| Dr. Peter M. Schmid is a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS). Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Hair transplant.
Q. Who would be a good candidate for hair transplant surgery?
A. Young patients are poor candidates, as their expectations for the procedure are often unrealistic, and their future hair loss pattern is evolving. It takes years to express the pattern of alopecia (hair loss).
Both men and women alike may be good candidates for hair transplantation. The goal typically is to re-establish the hairline, and add some density of hair to the thinned or bald scalp. Since new hair numbers are not produced, it is primarily a relocation of existing hair from the donor site to the recipient site, thus expectations for this procedure must be realistic.
Q. How does hair transplantation work?
A. Hair follicles are taken from the posterior scalp(donor site), and relocated to the anterior scalp or the recipient sites. It is a rearrangement of the hair "robbing Peter to pay Paul". With the advanced technique of follicular unit transplantation, very natural graft and hairlines may be created. It is a very artistic and technical procedure requiring a skilled team of technicians and the hair transplant surgeon.
Q. What can be done for people dissatisfied with previous mini/micrograft procedures?
A. Old grafts can be surgically removed, divided into smaller follicular unit grafts, and retransplanted. Additional grafts may be placed, to fill in density between these unfavorable grafts. This is often a very difficult situation to manage and create a very natural appearing outcome.
Q. What are the possible harmful effects of Propecia and Rogaine?
A. Rogaine is labour intensive requiring application twice a day. It may cause scalp dermatitis, and women may have a growth of unwanted facial hair in areas contacted with the solution.
Propecia is not to be used in the female patient. Side effects though rare may include: impotence, depression, and gynecomastia (feminization of the chest).
Q. How many grafts/hairs are needed for hair transplant surgery?.
A. The calculated number of grafts required is dependent upon the degree of hair loss being treated unique to each patient and the hair pattern design they are interested in. Since there is a finite number of grafts that can be relocated and transplanted, it is crucial that the physician and the patient are in agreement as to the aesthetic goals. Typically 800-1500 grafts per session is routine. For a bald scalp, up to 3000+ grafts may be required. Grafting is focused on the anterior scalp to re-establish the hairline and frontal density. It is usually discouraged for the crown area due to density issues.
Q. What are the advanced hair transplant techniques?
A. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Implanting the anatomical hair clusters which occur naturally in groups of 1-4 hair follicles. This creates the most natural hair aesthetics. Hair plugs are rarely used. The grafts are implanted with small stab incisions at the recipient site minimalizing scarring and preserving a natural appearance to the scalp. Few transplantation surgeons perform removal of the grafts at the donor sites at the posterior scalp by follicular unit extraction (FUE), but the transection rate of these donor grafts is very high. Typically the donor site hairs are removed by a long horizontal strip of hair closed as a single incision. The follicular units are then prepared from this strip of tissue microscopically by a team of technicians dissecting out various groupings of grafts.
Q. What are the new hair restoration treatments available for men and women?
A. Follicular unit transplantation still remains the standard of care in the hair transplantation world. The future promise would be in genetic engineering by which grafts could be grown out of a lab specific to each patient. This would forego the donor site allowing an infinite number of hair to be transplanted. This technology is presently under investigation.. Popular, but not clinically proven by specific clinical studies is the use of laser therapy, and "laser combs" for the scalp. There is a vast array of placebo and anecdotal promises out there in the market from shampoos to potions. Hair pieces and hair weaving are also options. |
