Hello,
when a graft comes out.. in the first few days.. if it is saved.. can it be put back in the scalp…?Thank you
Most likely not, because there will be a delay between the graft coming out and being put back into the scalp. Exposure to the air will kill the graft and that occurs in under a minute.
I am a 25 year old male due to have a hair transplant in a months time mainly to restructure my hairline, but also to thicken my hair on top.
I am worried about shock loss to my thinning hair on top. I am aware you recommend propecia to prevent this, however I do not wish to take any hairloss drugs due to the associated side effects. After telling this to my surgeon he suggested that I treat my recipient areas with minoxidil every day during the week before my transplant, and then to continue it 3 days after my op.
In your opinion does this sound like a good idea? I have not taken minoxidil before. I have read that minoxidil should be avoided for 1-2 weeks after a transplant? Also how long do you think I should continue taking this after my procedure to minimise the chances of shock loss?
Many thanks
I don’t think minoxidil will prevent shock loss to the same degree as Propecia (if at all), which a 25 year old is prone to following transplantation. Just thinking about side effects and experiencing them are different. Most men (98 out of a 100) will not have negative sexual side effects. You can try minoxidil since you are not willing to take Propecia. You clearly have a big decision, considering the investment you are about to make.
I’d suggest that you didn’t use minoxidil directly on the recipient area for 5-7 days following the transplant, but I don’t really have a recommendation of how long to take minoxidil to prevent shock hair loss (as I stated, I’m not sure it’ll do much for preventing shock loss anyway). You may want to discuss this with your surgeon and come up with a good plan tailored for your particular needs.
what age is ok to have hair transplant? i have a son who’s 2 years of age and he has two scars on his scalp about 1 centimeter (diameter) each…
thanks..
It might be traumatic to do it now. I would wait until he’s older and if this becomes a social issue, then it is something to consider. I have performed surgery on children, but most don’t care until they approach their teenage years when looks are important to them. I would not suggest this is something you should pursue at this time.
Thank you for all of your informative hard work! I am currently a Norwood 2 & may be progessing to a Norwood 3. I was curious to see if you could post any pictures of patients who’ve went (w/ the help of FUT or FUE) from a Norwood 3 to a Norwood 2 & some pics of those who’ve went from a Norwood 2 to a Norwood 1. Thanks in advance!
 Norwood Class 2  Norwood Class 1 |
Most people who are young and have frontal recession are experiencing the maturing hairline and are not balding. I do not transplant the frontal hairline in these patients unless there is a reason that it has to be done. I remember an actor who had a lead role in a daytime soap opera TV series. As his hairline was maturing, he got indications that they were going to phase him out of the show because they wanted a person with a juvenile hairline, as the daytime women that watched the show apparently had fantasies about very young men (I’m not kidding). In that case, I did move him back to somewhere between a Norwood Class 1 and 2 and his million dollar a year income kept him secure.
I do transplant women routinely who have lost frontal hair and want their hairline back. Typically, a woman is a Norwood Class 1 and so to answer your question, I’d like to point you to a woman’s hairline reconstruction, which is now a Norwood Class 1. See Female Hairline Restoration After Brow Lift. There is essentially no difference in the process. Creating a female or Norwood Class 1 hairline is not an easy chore. The surgeon must be very experienced when creating it due to the direction of the hair in the corners. Look carefully at your wife, girlfriend, mother, or sister’s hairline and note the direction of the hair in the corners — it flows from the center of the hairline to the temple prominences. That growing process along with the transition from one part of the frontal hairline to another must be done right, or it will look awkward and artificial. If you are an actor or top line male model, I might consider bringing you back to a Norwood Class 1. In other words, I’ll do it, but it’s rare and we must have a meeting of the minds when embarking on this process.
Hello Doc. can you please answer this question please. Can a flare up of seborrheic dermatitis during the growth period (3-9 months)following a hair transplant procedure,in the recipeint area(itching,redness,swelling, etc..) lead to poor results of the transplant?? Also if the scar from a strip harvest is still pink and tender 6 months after procedure, will it always be like that or will it eventually toughen and turn all the way white? thx
Seborrheic dermatitis should not impact hair growth from a hair transplant. Scars can be judged by their width, and scars that are greater than 3mm may cause a problem. The pink color is usually gone in less than 6 months, but it can be delayed. The pink color has really more to do with the way your body heals the scar (appearance) than on the actual strength of the healed wound at six months.
Hello Dr. Rassman
I think you blog is a very wonderful thing, and most of all its like a release for anyone who is having difficulty with their hair-loss as it shows that they are not alone. I have been studying doctors, new so-called cures and intercytex therapy for about two years now. I understand why we become so aggravated with Hair-loss and I believe its our society that has put us in this small ugly box if we become bald. I have come to the conclusion that your the most qualified doctor among your piers, however due to pricing needs I have chosen Dr. Ron Shapiro, although he himself has said that your highly regarded as the best. Can you recommend Shapiro as a more then a suitable doctor?
Why is a receding hairline so immune to any forms of medicine?
It is rare that I’ll give any kind of recommendation, but yes, Dr Ron Shapiro in the Minneapolis area is a very good hair transplant surgeon. He was one of the first doctors I trained.
With regard to your question on the frontal hairline, it is important to note that most men do not know that they are balding until the frontal recession or thinning is detected. By the time it is recognized, the hair loss is too far gone to be brought back by drugs. The first stage for most men is denial and that may take years so treatment is often delayed during this period. When treatment for balding is finally started, the frontal loss is well along the balding path, possibly too late to reverse. Medication does work in the hairline, but I believe the hair loss has to be treated earlier.
I had a strip surgery done 1.5 yrs ago. 3500graphs, age 30. the surgery was done to the front hairline. I can tell that i need the middle and my crown done in the near future. My doctor says i need to have the second procedure done now and he will repair some areas from the first procedure. He claims that I only see 75% growth from the first transplant likely because i didn’t use minoxidil (because I am allergic).
My concern is he says his office no longer does strip and i will need 3500 for the middle using FUE. Not only was i caught by surprise but the price is substantially higher. I’m not sure that i can afford it, plus i have to anticipate the 3rd surgury for my crown in the future. THeres no going back now because i have the large scar from the first surgery. I just want your opinion. The doctor has a very good reputation and I don’t deny his knowledge and experience, I’m just wondering if its time to consider other doctors. I was very careful who i selected for my hairline and maybe i don’t have to be so careful for the middle and crown. Any advice would be appreciated. I also noticed you suggested for someone who had strip to continue getting strip. would you also say there is no need for me to get FUE?
As you did not identify the doctor, I will tell you some of the problems I have with what you reported above:
If you are giving me a straight story, you need a second opinion by a competent, ethical doctor! Send me before/after photos of your head and scar here and I will call you and give you a second opinion if you’d like and keep it completely confidential between you and I (I will not show it on the blog without your permission). Also, please reference this post when sending.
I am a 20 year old male and was wondering what type of procedures there are, if any, to have hair grow where a scar is from surgery. My freshman year of college at Indiana University I was playing basketball and collided with another player resulting in a depression in my right orbital bone above my eye. To fix the depression a plastic surgeon had to peel my face off to get access to the depressed bone resulting in a scar going from one side of the head to the other. My family having a history of baldness I was wondering if its possible to have hair grow over a scar. Thanks for the help.
I would want to see photos or meet with you in person. I have had one patient with that type of deformity and his transplanted area (including the eyebrow) did correct most of his problem, but everyone and every scar is different. Let’s start off with some photos though, as that is probably most convenient for you. Send them here and reference this post when sending, please.
Having a hair transplant to fix a scar is reasonable provided that you know what would happen to you if you should bald. That means to me that you should, at a minimum, have a Master Plan for your worst case scenario understood.
I just had transplant surgery 3 days ago..In the crown area there is a straight white tissue protruding from the red area of the transplants..mostly just in the crown area..what is this..? Does this mean the graft came out or could this just be extra tissue or something else..thanks..
As I am not able to see what you are describing, I would recommend you see your hair transplant surgeon to make sure you are not developing problems with the transplant. I would hate to guess at the problem and give you an answer that leads you in the wrong direction. Most people who shampoo will see some whitish coloring of the grafts which they get if water logged and this color usually goes away when the grafts dry. Most of the time people ask me about a series of white dots at the transplanted area — this is what it is. In your case, you are asking about something protruding from the recipient area and that could be a graft.
Hi,
I was wondering if you could tell me if it would be better for me to get strip or fue? I have already had 1 strip procedure 5 years ago (3300) and feel I need more hairs to fill my thinning frontal area. I am worried about fue because I heard the back of your head may appear as if moth eatin. Also, I exercise so I want to recover as quickly as possible. I used [name removed] before and that’s who I plan to use for my next procedure. Any recommendations? Thanks.
The things that make a follicular unit extraction (FUE) surgery produce a “moth eaten” donor area include:
If you already had a strip procedure, another strip may be a better choice for you, but if you are a hair transplant ‘virgin’ (not your case) then FUE is a much more clear decision process. Going the FUE route will make for a very fast recovery with full activity, including swimming, scuba, and professional level exercise. I do not generally make recommendations for doctors here.
Hi there
My problem is when I was 5yrs old I got burnt on the right side of my head just above the ear 6cm by 6cm. I had a skin graft done and no hair grew in that area. I was wondering if it’s possible to have fue treatment done to that area, and what the chances of susses are. Even if it is just to reduce the area in question.
Thanks
We routinely perform hair transplants on scars, but it would have to be a full thickness scar or one with a good underlying blood supply to it. Usually above the ear should be OK for a hair transplant, but first I would have to examine you. Hair transplantation is particularly a great way to disguise scars or if you are not a candidate for hair transplants, other surgical options may be a better choice.
hi
i was at a party recently and got drunk. i then thought it would be a good idea to wax my eyebrows however it didnt work so well when i sobered up as there was still clumps of hair still attached. i then shaved the rest of my remaining hair off my eyebrows. i was just wonderin how long will it take to grow back?
Yes, your eyebrows should grow back, though it may take several months (possibly up to a year). Drinking and waxing is obviously not a good idea. See a good hair transplant doctor if it does not grow back in a year.
I know you aren’t a fan of body hair transplantation because of the different growth cycles it has compared to the hair on your head and just a general difference in the type of hair but do you think it would work when used in a donor scar from a hair transplantation? I just figure it would work pretty well when you’re just trying to cover up a smaller area like that and aren’t as concerned how the hair looks just so long as it covers.
I would agree with you on this, although Body hair Transplanation in general is not ideal for Hair Restoration surgery, it would probably work ok to give some coverage in a Donor Scar.
It may work, but as the body hair is not as thick as regular scalp hair, the coverage per hair shaft will be less than that of scalp hair. Do you have enough hair for FUE from the scalp which may be better? A stronger hair can be found in the pubic and beard areas and both of these areas can be used as donor hair sources as well.
In your post here you say: “This is your worst case scenario. I have had 3 such cases over my years in practice.”
Can you clarify what you mean here? Are you recommending not getting cosmetic surgery if the disease is under control? Or, are you just saying that as a general warning of what could happen if one did get cosmetic surgery? Have you only had 3 cases of this disease to treat with a hair transplant?
My areas are I guess you could say small, but they feel like they are the size of a baseball on my head. Right now, only one area is really noticeable. How long should one wait, to consider the disease under control to have any type of cosmetic surgery? I have not had any activity in a few months now. Three doctors have recommended that because my areas are “small” a doctor may be able to just remove the scared area and fuse my scalp together. Is this a viable option?
If the areas are smaller, what are the typical prices for hair transplant?
The medical field is not clear about the cause of folliculitis decalvans. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease that presents like an infection of the hair follicles, but it does not respond to traditional treatment. The disease can be aggressive and destroy many hair follicles and badly scar the scalp. Hair transplants into this area may likely fail and may reactivate the disease (bad news when this happens). I always want to know if the benefits will significantly outweigh the risks.
The decision to have another surgery within less than a year from a previous episode may not be a good decision, but you and your doctor are in the best place to make that determination. I haven’t treated you, and I couldn’t make any recommendation without examining you at the very least. Our fees are listed here.
Hi Doctor,
I had a look at thread Ultra-Refined Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)?I could not understand completely if Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation (URFUHT) and Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation (FUHT) were same if additional care was taken while performing FUHT. My doctor mentioned that both are same and he suggests a 2 sitting complete transplant using FUHT. He also said that people would be happy with a single sitting. Is this multiple sitting (2 sittings) required for URFUHT also?
These are just different names for the same thing. The people who defined the term “URFUHT” have a marketing agenda which is supposed to say that this is the best form of follicular unit transplant (FUT). If you do FUT correctly (as defined in our published articles from over a dozen years ago), then a classy job is a classy job by any name you give it. Any good doctor should try to get your surgery completed in one session if it is possible.
Here’s a short list of some of the earlier FUT articles: