Posts Tagged: Coarse Hair

Do You Perform Hair Transplant for Hispanic People with Wavy Hair?

January 28th, 2008

Q: I am Hispanic and I have thick, black coarse wavy hair. Do you transplant Hispanics and are there any difficulties in performing hair transplants in them?

A: Yes, we treat Hispanic patients. There are no specific issues unique to Hispanics when performing hair restoration procedures. However, things to consider are:

  1. Hispanics have a slightly greater incidence of forming a thickened donor scar than Caucasians (but not as great as African-Americans)
  2. Hispanics often have coarse hair, but a low donor density, so fewer absolute numbers of grafts may be available for the restoration. The coarse hair, however, will make the restoration appear fuller.

Topic: Hair Characteristics

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 7:32 am

Can Hair Transplant Treat Early Hair Loss for Person in Early 20s?

April 4th, 2007

Q: I am in my early 20’s and I was told my hair loss pattern is a Norwood Class 6, on its way to becoming a Class 7. My hair is brown in color and medium to coarse and I was told I have high density in my donor area. Although I was told I could have hair transplants, do you think that I should based upon what I have told you?

A: The main concern I would have is that when someone is already a Class 6 by their early 20’s, he may eventually be left with only a very thin see-through fringe as he ages. A high donor density now does not insure that this will not occur – and coarse hair at 22 does not insure that it will not become fine over time.

Since the hair restoration would require one or more large sessions, there is a risk that the donor scar will not be hidden over time. If you had a widened donor scar, you would need to grow your hair longer on the back and sides to cover it (if that is even possible).

This may not be ideal for a younger person who would have otherwise been able to wear his hair short, and now would not have that option. Regardless of the maturity and good judgment you may feel you have now, your thinking may change as you age.

Hair transplants should generally not be performed in those under 25 because:

  • Very short hair/or a shaved head can be an acceptable look
  • Receded temples and a thin crown is not a good look for a young person
  • When hair loss begins at a young age, the course is unpredictable and will more likely than not result in extensive hair loss
  • Young persons tend to have worse/more stretched scars than older patients
  • When we are younger, we generally tend to think more short-term
  • When we are younger, our decisions are often more emotion-based
  • When you get older, you may change mind about having surgical hair restoration, but the hair transplant procedure, once performed is irreversible.

Topic: Age

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 10:39 am

Can Hair Loss be Caused by Thyroid Problems or Fluctuations in Levels of Hormones Produced by Thyroid?

August 14th, 2006

Q: One of the things that I have noticed as a person who has needed to take thyroid medication for a long, long time, is that when my thyroid gets a little bit out of balance – when I’m not getting quite enough, I begin to notice is that my hair starts falling out. What about the role of thyroid for hair loss?

A: Both increases and decreases in thyroid levels can cause hair loss and changes in the levels of thyroid hormone can change the consistency of one’s hair. Elevated hormone levels cause scalp hair to be fine and soft, with diffuse thinning being relatively characteristic.

When thyroid hormone levels are low, the hair becomes dry, coarse, and brittle. Hair loss can be either patchy or diffuse (involving the entire scalp).

Low levels of thyroid hormone are associated with the loss of the outer 1/3 of the eyebrows and a decrease in body hair. When changes in thyroid hormone levels are abrupt, there can be dramatic shedding (telogen effluvium).

The most important thing to do if you have thyroid disease is to try to keep the levels within a normal range and keep them as steady as possible. If you are taking thyroid medications, try to use them on a regular basis, because alterations of ones in hair can be caused by large fluctuations in the levels, as much as by the absolute values.

Topic: Medical Conditions

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Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 11:16 am

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.

Topic: Donor Area

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





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