Updates on Hair Transplant Repair

One of the misgivings people have about hair restoration through hair transplantation is based on results patients received years ago. The old hair transplant surgeries utilized plugs, mini-grafts or micrografts which left undesirable artificial looking results.

Our medical specialty has come a long way in the twenty-first century.  US Hair Restoration is a modern hair transplant medical practice providing patients with natural, proven and permanent results. A hair transplant results that makes them feels better about their selves and brings about big smiles. The techniques and procedures practiced in our centers also allow us to repair the less pleasing results of older hair restoration procedures.

Many patients who have had a bad experience with old technique hair transplant surgeries are unaware of modern hair transplant advantages and are reluctant to seek help. However, those who are well informed on updated repair procedures can enjoy a normal hair line and a quite natural look again.

Today, we are able to revise the abnormal appearance to a perfectly natural and refined hairline which is undetectable from a natural head of hair.  Our goal is to create the most natural appearance for your hair and we succeed.

Innovation in FUE Hair Restoration

Shaving the entire scalp is used in the vast majority of hair transplant surgeries.  The innovation of the Celebrity FUE Hair Transplant (not just for celebrities) procedure is growing in popularity at Los Angeles US Hair Restorations centers. This is because the scalp is not shaved.

When transplanting a small number of follicular units by the individual removal of the grafts shaving of the scalp is not mandatory.  The demands on the surgeons and medical technicians are arduous but the benefits to the patients are worthwhile.

Unshaved scalp means:

• Your procedure is virtually undetectable
• No major change in current hair styling

The Celebrity (non shaved) FUE Transplant is a development of utilizing follicular unit hair transplant procedure in multiple non invasive procedures to restore hair to balding scalp. As in most FUE procedures when indicated a FOX test is conducted to assure that a patient is not vulnerable to high level of transaction (damaged grafts).  Patients with overly curly hair particularly may not suit well to the individual extraction of follicular units (FU).  A FOX test is the best way to determine that FUE hair restoration is the best choice for a patient.

Celebrity FUE transplant procedures provides:

• A gradual improvement to patients pattern baldness
• Allows patient to enjoy an uninterrupted schedule

US Hair Restorations Los Angeles hair transplant centers are under the direction of Parsa Mohebi, MD. Dr. Mohebi also serves as the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons chairman of the FUE committee.  He notes that FUE procedures can be applied in unique situations for some patients to meet the demands of their very busy lifestyles.

Hair loss and hair thinning is a result of testosterone formed in different areas like the prostate gland or hair follicles, which is converted to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the scalp area.  Hair follicles prone to genetic male patterned baldness contain DHT receptors, thus thinning hair and loss of hair can result.  Over time men produce an abundance of DHT and the molecules affect their hair follicles and cause a decrease in size and eventually see their natural hair fall out permanently. Because of this common occurrence, hair loss in men is frequent.

DHT and hair loss from having the gene for male pattern baldness are the most common factors for male pattern baldness. Women suffering from female-pattern baldness, unlike their counterparts with male-pattern baldness, are not usually characterized by higher production rates of DHT from lower levels of testosterone. On the other hand, if for a number of possible reasons, a woman has increased testosterone, she can develop female patterned baldness like a man does through the same mechanism.

Hair in the prone areas to male patterned baldness: Corners, top, and crown are filled with DHT receptors in men who suffer Androgenic Alopecia The hair on donor areas such as back and sides, however, have fewer DHT receptors.  This is precisely why hair is more permanent on the sides and back and not the top and front.

The distinction in the hair quality of different areas, such as the donor and recipient areas, allows for hair loss surgeons to remove the hair from one area and transplant it to the bald portions of the scalp.  These newly transplanted hairs are permanent and immune to DHT. Finasteride (Propecia) is a drug which blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT as a result of it blocking the enzyme alpha reductase.  The amount of DHT in hair loss patients decrease when they are on Propecia and this helps to maintain healthy hair, and also helps some of the miniaturized hair become stronger.

We at US Hair Restoration often recommend medical treatment with DHT blockers in many of our patients who undergo a hair transplantation procedure in order to help maintain their own hair in addition to the newly restored, formerly balding areas because of a hair restoration surgery.

I am often asked questions by patients after their hair restoration surgery regarding how many transplanted hair grafts will fall out and never grow back. This question comes as a result of fear based on testimonies they have heard from patients who got a hair transplant several years ago from a different surgeon, at a time when the technology available was not as dependable as it is today. Also at times, they have heard of sad stories from the tabloids of celebrity hair restorations gone wrong.

At US Hair Restoration we pride ourselves on patient satisfaction, quality, up-to-date precise methods, and value. We at times get patients who have had hair loss procedures gone wrong from physicians using much older methods. They come to us to correct their past surgical errors and we gain their trust by giving them results which make them happy.

The fact of the matter is over 95% of transplanted hair grafts should permanently survive based on studies administered using microscopic follicular unit transplanted methods. These studies show anywhere from 95-99% are expected take hold and grow as healthy hairs within only a few months of a transplantation surgery.

There are times when I receive inquiries as to why professionals such as hair stylists and dermatologists do not recommend hair restoration surgery to their clients or patients. I have scratched my head to this quandary as to why this is, since hair restoration surgery is the only method which is proven, permanent, and natural! The fact is, when it is done by a skilled hair restoration surgeon, the final product looks GREAT!!!

In the past twenty years, hair restoration surgery has progressed significantly, but with the most noticeable changes happening in only the past five years. The most profound breakthrough in this time is the current method of dissecting hair grafts to maximize accuracy for long-term growth as well as the ability to transplant larger quantities of hair grafts (up to 5,000 in one sitting) which is known as a giga-session.

Unfortunately many stylists, and shockingly physicians as well, are not up to speed with modern hair transplantation techniques or the positive effects a surgery can have on their clients or patients. It is our goal at US Hair Restoration to continue to educate physicians, hair stylists, and the public about the science and art of current hair transplantation techniques.

We are intentional about inviting professionals such as physicians and hair stylists to hear about our services, witness a live surgery, and see life changing results just months after an operation. This knowledge helps them to be more informed of how to better direct their clients and patients. When it comes to hair and hair loss in general, hair stylists are seen as having great credibility for making suggestions. At US Hair Restoration we have a progressive campaign for educating them called the “LA’s Top Style List” and we believe our message will be made known.

Q:

About 18 years ago, I underwent a hair restoration procedure with primitive technology. Nowadays, I’m very reluctant to ever do such a thing again. Since I had the transplant, I’ve been wearing a hair piece, which I don’t really like to do. I wonder: is it possible for my hair to ever look the way it did in my twenties? And, also, what if I don’t have enough donor hair, can I still get a hair transplant? If I don’t have enough donor hair, body hair is possible, right?

Also, I’m an algebra teacher, anyway this can be afforded on a salary like mine?

Sincerely,

-

A:

I appreciated the email.  Here are my answers to your questions, in chronological order.

1. Most of the time, it can be corrected. A lot of our patients actually have needed repair hair transplants. Their situation was very similar to yours in that they had plugs or micro-graft surgeries.

2. Whether your donor hair is sufficient, I don’t know. I have to examine you for that. A good majority of people have enough hair to cover up a hair plug procedure. Some men have so much donor hair that they can even cover up other areas of hair loss.

3. It is plausible to use body hair, but it is much better to use head hair. If you’re in a situation in which you have virtually no scalp hair, and also high-quality body hair, you could be a good candidate for a body hair to head procedure.

4. I can’t tell you if your hair transplant surgery will be affordable right now. Only after I evaluate you. It’ll all be based on the number of grafts that you require. We offer discounted rates to qualified candidates on our standby program.

5. Make sure to attach photos of yourself and email them to me. The photos we need of your head are from the front, left and right sides, top and back. Make sure to also include a picture of the hair plugged areas of your head so I can take a better look at it.

After taking a look at your head shots, I’ll have a phone consultation with you and talk about the options that are open to you. It’s also a time where I can reply to all your questions.