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Before Hair Transplant, Should One Cut Their Hair?

April 6th, 2006

Q: Should I cut my hair prior to the hair transplant?

A: It is easier for the hair transplant surgeon and his team to work when the existing hair in the area to be transplanted is cut short, but a skilled surgeon can work well in either situation. Most experienced surgeons are used to working without cutting the hair in the recipient area, since so few patients want their hair to be cut – particularly in New York.

The main advantage of having a closely clipped scalp is that one has better visibility and therefore the procedure moves along faster. This has little bearing in moderately sized sessions, but becomes very important in sessions over 2,400 grafts, when working through existing hair can make the duration of the procedure excessively long. Of course, the disadvantage of clipping the hair is that it is more difficult to “hide” the procedure.

I prefer for the patient to arrive the morning of the scheduled hair restoration with his/her hair having some length so that I can better see the demarcation of the area of thinning. Once the area is marked, the hair can be clipped to the appropriate length in the operating room. Although the hair transplant will be more visible post-op if the hair is clipped short, it is much easier for the scalp to be kept free of crusts.

It is important to differentiate between a closely clipped scalp, which is an advantage, and a shaved head, which makes performing the hair transplant more difficult. When there is some existing hair, the distribution and angle of the original hair is easy to discern and this allows the new grafts to be placed in a direction that follows the existing hair and in a distribution that complements that hair.

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 12:41 pm

Pioneering Hair Transplant Surgeon Posts Lectures Online

March 27th, 2006

Hair Transplant Lectures - Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration Online slide presentations with audio commentary are helping to make our understanding of surgical hair transplant procedures clearer. Dr. Bernstein, a renowned teacher, lecturer and surgeon, is bringing his presentations on state-of-the-art hair restoration techniques directly to patients.

Dr. Bernstein has conducted presentations on his innovative hair transplantation techniques at medical conferences around the world. At these presentations, healthcare participants have learned about the nuances of hair transplant surgery from one of the pioneers of the current standard in hair restoration surgery.

View the online presentation by going to the Online Lectures section.

Topic: Bernstein Medical News

Tags: Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration / Hair Restoration Surgery / Hair Transplant Surgery / Hair Transplantation

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 3:01 pm

Dr. Bernstein Authors ‘Hair Transplant Blog’

March 25th, 2006

Dr. Bernstein’s Hair Transplant Blog is a new medical web log (aka “blog”) that is helping the online community handle the challenges of going bald.

Selected as one of New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors” for the ninth year in a row, Dr. Bernstein answers questions at the following website URL:

BernsteinMedical.com/hairtransplantblog.

His replies cover over 30 categories ranging from commonly asked questions on “male pattern hair loss” and “when to have a hair transplant” to more scientific issues on specific surgical techniques.

The Hair Transplant Blog serves as a clearinghouse for important concerns of both men and women suffering from hair loss. “I consult with many patients each week in our New York and New Jersey facilities who are so distraught about the state of their hair loss that some can barely function. There is so much information available about baldness and its treatment on the internet that it is difficult to tell exactly what is true. I spend a lot of time just clarifying false, or partially correct, ideas. This misinformation just serves to exacerbate the problem.” Dr. Bernstein says “This Blog is an outgrowth of these consultations. In the Blog, I post answers to the questions that patients bring to my office or submit via our web site.”

Question are answered by Dr. Bernstein in a concise, but easy to understand way. He covers a wide variety of subjects; including new hair replacement techniques, hair transplant repair, medical therapies and interesting diagnostic problems. Questions range from “Can you be too old for hair transplant surgery?” to “When will Propecia be generic?”

The expert medical perspective in the Blog has received the attention of editors for many popular Blog directories such as GetBlogs, and Answers.com. Being a featured Blog has allowed people from around the world to have a better understanding of hair loss and the process of surgical hair restoration.

Dr. Bernstein has been recognized worldwide for his pioneering work in surgical hair transplantation. His landmark publications on Follicular Unit Hair Transplants, which give results that mimic nature, and Follicular Unit Extraction, a non-invasive hair replacement technique, have earned him international recognition and make him one of the foremost authorities on hair restoration in the world. Known to audiences from his appearances on NBC’s Today Show with Matt Lauer, CBS’s The Early Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, NPR’s The People’s Pharmacy, The Discovery Channel and other nationally syndicated programs, Dr. Bernstein has been providing answers and solutions for hair loss from his Manhattan facility for over 20 years.

Topic: Bernstein Medical News

Tags: Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration / Best Doctors / Consultation / Follicular Unit / Follicular Unit Extraction / Hair Transplant Blog / Hair Transplant Repair / Hair Transplantation / Male Pattern Hair Loss / New York / New York Magazine / Propecia / Surgical Hair Restoration

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 3:17 pm

NPR Interviews Dr. Bernstein on Hair Transplantation and Hair Loss

March 23rd, 2006

Hair transplant surgeon Robert M. Bernstein M.D. was recently interviewed on the National Public Radio program The People’s Pharmacy. Invited to speak about hair loss, Dr. Bernstein offered insights about the causes of hereditary baldness and it’s solutions, including hair transplantation.

The show was entitled “Dealing with Hair Loss” and addressed issues such as the importance of hair to our sense of well being.

The full hour radio interview was filled with informative facts about male pattern baldness, cultural attitudes toward hair loss and surgical hair restoration. For example, Dr. Bernstein was asked about his pioneering work in follicular unit hair transplantation and host of other questions ranging from the causes of hair loss to the psychological effects of balding. Here is one exchange from the interview:

Moderator: How one can tell the difference between hair loss from hormonal imbalances and common baldness?

Dr. Bernstein: Measuring hormone levels alone, although important for medical management, does not necessarily reveal whether the cause of the hair loss is actually hormone related or is genetic. The diagnosis is made by examining the scalp and looking at the hair under close magnification using an instrument called a “Densitometer.” If the hair shafts are of different calibers, this is relatively diagnostic of female patterned genetic hair loss and in this case hormone levels are often normal. Hormonal changes or imbalances, on the other hand, may cause alterations in hair texture (such as in thyroid disease) or a generalized shedding that can occur after childbirth (called telogen effluvium). In telogen effluvium, the hair can l actually fall out in clumps – you can literally get handfuls of hair, but the hair often returns over time. In genetic hair loss, however, it is not a question of the hair falling out any faster, but the hair being replaced with thinner, finer hair in each hair cycle, until the hair gradually disappears.

Topic: Bernstein Medical News

Tags: Causes of Hair Loss / Densitometer / Follicular Unit / Genetic Hair Loss / Hair Cycle / Hair Restoration / Hair Shaft / Hair Texture / Hair Transplantation / Hormone Levels / Male Pattern Baldness / Robert M. Bernstein M.D. / Shedding / Surgical Hair Restoration / Telogen Effluvium / Thyroid / Thyroid Disease

Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 3:05 pm

What is Graft Compression in a Hair Transplant?

March 22nd, 2006

Q: What exactly is compression in a hair transplant?

A: Compression refers to the visible tufting of grafts due to the contraction of the grafts from the normal elasticity of skin around it, after it has been inserted into the recipient site.

Compression is most commonly seen when minigrafts are used in the hair restoration (minigrafts contain more than four hairs each).

Follicular units don’t show visible compression, since they are already naturally compact. However, if more than one follicular unit is placed into the same site, it can exhibit this phenomenon.

Compressed grafts will become less visible as more hair is transplanted to the area, but if they are close to the hairline or in areas where a lot of density may not be planned (such as in the crown) they may have to be removed. In this case, they can be placed under a microscope, divided up into smaller grafts and re-implanted.