Both of these options have pros and cons and patients should weigh all of their options, after a full evaluation with a certified hair restoration surgeon. By speaking one-on-one with a qualified hair transplant surgeon, patients are able to find a treatment plan that best fits their needs.

To determine what option is best for you, attend a free consultation with a qualified hair restoration physician. If (like the patient above) traveling to one of our offices is inconvenient for you, then please feel free to fill out an online consultation request and our office staff will follow up with you as soon as possible to begin scheduling for a internet/phone consultation.

Will Pool or Jacuzzi Use Have a Negative Effect After Having Hair Restoration Surgery?

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Hello all,

I had a patient ask me a few good questions about limitations after having the hair restoration procedure done and I thought you might be interested in knowing the answers to them as well. I hope this information is useful to you!

When is it ok to start using the sauna (Jacuzzi) or pool?

One week after hair restoration surgery, is the suggested amount of time that you wait until you fully immerse the newly transplanted hair into water. What you want to be careful of though, is sun exposure. You should be wearing a hat or using sun block, to protect your scalp if you must go into direct sunlight until about six months after the procedure.

How soon after having the hair transplant surgery may I start taking vitamins?

Vitamins and most medications can be started immediately in the first few days following hair transplant surgery, if for any reason they were discontinued prior to the hair restoration procedure. There will be instances that we will request for a patient to prolong or stop any intake of medications before the surgery, that contain blood thinners; i.e.-aspirin, or aspirin like medications, to ensure there will be no complications during the hair restoration procedure. Here at US Hair Restoration, we want all of our patients to have the best experience possible and educating our patients is top priority.

Hair Loss Success Stories After Hair Transplant

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

Following popular demand, we have now decided to post all of our patients success stories on this blog.  I love having the opportunity to see my patient’s post operative results and personally witnessing their life transformations. Here is one example of a patient who’s life was changed following his hair transplant procedure:

 

We will be sure to keep you posted with all future video testimonials at US Hair Restoration.

Best,

Parsa Mohebi, MD

Folliculitis After Hair Transplantation

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

folliculitis after hair transpalntFolliculitis following hair transplantation are skin lesions that appear pimple-like and are seen when (for any reason) hair follicles become inflamed.  Folliculitis can be seen anywhere throughout the skin.  The follicle and its surrounding tissues may become infected with different bacterias called Streptococcus aureus.

There are also certain variations of folliculitis which are known as “hot tub folliculitis” and “barber’s itch”. Permanent damage to the hair follicles and local hair loss on the area of infection can occur in severe cases of folliculitis.

After Hair Transplant Folliculitis

One of the most common complications of hair transplant surgery is folliculitis. Folliculitis occurs when there is blockage of hair or its corresponding sebaceous gland when newly transplanted hair is growing.  Folliculitis typically appears as small, red or white-headed pimples around one or more follicular units following hair transplantation.  It may present with itching, mild pain and discharge in addition to the typical redness and swelling of pimples. Most cases of folliculitis (especially those occurring after hair restoration surgery) clear spontaneously within a few days, however more extensive types of folliculitis may need medical or surgical treatment by your physician.

Folliculitis is typically seen a few days or even months after hair transplant surgery. They are generally difficult to be differentiated from common pimples or acne and are recommended to be left alone to clear naturally. Presence of simple folliculitis usually does not affect the growth of transplanted hair. Those instances of folliculitis that do not clear naturally within a few days of forming are considered to be more aggressive and patients are recommended to contact their hair transplant physician at that point.

Treatment

Simple folliculitis generally does not need any treatment and lesions tend to clear up on their own within a few days. Occasionally, when small instances of folliculitis become infected and are seen with spreading of redness and inflammation around the originally inflamed follicles, your physician should be notified.  A physician’s evaluation is the best way to determine whether or not you need antibiotics for the treatment of your folliculitis. Occasionally, as a way to avoid use of medication or continuing infection, your doctor may alternatively decide to drain them. Draining the folliculitis is a simple procedure and can be easily done in your doctors’ office.

Hair Transplant Donor Scar Revisions

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Q:

I am a previous hair transplant patient who has class VI hair loss. I had previous procedures done to get some thin hair in the front and top.  I am keeping my hair very short on the back and my primary goal was to camouflage the scar in the back of my head from previous hair transplants. So far, I have achieved this by simply growing my hair longer, and covered the rest of my scalp with Toppik-like products.

Cosmetically, the hair restoration was successful, but constant usage of this kind of product is a bit messy and annoying. Because of this, I have completely shaved my head and decided to try a different route. With the help of tattooing, I was going to go for a shaved head look. Unfortunately though, the scar is a show-stopper and I need to consider all of my options.

What I would consider to be a successful result is: short hair completely covering my head (even if only relatively light density) combined with tattooing and a self-tanner to reduce contrast. I am not “greedy” about the sides at the front, and will accept a 3 or 3A pattern. Is this possible in my case, though?

A:

It is good to hear that you are not striving for high density and that you are realistic about the final appearance of your hair.  Being a class VI with limited donor hair, should leave options open to create light density in your large balding area, but obtaining more density would be extremely difficult if not impossible due to your insufficient donor hair. You should know your priorities and how many surgeries you are committed to have in order to achieve your desired look.

  • If you only need to revise the scar and have trichophytic closure done to minimize the visibility of your scar, one surgery is adequate.  Double edged trichophytic closure is a new technique that can improve the appearance of the scar tremendosly.
  • If you are attempting to achieve higher density as well as scar revision, you may need several hair transplant procedures (depending on your donor amount available).

Your donor hair can be easily evaluated and options can be given to you for about what to be expected through attending a consultation with an experienced hair transplant doctor.

Using Double Edged Trichophytic Closure

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Hair Restoration surgery is evolving rapidly and we are consistently refining our approach on a regular basis to improve the quality of transplanted hair while at the same time minimizing the possibility of complications. Double edged trichophytic closure is a new approach to donor wound closure that has been put into practice by Dr. Mohebi and US Hair Restoration.

Double edged or two sided trichotomy can help to minimize complications of trichophytic closure (based on the width of epithelium that is being removed and inability of some the hair follicles or oil glands to find their way out to the skin surface). This practice of double edged closure helps us to minimize the width of the top skin layer (epithelium) that is removed from each edge of the donor wound. By making these changes, double edged trichophytic closure allows hair to grow into the wound from both edges and thus minimize the contrast between a patient’s scar (with no hair) and surrounding scalp (with 100% hair density).

By employing the double edged trichophytic closure in our pratice, we constantly have results of less detectable donor scars. In addition to less detectable scarring, we are also able to minimize the risk of folliculitis or ingrown hairs in the donor area, which are the two of the most common complications of traditional trichotomy.

San Diego and San Francisco Hair Restoration Offices Open

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Hair Restoration Offices in San Diego and San Francisco, California are now open!

Newly opened consultation clinics in San Diego, California and San Francisco, California will now afford Dr. Mohebi the extraordinary opportunity to serve an even larger portion of California with the same great quality that he is known for world-wide.

Along with the already well-established hair restoration centers in Encino, Beverly Hills, and Orange County, US Hair is now able to provide its self-image enhancing services to countless residents of America’s Finest Cities.

By establishing these two new offices in the both northern and the southern most part of California, both prospective and current patients of US Hair Restoration will reap the benefits. These new locations will be much more convenient for those hair loss patients in the surrounding cities of San Diego and San Francisco areas seeking treatment close to home, while also offering closer resources for the follow up appointments of our current clientele. We hope that these new office locations will make visiting Dr. Mohebi for hair restoration more convenient and afford more opportunities to hair loss sufferers throughout California. The convenience and accessibility of high quality at an affordable price is what we strive for and will always come first.

Body Building and Hair Loss with Anavar

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Q:

Good Afternoon Dr. Mohebi,

I recently was recommended to go on a medication for body building purposes by my trainer. The medication that I am planning on starting is called ANAVAR (an anabolic steroid). Because I am currently taking Propecia, as prescribed by you, I just wanted run ANAVAR by you to make sure it would be OK to take in conjuction with Propecia.

I appreciate all of your help, Thanks!

A:

Anavar (oxandrolone) is a weak androgen and is considered an anabolic steroid.  It is indicated as adjunctive therapy to enhance weight gain after weight loss due to an extensive surgery, infectious disease, trauma and so on.  Anavar has also been prescribed to some patients who for no reason fail to gain weight despite of anavar, propecia, anabolic steriods and hair loss, hair loss medicationproper nutrition and work out schedules.  It may also be used to maintain normal weight or to prevent the catabolism due to prolonged administration of corticosteroids.

There have been some online reports of hair loss with Anavar’s use and some exagerated hair loss reports in patients who take both Propecia (finasteride) and Anavar (oxandrolone) in conjunction. Although my personal searches in medical publications have never revealed any studies supporting this information, reports can be found online by its claimed users.

Overall, my general recommendation is: unless there is a strong medical indication for its use, people with any evidence of male patterned baldness should stay away from anabolic steroids.  Although you may find some anabolic steroids over the counter, your family doctor should always be involved and aware of any anabolic steroids that you take as part of your body enhancing plan.

Hair Transplant Side Effects – Hiccups

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Following a hair transplant surgery, hiccups may develop due to several factors. Some of the main factors to cause this are: the medication that patient takes, possible local irritation of some nerve endings in the donor area (especially in strip technique hair transplant) and lastly, a patient’s diet.

These three possible causes are each explained in depth below.

Medication: Some medications that are given to the patient after a hair transplant surgery (i.e. – steroids) may increase the chance of developing temporary hiccups.

Diet: In the case that a patient develops hiccups due to his/her eating or drinking habits, his/her diet needs to be controlled. Alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages or taking in large volumes of food may also increase the chance of developing hiccups.

Local nerve irritation: The local irritation of some nerve endings, such as the posterior auricular nerve or other branches of the cervical plexus may stimulate the phrenic nerve thus also causing hiccups.

If hiccups persist severely or beyond a few hours you are urged to contact your hair transplant surgeon for medical evaluation and treatment.  Your doctor may prescribe you chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and advise you to continue taking these pills for a few days to avoid re-occurance of the hiccups.