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Congenital Temporal Alopecia – Hair Restoration

Friday, January 1st, 2010

congenital temporal alopecia

The other day, we just completed a hair transplant procedure with a child who has Congenital Temporal Alopecia (CTA). The day he was born, he had a bald patch on his head. It really weighed heavy on his mind and the thought of waiting until Christmas break (the time his parents had first planned to get it restored) was absolutely unbearable. The surgery was a success. We closely packed 470 follicular unit grafts onto the bald patch of his temple area. He’s really excited and anticipates the final growth of his hair grafts in the next several months.

Congenital Temporal Alopecia is a hair loss condition which is present at birth and takes the form of a patchy hair loss on a child’s temple area of the head. The bald patch can be made up of very fine hair. It’s a non-scarring type of alopecia which, reportedly, responds rather positively to hair transplant surgery.

Hair Removal through FUE

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

Hair removal has been practiced in different ways and can be achieved with either temporary or permanent relief. From regular razor trimming, waxing, electrolysis, and advanced laser hair removal these procedures do the job and do them well. As of recent, we had a patient ask us of a different method of hair removal. He was considering using follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure to achieve this.
“Instead of placing the hair follicle in my scalp, can the extractions be disposed?” His goal was to remove unwanted facial hair quickly and permanently. This is actually a possibility for almost any person who does not want to have a hair transplant procedure, per say. We recommended that the patient at least be evaluated through FOX test to see if the hair grafts can be removed entirely through FUE. This means the grafts have to come out whole after making the FUE incision.
If the hair graft units cannot be extracted whole through FOX test, then the procedure will not be effective. The reason why the hair graft must come out whole is to prevent leaving the bulb in its place. If the bulb remains then the hair shaft may continue to grow normally. A fully extracted graft unit can then be replaced (or disposed).

Massage for Scalp after Hair Transplant

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

scalp massage and hair transplant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We understand people like to pamper themselves. A patient of ours wrote to us regarding a scalp and body massage. He had his hair transplant surgery in our Encino Surgical Office almost 8 months ago and asked, “Would get a head massage risk loosening the implants?” He also wanted to know if that would help increase circulation to the grafts and improve growth.

Hair that has been transplanted over 3 months ago and is growing normally is considered permanent and cannot be dislodged from your scalp. The main concern is in the first weeks of a hair transplant surgery when the hair is still settling in. Even so, some cases where the hair is removed the active part of the follicle may still remain and a new follicle will grow shortly after. At this point, hair cannot be harmed.

However, there is no proof that a scalp massage to increase scalp circulation is proven to increase the quality of existing or newly transplanted hair. More so, it has also not been proven that lack of blood circulation or oxygenation in scalp will cause hair loss.

Pubic Hair Used for Hair Transplant

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

We’ve been asked many things during a regular consultation with one of our patients. There is one that I hear more about on the side of the cost of hair transplant: “Can we use hair from anywhere else other than the back and sides of the scalp?” our hair transplant surgeon says, “Hair can be harvested from almost any part of scalp or body that grows hair and it can be transplanted to any part of the skin.” This is really not an unusual thing for any hair transplant surgeon to do. This is considered a last resort for patients who do not have sufficient donor hair on their scalp or for those whom have had old technique hair transplant procedures that have violated the donor area.

As we stated, any hair that grows on your body can be used for hair restoration surgery but the scalp donor hair is regarded as the best option when it comes to hair quality. Compared to most body hair, scalp hair has a much longer growth phase (Anagen phase; grows for as long as 1-6 years) and a much shorter resting phase (Telogen phase; hair dies in 4-6 weeks). It is also the most economic choice since there is a much higher density and does not require special techniques to harvest the grafts.

Body hair, however, has an almost reversed growth and rest phase. Body or pubic hair grows for about a few months or less and switches to a long resting phase. This is why pubic hair only grows to a certain length. There have been limited studies that have shown that body or pubic hair can change their inherent characteristics and even increase its growth phase when transplanted to the scalp. The research is insufficient and is still ongoing.

We’ve successfully transplanted pubic hair on select patients. One in particular did not have sufficient donor hair for his procedure due to a violated donor area and miniaturization. We took what we could from the back of his scalp to restore his hairline and harvested pubic hair to reinforce the crown.

The key idea is that there really is no limit to hair restoration surgery. If the patient is lacking in donor hair or requires a large number of hair grafts, pubic hair may be a viable option. Of course, we will evaluate the quality of the donor hair first before considering any other options. A good hair transplant surgeon can determine your candidacy and explain the options available to you prior to any form of surgical hair transplant treatment.

Wedding in Two Months and Still Balding!

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

wedding hair loss baldingA patient sent us an email regarding his hair loss condition. He has male patterned baldness and it is still progressing. He already met with a dermatologist and had several studies done prior to the email and was even using Chronostim for approximately 3 months. Now that he’s used up the bottles of Chronostim, he has noticed no change is his hair loss situation. He wants to have a full head of hair and does not want to take hair loss medication for the rest of his life. Before we forget, his wedding is in 2 months.

Chronostim has not been clinically proven to correct or prevent male patterned baldness or any other form of hair loss. It should not be considered a replacement option for medications that have been both proven effective and FDA approved safe for consumption like Propecia (finasteride) DHT blocker.

We highly suggest that all patients experiencing any form of hair loss to be seen by a good hair transplant surgeon and have a miniaturization study done. If the condition is in fact male patterned baldness or androgenetic alopecia, finasteride should be a part of your everyday hair loss treatment plan.

Hair restoration surgery can restore the areas damaged by hair loss by transplanting healthy permanent hair from the donor. In this situation, however, neither of the aforementioned will make enough of a visible difference for the day of your wedding. These procedures take time to show their fullest effect. There are cosmetic options available like Toppik that can cover the balding or thinning areas of your hair through the use of microfibers. If anything, you can use that product for the wedding day while you either consider a hair transplant surgery or at least try using Propecia (finasteride) so that you may see true results a few months after your wedding.

How to Find The Best Hair Transplant Surgeon

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

In our previous blogs we’ve touched on the subject of “best hair transplant doctor” and how to choose one. This is one of the most addressed topics so we see it fit to talk about it once more. Our best suggestion for any and all patients is to look into the quality of work and not the quantity that the work will be. There is more to this process and we’ll explain as we go.

Searching for a good hair restoration surgeon can be a tedious job. Large cities like Los Angeles and Orange County have a large network of cosmetic and hair transplant referrals. The hair restoration business is still considered very new and continues to evolve as new findings come to light. Because of this the level of surgical experience can vary greatly between all hair transplant surgeons vastly. Choosing a surgeon whether for cosmetic plastic surgery or hair restoration should not be based solely on experience but by the quality of their work. Statements like “best and most experienced hair transplant surgeon” don’t make the statement true but you have the right to see for yourself.

The best way to know if the surgeon is the best option for your hair transplant is by knowing more about the surgeon and by seeing or speaking with them personally. Most hair transplant clinics offer a free initial consultation and can be with the doctor themselves. By doing this you get to experience the doctor first hand. This way you can truly appreciate a good technique from a knowledgeable doctor when you see one.

One of the last suggestions is to do research on the practicing surgeon and the procedures available. Some locations, like ours, specialize in state-of-the-art exclusive follicular unit transplants (FUT), mega sessions for patients with extensive hair loss and follicular unit extraction (FUE) or minimally invasive hair restoration. This procedure is used to selectively extract hair grafts from the donor area with removing a strip as in traditional FUT procedure.

The hair transplant surgeon and medical director of US Hair Restoration sees a variety of patients with different hair transplant results from other facilities. Some of which can be noted very highly and others that would make you question the quality of work. All in all, the end result is that it would be unfair and hard to say who the best hair transplant surgeon in Southern California is. Today’s cosmetic market makes it easy for anyone to look their best. Modern hair restoration techniques are in high demand is most metropolitan areas and the demand keeps growing. All in all, we highly suggest that anyone considering hair restoration surgery to get educated about hair restoration first and meet with a hair transplant surgeon with a list of questions you want answered personally. Make sure this surgeon is someone you can trust.

What is Maturation of Hairline?

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

There is a great difference in hair design between a child and an adult.  Most notably is that between a boy and a man.  As men get older, the hairline takes on a different design.  This is known as maturation of the hairline.  Many young men in their early 20s come to our California Hair Transplant centers worried about recession of their hairline in the corners hoping they can get a hair transplant for it.mature hairline and hair transplant

Originally, the temples are full and give off a curved hairline design.  In most males, by the age of 16 to 24, the childhood hairline or kiddy hairline begins to recede giving the male a more mature frame.  The maturation of hairline is a normal phase in men but unfortunately does get worse for some.

When considering hair restoration surgery, it is typical for a hair transplant surgeon to make the hairline look like a normal mature hairline for men.  We try to avoid over filling the temples and adhere to the typical design of any hairline with a few variations depending on actually bone structure, ethnicity and density.  Adding a more curved effect as with a childhood hairline is unnatural in any adult male.

Causes of Unsuccessful Hair Transplantation

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Many hair restoration clinics can easily boast about their successful hair transplants but what about the ones that did not have optimal result? I received an email from a patient whom had a hair transplant at a different clinic. His hair never grew in the transplanted area even after having followed all the post op directions carefully. He also asks, Is there any other solutions to bring back my hair?

One of the biggest concerns for any patient who has hair restoration is the survival of transplanted hair. In some cases transplanted hair might never grow or experience suboptimal growth. These factors can be categorized into two major groups: 1) Technical Problems and 2) Patient Factor.

Hair Transplant Technical Problems

  • Hair graft preparation and handling problems: Inexperienced technicians may actually manipulate hair grafts more than what the hair grafts can tolerate. This may lead to damage to the proliferated follicle cells during graft slivering, harvesting or implanting. In turn, the transplanted hair will not grow.
  • Graft maintenance problems: From the moment the hair is removed from the body, hair follicles should be kept in a suitable physiological solution until the time they are placed in their new location. The solution must be kept between 4 degrees centigrade to slow the cell metabolism and prolong the longevity of the follicular cells.
  • Complications during implantation phase: If sites are made too tight, technicians might manipulate the hair grafts physical attributes too much and affect the final potential of the hair cells growth.

Patient Factors

  • In some rare occasions certain skin conditions can either restrict or stop transplanted hair from growing. The most common forms of skin conditions are alopecia areata (AA) and alopecia cicatricial (AC) as well as other medical conditions that may have already been present on or before the hair transplant procedure. This is why it is crucial to evaluate the hair and scalp by means of preoperative microscopic and macroscopic evaluation to rule out any condition that can affect transplanted hair growth. All hair transplant surgeons should raise these questions during their consultation especially if the patient has atypical hair loss or does not have any family history of similar hair loss conditions. If there is any doubt, it can easily be confirmed through scalp biopsy.
  • After hair transplant care plays a very important role in the final results of any hair transplant procedure. Physical trauma to the newly transplanted hair may cause you to lose your newly transplanted hair. Other forms of hair trauma include pulling out or scratching newly transplanted hair or in psychological conditions like Trichotillomania in which they pull out their own hair.

It is best to review your results after one post surgery is completed by a good hair transplant surgeon. After reevaluation your hair transplant surgeon can tell you what may have caused your condition and maybe even treat the disorder that caused your less than desirable growth results.

We at our California hair restoration clinics perform several repair hair transplant surgery every month.  Some of them are the result of old and some from recent but not perfect procedures.

Hair Loss Products

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

hair loss productWhat is the best hair loss product?  We are hearing many things about new hair loss products every day.  Many contain active ingredients that may help hair, some don’t have anything for hair loss treatment and some may be harmful for your hair.  Here is what one of my patients asked me and I answered in the blog about one of the hair loss product.

The patient has been experiencing male pattern baldness for some years now.  He used Rogaine, it worked at first but now no longer respond to it.  Propecia is tried too, but had to stop it for the side effects.  Patient is saving money to be able to get a good quality hair transplant and meanwhile is wondering whether or not hair loss products can help him keep his own hair.  In this case he is using Revivogen.

I generally research about all incoming questions by reviewing the websites for the hair product.  For similar patients, I really like to know what kinds of side effects you experienced with finasteride (Propecia), because finasteride is an effective hair loss medication, although it has been blamed unfairly for many side effects. I put most my Los Angeles and Orange County Hair Restoration Clinics patients on finasteride when they have significant miniaturization. Finasteride can help prevent further hair loss. Some of your hair loss might be irreversible by medication and you may need hair restoration surgery, but at least you can stop further hair loss by the time that you can restore your hair surgically. Revivogen is a hair loss product with some natural compounds that mainly inhibit 5-Alpha-Reductase. 5-Alpha-Reductase is the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydroxytestostrone (DHT). Prevention of DHT production can slow down hair loss in male pattern baldness.

Saw Palmetto Extract is a good component of this hair loss product, which is a DHT blocker and is used systemically for prevention of both hair loss and prostate enlargement. The efficacy of its topical product is not studied as extensively in large human experiments. Other components include a variety of fatty acids like: Gamma Linolenic acid (GLA), Alpha Linolenic acid (ALA), Linoleic Acid and Oleic Acid without strong human research on their absorption from skin level as well as their efficacy on human hair growth. Other components such as Azaleic acid, Vitamin B, Zinc, Beta-Sitosterol and Procyanidin Oligomers have shown some effects on the DHT production in labs, but the extensive studies to compare their effect with more researched medical treatments for hair loss is lacking.

One problem is the absorption of the active ingredients, which is not studied extensively. I personally have not heard anything about any serious side effects of Revivogen, but I would rather have more information about long term studies, which are published in peer reviewed medical journals, before I can recommend the product to my patients. There are many hair loss products out there, which are safe, but you do not have a life time to go around and try them all to find out whether they have any effect on your hair or not.

A good hair specialist that you can trust can help you tremendously. Patient believe that since they are not spending much money on hair loss product and hair loss products are more affordable than hair transplant, but they don’t realize that most time they may not get any result from some hair loss products. Your hair loss doctor should be able to document the level of your current hair loss and miniaturization of hair and can come up with a master plan, which includes medication treatment, surgery and even cosmetic alterations that can make your hair look better. Side effects of the medications that you tried before need to be re-evaluated closely by your doctor.

You want to make sure that the side effects of finasteride are for real and don’t take away this powerful, FDA approved hair loss treatment. If you have no alternatives, your doctor may have some suggestions for your individual condition to preserve whatever hair you have with a hair loss product with minimal side effects.