One Hair Transplant Changed His Image (with Photos)

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /,

This man wore a hat as often as he could. He has some pre-malignant skin changes on his bald scalp and the hat provided cover for it. His comb-over was as good as he could get for non-hat coverage and he didn’t like the way it looked. What did he do for a living? He is a make-up artist with a 30 year career working in many big budget movies and TV programs. Because of his career, he was self-conscious about his balding look and his comb-over. He knows almost every actor in Hollywood so he feels for those who are balding. Now, he proudly tells those people that he had a hair transplant, trying to help them find a similar solution (when appropriate). He received 1496 grafts in a single session just one year ago. Now, wanting to be slightly greedy, he will probably do it one more time to thicken the front so that in a bright light it will look thicker. His willingness to come forward and let me tell his story shows the character of a self-confident man.

Before:


After:


Tags: hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss, photos, combover

Norwood Classes vs Mature Hairline

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I am a 28 yo male who’s hairline has been receding at the temples since I was around 16 years old. It is now at around a Norwood 2/3 although there is very little recession at the front. I realise it is either slow mpb or a mature hairline from reading your very informative answers to other guy’s questions but I wanted to ask you whether its possible to recede to a Norwood 3 and remain there? I noticed miniturisation in the areas which have now receded but there doesn’t seem to be any further miniturisation. Also there is no hair loss at the crown area (yet!!)

Everybody is different! You may recede to a Norwood Class 3 and stay that way for the rest of your life. Your hair loss should stablize by your late 30’s. If you are still concerned about hair loss, you may benefit from seeing a doctor who can quantitatively record the miniaturization of your scalp hair and give you more information on its extent. If the miniaturized hair is only found in the frontal area, then you may be more confident that the hair loss will probably not progress significantly beyond what you have already experienced. On the other hand, if there is miniaturization in the crown or further back in the front (even it there is no balding at this time) then the prognosis may not be as good. In this later situation, the drug Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is the best way to arrest the process.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, propecia, finasteride, norwood, hairline

16 Year Old Girl Wants Lowered Hairline

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /,

Okay so, I am a 16 year old female and I have done constant research on lowering of the female hairline (which is very difficult to find, most sites only direct me to men with balding patterns) and I am desperate to know if there is any way to lower the hairline without grafts while still looking natural. Due to my high hairline, my forehead looks rather un-shapely. I envy those beautiful girls with such a proportionate face and wish that I did not have the haunting insecurities of my own. I have brought this up with family since I know I am very young for something drastic like this. Please help me. I appreciate your time and am looking forward to your reply. Thank you.

There are procedures to lower a hairline and this procedure is often done on women. It is a more complicated procedure than a regular hair transplant surgery so a standard hair transplant surgeon may not be comfortable performing it. Some (like me) are not uncomfortable doing it. Most of the doctors that perform these types of sugeries are plastic surgeons. I would consider performing the procedure on a 16 year old female, provided I see maturity, understand the motivation, the teen shows a normal and healthy mental state, and have parents who understand what the procedure is and what it means with all of the risks associated with such a surgery. In other words, I want to be a good doctor that does what is in the best interests of his patients.

Tags: hairline lowering, female, teen, hairloss, hair loss, hairline

My Hairline Was Too Low, So I Plucked Some Hairs

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /,

When I was 19, I thought my frontal hairline was a little too low, so I unthinkly grabbed some tweasers and plucked out some of my hair from the left towards the middle of my frontal hair line (on more than one occassion).

Ever since then, my hair has not looked quite the same in that area and I occassionally experience a slight burning sensation there.

I am now 22 and am wondering if there is anything I can do to ease the burning sensation around there as well as encourage the regrowth of hair in that area. It just does not look quite natural and like it did before I did this plucking.

Have you heard of a situation like mine and do you have any specific recommendations for a situation like this?

I would really appreciate your help and advice.

Local irritation from plucking hair is common in people with chronic picking of their hair (trichotillomania), The hair loss from your frontal hair line is likely permanent, especially if you have transitioned from a childhood hairline to a mature hairline which is normal at your age. You should see someone like me (or find a doctor in your area at ISHRS.org) to determine a long term plan defining what to expect.

Tags: hairline, trichotillomania, plucking, hair, hairloss, hair loss

Newly Transplanted Hairline is Uneven

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I’m a 49 yr old male. My transplant is a month old [editor’s note: not with NHI], and the only thing that bothers me is that the hairline is not even. It looks not receding enough on one side and too receding on the other. I’d rather have two receding sides. But that would mean removing some of the plugs? Is this possible and would the scars be very noticeable?

At a month, the hair transplants can not be removed. I would suggest that you wait out the period that it takes for full growth to occur. It will be easier to accept the lower hairline and move the higher one down to it, rather than the reverse.

Tags: hair transplant, hairline

I Don’t Want to Start Treatments Prematurely

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Hello Dr.Rassman,

I’m a 29yr old male who has recently become concerned/aware of recession at my temples, an undisputable norwood class 2. From my research, on this site and others, a norwood 2 can be indicative of a maturing hairline rather than male pattern baldness. Although the notion that what im experiencing is only the normal evolution of my hairline alieviates some of my stress I cant help but wonder when one is supposed to become concerned. I dont want to experience more recession before I take action, but on the other hand i dont want to start on expensive treatments prematurely. In your opinion, what norwood class should one reach before taking action?

A quick secondary question – Im a Canadian citizen spending most of my time between Montreal and Vancouver. Do you know of any reputable doctors in those cities that have the ability to map for miniturization?

Thanks for providing such a great resource for all of us out there with concerns! Blogs like this are few and far between.

Norwood Class 2It seems you have done your research. You are correct in stating that a Norwood Class 2 may be indicative of a maturing hairline rather than male pattern baldness. If you are concerned about male pattern baldness, you may want to see a doctor who can view your scalp hair under a hair densitometer for miniaturization and quantitatively record if there is any pattern for thinning. There’s no rule as to what class should be reached before action is taken. I always tell patients: “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”

With respect to a reputable doctor, you need to follow the recommendations on researching your doctor. Check with the doctor search at ISHRS.org as a point to start the search.

Tags: norwood, hairloss, hair loss, hairline

Fine Hairs at Hairline

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /

Dear Doctor,

Firstly, many thanks for your highly informative website which separates myth from fact!

I am a 21 (almost 22) year old male and I am a clear class two on the Norwood Scale.

I have also read several posts on your site, and my current hairline complies with your stated rule that the distance between chin and nose tip; and eye gully to hairline are roughly equal.

However, I wear my hair reasonably long, and have noticed that at the tip of my hairline, a lot of hairs are significantly shorter than those on the rest of my head, although their thickness appears to be similar to the rest. Could this be evidence of miniaturization or is this part of the normal hair growth process?

Furthermore, there seems to be quite a lot of “fluff” just in front of my hairline. Are these the remnants of previously healthy hairs?

Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

The shorter hair and the “fluff” in the front of your scalp just may be new hair changes in the hairline indicating a shift to the mature hairline. Although you did use one of my rules for measuring hairline location, please furrough your wrinkled brow. The childhood hairline touches the highest crease in your wrinkled forehead. The mature hairline usually is about 1/2 inch higher than that line. If these short hairs reflect the maturing hairline, shorter and either slower growing or non-growing hairs could explain everything you are seeing. Check for early signs of miniaturization in these short hairs and I suspect they will be miniaturized.

Tags: mature hairline, hairloss, hair loss

Using Straight Razor to Shave Head Stimulates Growth?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

My hair has been thinning since I was about 18. But it seems to have accelerated in the last year or so since i grew my hair long. (I am now 23) I decided to shave my head, and boy did that reaffirm my receding hairline. When it grew back it looked a little bit odd to me. My left side had no border; it has basically a 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch patch of thin hairs (with more density towards the top) with hugh gaps between them from my “peak” in front to the side areas. On my right side it is thinning but there is a border and it is a lot thicker and less receding. There is a major difference. How many years could have stress and growing it long accelereated my hair loss, if what I described is normal. Secondly, I used a straight razor to shave my head thinking that would stimulate hair growth, eventhough i was told about it scarring and or killing the follicles.

I do not believe using a straight razor will stimulate hair growth. If that is true, I would be in the hair shaving business!

You make an interesting observation of being able to see the pattern of hair loss with the short shaved head. What you are seeing is the miniaturized hair, which has less bulk than normal hair. This is fairly difficult to see in patients with average men’s hair lengths. That is why I often write about mapping your scalp for miniaturization with the densitometer that we routinely use at New Hair Institute. Alternatively, if you can not find a doctor able or willing to map your head for miniaturization, you can get a very short hair cut and see with the eye where the miniaturization is.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, miniaturization

10 Days After Hair Transplant (with Photos)

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

You have not shown a patient with black hair and light skin after a hair transpant. That is what I have and I need to know what I will look like. I am mostly balding in the front of my head. I can take time off work but i am planning my vacation for later this summer and want a transplant to coincide with it.

This patient had 2571 grafts done 10 days before these photos were taken. His hair is black as is yours. Many of the hairs have already fallen out, as expected. They will regrow in 2-4 months on average. As you enlarge the photographs, please note that what you are looking at is a beard of hair where no hair existed 10 days before. Imagine what you would look like if you did not shave for 10 days. Click the photos to enlarge.




Tags: hairloss, hair loss, photos, hair transplant

Is There ANY Way to Restore Hair Non-Surgically?!

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Dr. Rassman,

I have been impressed by your credentials and history as a leader in hair loss treatment and restoration. I’m a 22-year old who recently graduated from college. I’m engaged to be married on December 30th and, sadly, already experiencing initial stages of receding and thinning. I’m not currently financially able to have surgery and don’t really ever want to, but I’m just wondering if there is ANY possible way to restore hair non-surgically. I know Propecia and Rogaine can prevent/slow hair loss, but I’m interested in more than that – gaining old hair back.

You probably laugh at my ignorance – I’ve just started researching this and don’t know a lot about such things, but I’m curious and thought I’d try to ask around. Thanks for your help!

I like to be scientific and establish solid baselines for planning purposes. Throughout this blog I say over and over (and over) again to get you hair mapped out for miniaturization so that you can help predict what may happen to you. You are correct in your assumption that hair transplants (particularly in the front) is the only way to put hair back. In the back, if the hair loss is recent I would hope that someone of your age may see reversal of some or all of the process. You are educated by schooling, now get yourself educated with regard to your health and your looks and take charge of it once you know it all. My website newhair.com and my book (available by download or free by mail) are places to go to get educated.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplants

High Forehead and the Rule of Thirds

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /, ,

I had a question concerning hair transplant. I am 20 and do not have an issue with balding yet, but I do have a larger forhead than I would like. Is there a way for me to be able to get my forhead to the 1/3 proportion of my face? I’ve always dreamed of not having a high forhead….i hate when people mention it…they say I have Dawson’s forhead from Dawson’s creek. I was planning on visiting your area. Is there a way you can help me while also making it look natural?

thanks

DavidThe rule of thirds (1/3rd chin to nose, 1/3rd nose to gully between the eyes and 1/3rd the gully between the eyes to the hairline) does not apply to very many people. Although Michaelangelo made David according to the rule of thirds, I rarely have seen any man have those proportions. I measure these elements in every patient coming through my office so I am more than a casual authority on this matter. The normal proportion is equal distance of chin to nose tip and gully between the eyes to hairline. This is generally the normal male mature hairline, which is higher than the child hairline in most people (by 2/3rds inch). With that said, high hairlines which do not show this proportion can be treated and the hairlines can be lowered. What always worried me is that in young men like you who may have genetic balding (a 50% risk in most men), such a surgery may accelerate the genetic hair loss.

As you suggested, visit me at my office and let’s bond. Best way to deal with this problem is to command it and anticipate the future on a worst case scenario.

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hairline, forehead

Better Hair, New Problem (with Photos)

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /,

This young man had two hair transplant procedures by yours truly (the first one was just over two years ago, the 2nd was 8 months later) to fill in his hairline and make it thicker. Now he keeps his hair short, but has a new problem. The hair in the frontal 2 inches is much thicker than the hair behind it. He does understand that cutting his hair short made this a problem that he did not have when his hair was longer, but now he wants more fullness behind the frontal 2 inches. It is a matter of supply and demand. We are now discussing his Master Plan on what to do and when to do it.

Update 6/29/2006 – I added some photos that got left out yesterday:

The photos below are before (the photo on the right is from immediately post-procedure, so you can see where the grafts were placed).




The photos below are after two procedures totalling 5,795 grafts. Click the photos to enlarge.



Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, photos

Asian Hair Transplant Patient (with Photos)

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I’ve been asked via email to post photos of an Asian patient, so by request, here’s a recent patient who had two surgeries with NHI. The photos below show the “before” view and two “after” views — one with his preferred spiked hair style and the other with his hair pulled back. Please note that we only put the hair in, the patient decides the way he wants to style the hair. Personally, I like his hair combed back, but then again it is his hair, not mine.

The photo on the left is before, the middle and right photos are after two procedures totalling 3,388 grafts. Click the photos to enlarge.




Tags: hairloss, hair loss, hair transplant, asian, photos

Dr. Kabaker’s Hairline Lowering Procedure

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /,

I am considering having my hairline lowered by Dr. Sheldon Kabaker in Oakland, California. What do you know about this doctor’s work in this area?

Thank you!!

I generally do not comment on a doctor’s ability on this website, because if I do not know or I think negatively about him/her, I do not want to put myself in dangerous territory. I will make an exception in this case. Dr. Kabaker is a master of the hairline lowering procedure and taught it to me.

Tags: hairline lowering, hairloss, hair loss, kabaker, oakland, doctor

I Don’t Have Hair Loss, But I Want A Lower Hairline

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /

Hi – I am 36 years old, male. Good hair genes on my mother’s side, father is balding but not completely bald.

I have always had very thick wavy hair. Over the course of time I have noticed a gradual “shrinking” of my hair – hair is thinner and noticeably less dense when I run my fingers through it. This shrinking density has occurred everywhere on my head – not just the front or top but even on the sides and back. No balding areas, thinning is probably only noticeable to me. While my hairline receded slightly due to maturity, I really don’t seem to losing that much hair. It’s just that the “poofyness” is disappearing along with some of the waves.

If I would like to have a transplant just to lower the hairline by a centimeter with maximum density, would I be a good candidate? I don’t think there would be any shockloss since the hairline would be lowered. Thank you.

Shock loss producing permanent hair loss in a person without genetic balding is very rare. If it occurs in a person without genetic balding it usually returns in 3-6 months. You are defining a series of things including:

  1. Suggestion that the hairline has risen. If it has without genetic balding, you may just have developed a mature hairline and if there is no genetic balding, then you can lower the hairline with a surgical procedure where the upper part of the forehead is removed and the hairline is then lowered. This is what we call a ‘hairline lowering procedure‘. Alternatively, hair transplants also work.
  2. The thinning of the hair where you say the “poofyness” is disappearing along with the wavy nature of your hair may just be the changes occurring with age. To be sure that this is not miniaturization, you need to have your hair mapped out to be absolutely sure that it is a uniform process impacting all of the hair on your head, not just selected areas in the front.

You need to be properly examined before you embark upon the types of decisions that could be dangerous if you really have genetic balding and then lower your hairline. Also, I’d recomment that you read through some of the previous posts I’ve made regarding hairline lowering for more info.

Tags: hairline lowering, hairloss, hair loss