Hair Transplants for the Short Hair Look

Hello Doc,
I am 48, an NW4 and pretty stable. I don’t think I’ve lost much (or maybe any) hair in the last 5 years. I am interested in a “minimalist approach” to hair restoration. I have grudgingly accepted this level of baldness — no hats, no pieces etc. I keep it buzzed down very short, to at least a #2 on the clippers. I am not, at my age, looking for a young man’s hairline or density. I am not even interested in reconstructing a hairline, per se. All I would like is just an even sprinkling (or “dusting” — choose your own word) of grafts from front to back to give me a hint of stubble when I buzz it down, cut *some* of the shine in the places that are totally slick, etc. I am not trying to give the appearance that I have a normal head of hair, that’s long gone … yes, I know my scalp will still be visible….no, I am not trying to conceal my balding … everybody already knows that I have lost hair! All I want is a random, sprinkled “suggestion” of stubble from front to back in the bare areas, if possible using FUT’s, which I will then buzz down and keep very short. When I went to one of the high-volume hair mills a few years ago and suggested this, they were very discouraging: “No, you need our Super Ultra Mega Session where we will cram 6K grafts in the front half inch to give you the hairline of a 16 yr old.” Well, that’s not what I’m interested in and, to be frank, if that’s all the industry can offer me, then I’ll stick with what I’ve got. So, Doc, what do you think off the above “Minimalist Approach?” Is this something you’ve ever done before and/or would consider now?

What you are asking for is not unreasonable. The best way to get this would be Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), where single small, naturally occuring follicular units are extracted one-by-one directly from the donor area with a tiny punch. This leaves minimal scars and can support a super short hair cut. Send pictures and I will get back to you, privately if you prefer.

For information and photos of the FUE technique, please see:

• Follicular Unit Extraction: The FOX Procedure
• The FOX Megasession