Welcome! Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration is proud to bring you the Hair Transplant Blog! This blog is devoted to answering your questions on surgical hair restoration and the treatment of hair loss in men and women. Stay tuned by bookmarking this page or subscribing to the RSS feed Subscribe to the Hair Transplant Blog RSS feed.

Can One Have Hair Transplant Using Follicular Unit Extraction on Beard Hair?

May 18th, 2005

Q: Can you use beard hair for a hair transplant using Follicular Unit Extraction?

A:It is possible to use beard hair for a hair transplant, but there are three main differences between harvesting from the donor area and harvesting from the beard that should be taken into account. These are: 1) scarring 2) ease of extraction and 3) hair quality. Let’s explore these differences in turn.

First, in FUE, although there is no linear scar, there are small white round scars from where the hair is harvested. Normally these marks are hidden in the donor area and are not visible, even if the hair is clipped very short. However, if the scalp is shaven, these marks will become visible. When the beard is used as the donor source for the hair transplant, the patient must continue to wear a beard after the restoration, even if it is tightly cropped, or the faint white marks will show. The tiny round scars from FUE will generally be visible on a clean shaven face. As each person heals differently, we would perform a test before doing the actual procedure to make sure the marks from the extraction are not noticeable at the length that the person wants to wear his beard.

Second, FUE performed on beard hair differs from extraction from the scalp because of the greater laxity — or looseness — of facial skin. This makes extraction with minimal transection more difficult in some cases. A test prior to the hair transplant is particularly important in beard FUE so that the ease of extraction may be determined in advance.

Third, beard hair is coarser than scalp hair. Although the hair seems to take on some of the characteristics of the original hair in the transplanted area, the transformation is not complete. This makes beard hair an imperfect substitute for scalp hair.

A solution to the problem is to transplant beard hair behind the hairline for volume and scalp donor hair at the hairline for naturalness.


Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 2:33 pm

Should One Consider Hair Transplant with Early Hair Loss in Crown and Donor Area?

May 18th, 2005

Q: I’m currently 24 years old. Ever since turning 20, my hair on top began to thin little by little. I have noticeable thinning on the top part of my scalp and on my crown, but have no recession at the temples. My hairline looks amazingly young and hair on the donor areas seems quite thick. Am I in the early stages of male patterned baldness? I cannot place myself in the Norwood scale since my thinning doesn’t seem to follow the classic pattern. I just started on Propecia. Should I be considering a hair transplant?

A: From the description, it sounds like you have typical Diffuse Patterned Hair Loss or Diffuse Patterned Alopecia (DPA).

Please see: The Classification of Hair Loss in Men for more information.

In this condition, the top of the scalp thins evenly, the donor area remains stable, and the hairline is preserved for a considerable period of time.

Propecia would be the best treatment at the outset. When the hair loss becomes more significant, patients with DPA are generally good candidates for surgical hair restoration.

It is important, however, that your donor area is checked for miniaturization to be sure that it is stable before a hair transplant is considered.


Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 2:13 pm

When Can One Take Aspirin Before and After Hair Transplant Procedure?

May 16th, 2005

Q: I am taking a baby aspirin to prevent heart disease and I heard that I should stop this medication before my hair transplant. How long should I stop for?

A: You should discontinue the aspirin 10 days prior to your hair restoration procedure.

Other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) need only be stopped 3 days before the hair transplant.

Both aspirin and other NSAIDs can be resumed three days after surgery.

Reference: Otley CC: Preoperative evaluation and management in dermatologic surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54:119-27.


Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 12:37 pm

Should I Have Hair Transplant Surgery After Meeting with “Medical Consultant”?

May 10th, 2005

Q: What are “Senior Medical Consultants”?

A: These are non-medical personnel who wear white coats to give the impression that they have formal medical training. They are actually salespersons and they should immediately identify themselves as such. Although non-medical personnel can help to answer general questions, they should not be examining you and making specific recommendations about your surgical procedure. That is the job of your doctor.

When a physician evaluates you and makes recommendations, he or she is responsible for informing you of the risks as well as the potential benefits of your surgery, and is ultimately responsible for your care. They will also have the knowledge to provide you with a balanced view regarding your surgery as well as other treatment options. This is the practice of medicine!

A “consultant” who is being paid to convince people to have a transplant, but who is not actually performing the surgery, does not bear this responsibility and may have a natural tendency to over-sell the procedure. Beware!


Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 1:37 pm

Can Hair Transplant Repair Bald Areas Caused by Alopecia Areata?

May 6th, 2005

Q: Can a hair transplant into bald areas caused by alopecia areata ever be successful?

A: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own hair follicles. It generally appears as round patches of smooth bald areas scattered in the scalp or beard. Less commonly, it can involve the entire scalp (alopecia totalis) or all facial and body hair (alopecia universalis). Unless the condition is well localized and totally stable, hair transplantation is not likely to be effective because the transplanted hair would be subject to the same problem.

We prefer that one have no new lesions for a minimum of two years before considering surgical hair restoration, although this does not insure that the procedure will be successful.

You may find more information on this relatively common condition at the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. For more information, visit these websites: www.alopeciaareata.com or www.naaf.org.


Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 12:38 pm



Pages: Â«Previous 1 2 3 ... 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 Next»



© 2009 Bernstein Medical, P.C. All Rights Reserved.