Hair Transplant Blog

Home » Hair Transplant Blog

What Is Your Opinion On Hair Tattoos?

February 8th, 2010

Q: What is your take on hair tattoos?

A: I don’t think that it is a good idea since, as the pigment is absorbed deeper into the skin, the tattoos tend to change color over time, developing a bluish hue. This gives a distinctly unnatural appearance.

Topic: Miscellaneous

Tags: Hair Tattoos

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 3:49 pm

Is Propecia Effective In Young Patients?

February 5th, 2010

Q: I know that Propecia works in only about half of patients. Are younger people more likely to be helped by this medication?

A: The main studies by Merck looked at men between the ages of 18 and 41. The five year data (which, in my view, is most important) showed that 48% of men had an increase in hair growth and 42% had no change over baseline. Thus a full 90% held on to their hair or had more over a 5-year period. This compares very favorably to the placebo group where 75% lost hair over the 5-year period.

I think the most interesting question relates to the 10% who continued to lose hair in the treated group. Did these men lose hair at a slower rate than the non-treated group? Based on the action of finasteride on blocking DHT and DHT’s central role in causing male pattern hair loss, it is reasonable to assume that even these “non-responders” did have some benefit from the drug, albeit small. If half of those on the medication continued to lose hair did so at a rate slower than the placebo group, then 95% of patients actually benefited from the medication to some degree – an extraordinarily high success rate, in my opinion.

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 4:07 pm

Can Hair Transplant Into Scar Use Cloned Hair?

January 29th, 2010

Q: If you have already had a hair transplant, once cloning becomes available, will you be able to transplant the cloned hair into the first transplant’s scar on the back of the head? I like to wear my hair short, especially in the summer, and also would feel more comfortable knowing there is no scar in my head.

A: Yes, as long as the scar is not thickened, cloned hair should grow just as normally transplanted hair would and would be a great way to address any residual scarring from the procedure.

Although hair can be transplanted into widened scars, hair does not grow well in thick scars – this would apply to hair restoration procedures performed via traditional means as well as those using cloned hair.

Topic: Hair Transplant into Scar

Tags: Hair Cloning / Scar Thickening / Scarring / Wide Scar

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 2:14 pm

Why Is Hair Loss In Women Harder To Treat With A Hair Transplant Than Hair Loss In Men?

January 22nd, 2010

Q: Why is hair loss in women harder to treat with hair transplants than hair loss in men?

A: The majority of women present with diffuse hair loss (i.e. thinning all over) rather than the patterned hair loss seen in men (where the hair is localized to the front and top of the scalp).

Diffuse thinning presents two problems for a potential hair transplant candidate.

The first is that there is no permanent area where the hair can be taken from. If hair is taken from an area that is thinning, the transplanted hair will continue to thin after the procedure, since moving it doesn’t make it more permanent.

The second problem is that since the areas to be transplanted are thin, rather than completely bald, the existing hair in the area of the hair transplant is at some risk to shedding as a result of the procedure.

When women have a more defined pattern (i.e. more localized thinning on the front part of the scalp with a stable back and sides), they can make excellent candidates for surgery. This pattern occurs in about 20% of women. A small percentage of men have diffuse thinning and are, therefore, poor candidates for a hair restoration surgery as well.

Topic: Women

Tags: Diffuse Hair Loss / Female Pattern Hair Loss / Hair loss in Men / Hair Loss in Women / Male Pattern Hair Loss / Permanent Hair Zone / Shedding

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 2:42 pm

Is New Hair Cloning Technique Using Wound Healing Powder A Breakthrough?

January 8th, 2010

Q: I just read a press release saying that researchers have developed a successful technique to clone hair by using a wound healing powder. To paraphrase, the press release says:

MatriStem MicroMatrix, a product of regenerative medicine, ACell, Inc., is a wound healing powder that promotes healing and tissue growth and has now proven to help regenerate hair in the donor and recipient regions of hair transplant patients. While intended to heal ulcers and burns, Gary Hitzig, M.D. and Jerry Cooley, M.D., have found that its properties offer a broader scope of treatment, including hair cloning. “We’ve made amazing breakthroughs using MatriStem as a hair cloning tool,” said Dr. Hitzig. “We’ve been able to multiply the number of hair follicles growing in the recipient area, and as an added benefit are seeing faster hair growth. This new hair cloning technique also makes hair transplantation surgery less invasive.”

Is this new technique really a breakthrough in hair cloning? And if so, when can we start cloning hair?

A: To the best of my knowledge, the claims made for hair cloning in the article are totally unfounded. The “healing powder” MatriStem, although promising for wound healing, has not yet been shown to grow hair.

For more on the topic, visit our Hair Cloning section, our page on experimental Hair Cloning Methods, and more cloning posts on the Hair Transplant Blog.