Eyebrow Transplant Scarring

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

Dear doc, I am okay with balding and keep my head shaved (i’m a bouncer by profession). But i’ve been losing eyebrows too. actually i sweat a lot on the eyebrows and thats why im probably losing it…(age=26)

Now, I understand that scarring is something thats unavoidable. But i guess eyebrow transplantation would require fewer hairs right? Will there still be scarring if I transplant hair from back of my head to eyebrow? Im asking this because i wish to keep my head shaved.

You may be a candidate for an FUE procedure. The minimal scarring associated with an FUE procedure will allow you to keep your head shaved without a noticeable scar.

See these links for more info about eyebrow transplantation and FUE:

Cosmetic Tattoos on Eyebrows for Men

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

Hi, I was wondering about how you felt about cosmetic tattooing for the eyebrow in the case of a male that is looking to add SOME density. I have also been considering eyebrow transplantation but I am unsure about having to trim them a couple of times a week. I heard of a new procedure where they use the hair from your leg as the donor hair. This would be cool since the hair on my leg does not grow as long as the hair on my head. Any insight ?

Tattooing the eyebrow to create the illusion of hair works nicely for the short term, but it needs hair present at some level of density to make it look like an eyebrow. For a man in particular, the regular appearance of a tattoo which is neat and linear, will appear artificial and feminine if there is not enough hair present to give it some bushy structure to it. After many years, the tattoo color will fade and often turn green and the shape will change. People will notice the tattoo right away if they come close to you without make up and you will end up either using an eyebrow pencil to cover the green hue or get an eyebrow transplant. Tattoos work better for women because they wear make up and eye liner all the time, but sooner or later they will have to deal with the color change of the tattoo. If you are a man, can you see yourself putting on make up for the rest of your life to hide a green tattoo so that people don’t notice it easily? Hair transplants work nicely for eyebrows (see Eyebrow Transplants). Hair from an eyebrow transplant is your natural hair (from your head). The only inconvenience is that it must be trimmed a couple of times each week for a man, more for a woman as you won’t want a ponytail growing from your eyebrows.

Using Arm or Armpit Hair As Donor?

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

I have an unusual hair replacement question. I suffered from alopecia and my entire hairline fell out along with some of the fron of my browline. I have been using organic products with great success and finally after a year, My hair line is returning, but the space between my brows has not filled in and now my features are greatly imbalalnced. i was wondering if it is possible to have a browline restoration procedure on a very small area, about 5/8inch on front of right brow and 1/4 or 2/8inch on left brow? As technology has advanced so much with the advent of hair restoration, I think this would be great for me, but would it be very expensive as it is such a small area of hair to be replaced/enhanced? ANd would armhair or armpit hair be eligible as donor hair as it more closely resembles the bushy brow area hair. I am AA by the way.

The technology is available to transplant hair from one part of the body to another. However, the catch is that the hair transplanted from one part of the body, such as your armpit, will retain the same characteristics from the donor site (in this case being the armpit area). So hair moved to your eyebrows will still look like armpit hair. I generally like to use scalp hair as the donor because it most often reflects normal eyebrows. Bushy eyebrows are easy to create if needed, the art is in making it fine and less bushy from any donor site.

Shock Loss from Hairline Lowering?

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

Hello, i am 30 years old, female, do not suffer from hair loss however would like to lower my hairline..have you had women do this?? Also, is their any temporary hair loss of the non-transplanted near the transplated area due to the shock?
Please can you tell me if you know of any highly reputable surgeons in Melbourne??

Kindest Regards

Shock hair loss is unusual in women who receive a hairline lowering procedure, provided that they do not have female genetic hair loss. For a doctor near you, you might want to locate a good plastic surgeon in your area and check out his/her experience with the procedure or look to the physician search at ISHRS.org. Be careful that the doctor you choose is a qualified surgeon (as many doctors who call themselves experts and may be experts in hair restoration will not tackle this type of surgery). Sorry I couldn’t give a better recommendation than that.

Transplant Hair From Chest to Eyebrows?

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

Im Indian. Have half black and half grey hair. My eyebrows are thin. So if i want to transplant a few from my chest / scalp to the eyebrows. Can a surgeon make sure that only the black hair is transplanted? I mean i would not want my eyebrows to be grey in color.

This is the sort of question that requires a patient to prioritize. Which is more important? Having hair in your eyebrows or having it the right color? Bear in mind that coloring your hair, whether on one’s eyebrows or somewhere else, is a cheap and easy process. Transplanting hair is not. One last thought is that your eyebrows may one day change color (ie they may become gray) on their own! That would really be a pickle…

As a side note, I want to address the suggestion of chest hair for your eyebrows in the first place (I know you also mentioned scalp – I just want to address this for other readers of the blog). FYI, often the texture and character of chest hair make it less than suitable for transplantation, even if it does grow slightly shorter than the hair on one’s head. You would have to be examined by your surgeon to determine where the best donor area is, and that may be your chest, but I would simply suggest that you enter the appointment focused on getting the most natural and best results possible.

Making Grafts Finer for Eyebrow Transplantation

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

is it possible to transplant finer, smaller or thinner eyebrow hair follicles in areas surrounding or outside the edges of the thicker darker hairs of the eyebrow?

You can decrease the diameter of the hair follicle (make it finer) by damaging it in a controlled manner during the transplant procedure. This may reduce the survival of some of the hairs, but the procedure works well only in very experienced hands.

I Had a Scalp Reduction Last Month

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

One month ago I had a small scalp reduction done. I have experienced some telogen/shock loss. Over what period of time should I expect to continue losing hair in the adjacent area and when can I expect that hair to regrow. It has been recommended that minoxidil could help accelerate the regrowth. Your thoughts please.

Hair loss from a single, small scalp reduction is unusual. As you know, scalp reductions have fallen on hard times and the surgery has been largely abandoned because sooner or later, the hair loss will continue and the scar may then become a problem. Scalp reductions stretch the scalp from the sides (it does not bring your ears higher but some patients tell me that it feels that way), therefore they may have a negative impact on hair transplantation by increasing the scar risk from the classic strip harvesting technique because the skin above the ears (some of the donor area) is stretched and gets a reduced density and altered anatomy (which may or may not cause problems). I had three scalp reductions in the early 90s, and became an outspoken anti-scalp reduction doctor because I experienced your complication and a few more as well.

The hair loss you are experiencing may last a few months. It should peak by 3 months, but in some patients progressive hair loss may still occur. The scalp manipulation can cause hair loss and the stretch that is produced is one of the traumatic causes of hair loss. I would want to understand the Master Plan that you and your doctor worked out to understand the significance of the problem you are now having in the long term. Minoxidil may help in the short and long term, but it rarely can reverse the hair loss you have experienced if it not going to reverse on its own.

Pubic Hair Transplants

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

This could be a silly question, but do you also make pubic hair transplants? I don’t have a lot of hair there and I really don’t like to look like a baby.

Thanks

Pubic hair transplantation (scalp to pubic hair) is a common transplant in Asian women who generally do not have enough hair to feel like the woman that they may want to be. We have done quite a few of these procedure. They do require a special art not to look ‘man made’.

Eyebrow Transplants (with Photos)

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

Is it true that eyebrow transplants do not behave like eyebrow hair?

Hair for eyebrow transplants come from the head. As such, they retain their head hair characteristics. There is some need to match head hair and eyebrow hair to see that it is appropriate to use it. This matching is critical. In the afro hair, the hair from the scalp is kinky, and if that hair is moved to the eyebrow, it might not behave as you would hope and the kinky nature of the head hair may not look right in the eyebrow. If the shafts of head hair are too thick, it is possible to thin down the shaft thickness in the hands of an experienced surgeon. Most significantly, the eyebrow hair will grow long and it requires trimming a few times a week because it will grow out ½ inch per month. Not trimmed, it could obtain a length of 3 feet (or whatever the maximum hair length might grow to), which is something that will not look normal.

Here is an example of a patient who had eyebrow transplants in the medial part of his eyebrow. He had forgotten to trim it for almost a month before he came in.

The photo on the left is before; the photo in the middle is 6 months after (with long eyebrow hairs); the photo on the right is also 6 months after (with eyebrows trimmed).

The patient had less than 20 single hair grafts in the area where the long hair is seen. Click each photo to enlarge.

 

Aftercare Products for Eyebrow Transplantation

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

Once one has had their eyebrows transplanted, do you know of, recommend or sell any products such as eyebrow gel, clear mascara etc. that helps keep the eyebrows in place (ie. something with a strong, long lasting hold)? Any information or recommendations you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Please get back to me at your earliest convenience,

Thank-you

Most eyebrow transplants come from the scalp. I am assuming that the surgeon who did your eyebrow transplants put them in the correct direction and shallow enough to lay flat. Eyebrow transplants are a real art and they must be delicate and made up largely of single hairs.

Assuming that everything was done correctly, your new eyebrows will behave like head hair. If the character of your head hair is wild, unable to control easily, then the same will be the case for your new eyebrows. Relaxers for very wild hair may work, and using a good conditioner will relax it as well. You may have to put a fine wax on it. Speak to a good hair stylist for suggestions.

Graft Placement, FUE, and Body Hair Transplants

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


first:
i need your opinion concerning the placement technique of DHI Greece group.

Second:
i had a transplant with famous doctor in Australia, he is very good in FUE (body & head) but the placement is not good & transplant hair nature is changed. i think his way with washing hair not before one week of tranplantation is not good for hair, i need your opinion for that.

finally:
i think you are the best doctor in this field but i have 2 problems to proceed with you:
1- getting the VISA, my application was introduced from 18 months & there is no answer. i know this is not your fault, but this is the situation
2- i am Norwood 5 to 6, i prefer to use BODY HAIR & untill now you do not proceed with this option

finally thank you for this valuable website, i know everydetails of hair transplatation & made me have standard for quality procedure

Thank you for the faith that you expressed in my skills. To answer the first part of your email about DHI, please take a look at FUE / FIT — Minimally Invasive Hair Transplants.

It sounds like although you did your research, the “Buyer Beware” axiom still failed even after considerable research. If you are a Class 6 pattern balding patient,l the best and probably only real good source of donor hair is from the back and sides of your head and you need to exploit this first before you consider body hair transplants (most people never need them). You have clearly recognized that the art of placement is critical to the final result, which is something that many people do not differentiate from medical clinic to medical clinic. As the inventor of the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique, I know that it is not always the best procedure for those who are extensively bald. I personally think that you must focus upon the quality of the transplanted hair, and body hair does not have that same quality or quantity as head and scalp hair. Performing body hair transplants will produce a poor quality hair transplant (when compared to a good transplant with scalp hair), which may be what you are observing and blaming on your shampoo and washing technique.

Please send photographs to the address on the Contact page as a starting point of a dialogue.

Eyebrow Hair Loss

/by William Rassman, M.D./42 /,

Hi,
Please could you give me some advice on how I can encourage new eyebrow hair growth. My eyebrows have lately become very sparse. I am very concerned because no products have been working for me. I have used olive oil and bought Talika Eyebrow Lipocils and used the product, I used it for 28 days and it did not stimulate any new hair growth.
Please could you help me and send me some advice?
Thankyou.

Eyebrow hair loss can be from a series of causes. The most common is from plucking the eyebrow in women who try to shape it and eventually develop traction alopecia resulting in permanent loss of the eyebrow hair. A series of genetic and autoimmune causes also exist, so you might want to see a specialist who can look for miniaturization or the side effects from plucking which are very characteristic. There are no magic potions for stimulating eyebrow hair, though Minoxidil might help. Hair transplants work very nicely but have the disadvantage of growing longer than the normal eyebrow hair which means that they must be cut a few times a week.

Transplant Hair From My Back

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

My question is about donor sites. I have a rather extensive amount of back hair and, if possible and practical, I would like to transplant said hair (in conjunction with hair from other, more typical, donor sites) as part of a transplant to correct my scalp baldness. While I still have hair on the sides and the back of my scalp, I do have a lot of baldness all across the top of my scalp, which I assume will require lots of grafts. Can back hair be considered donor hair?

Body hair is not a productive source for hair as traditional sources from the sides and back of your head. Unless you have significantly depleted the donor hair from the traditional source, I would not recommend hair from the body (an experimental procedure of questionable value). I have performed hair transplants on the baldest of men with great results. They have gotten hair from back and sides in each case. For example, see Class 7 Patient ZU from the NHI site.

Hair Transplants to Face

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

I am a 33yr old, health male, with no health problem. I am interested in getting facial hair augmentation. I am missing large clumps of hair which have never developed on my face, much like hair growth patterns seen I have seen in Asian men. I would like to complete the hair line from my sideburn to my chin and then up around to add to my mustache.

It is possible that you have either a late onset beard that you understand may still yet develop. It is also possible that your genetic pattern has produced this facial hair distribution. What does your family look like? Are there relatives with this beard pattern? Is there Asian genetics in your family line? The dilemma here is to differentiate genetics (most probable cause) from other causes. Before embarking on such a path there are a number of steps that you need to get done. These steps are:

  1. Establish a relationship with a doctor where mutual trust is established. The doctor must feel comfortable with your goals and expectations and they must be realistic from the doctor’s point of view. You must understand all of the risks and downsides of such a procedure.
  2. Get testosterone and DHT blood tests to determine hormonal issues related to the facial patterns of hair distribution.
  3. Get an assessment of the status of your eventual hair loss with a close examination of your scalp under high-powered magnification.
  4. Get a second opinion from an endocrinologist to determine if exogenous DHT is available and/or advisable.

First, of course, I would start with #1, then work with the doctor you selected and extend to the rest of the list. If I was the doctor and agreed that this is a procedure I would be willing to perform, then I might start by extending your sideburns down the face and if that met your needs, I would consider another more aggressive step. I would love to engage you with further dialogue.

For examples of transplanted sideburns, please take a look at: