Dr. Schweiger lends his expertise on hair loss in women and cosmetic hair extensions in a segment on PIX 11 television. The interview with Dr. Steve Salvatore focused on the pitfalls of using some types of hair extensions, or using them improperly.

View the full post on the Hair Transplant Blog to learn more and to read a transcript of the interview.

Q: I am considering a hair transplant and would like to have the procedure and not be overly obvious about it. What are my options in hiding or concealing any redness after a week or so after the hair restoration.

A: There are a number of factors that can make a hair transplant obvious in the post-op period. These include the redness that you are asking about, but also crusting and swelling.

Redness after hair restoration surgery is easily camouflaged with ordinary make-up. At one week post-op, the grafts are pretty secure, so that make-up can be applied and then gently washed off at the end of the day. Since the recipient wounds are well healed by one week, using make-up does not increase the risk of infection. At 10 days after the hair transplant, the grafts are permanent and can not be dislodged, therefore, at this time the makeup can be removed without any special precautions.

Usually, residual crusting (scabbing) presents more of a cosmetic problem than redness, but can be minimized with meticulous post-op care. Crusts form when the blood or serum that oozes from recipients sites after the procedure dries on the scalp. Although it is relatively easy to prevent scabs from forming with frequent washing of the scalp after the surgery, once the scabs harden they are difficult to remove without dislodging the grafts.

Q: Can I sleep as I normally do after a hair transplant?

A: We ask that you sleep on your back, with your head elevated on a few pillows. By raising your head, the pillows decrease any swelling that normally occurs after the hair transplant. We also use a small injection of cortisone given in the arm to help decrease swelling.

Q: I would like to have the donor area from an old hair transplant repaired so it does not show the scar when I cut my hair shorter. What are my options?

A: Widened scars can be improved in two ways: they can be re-excised to make the scar finer, or hair can be placed into the scar to make it less visible.