A new research finding out of Seoul, South Korea, shows that it may be possible to escape the limitations of one’s own hair using a friend’s hair follicles. The researchers at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) discovered a method that allows hair loss patients to receive other people’s healthy hair without taking immunosuppressants. The study, done on mice, proved that new hair can grow using this method.
Q: Can a woman who is breastfeeding have a hair transplant? — M.R. ~ Long Beach, N.Y.
A: Since surgical hair restoration is an elective procedure, I would wait until 1 year after delivery and once breastfeeding has completed before considering a hair transplant. Often after pregnancy, there is a post-partum shedding that occurs as the hormones fluctuate and then return back to their normal levels. This active period of shedding can cause a few issues. The first issue is that active shedding can make it difficult for the surgeon to determine where best to place the grafts for the optimal long-term cosmetic result. Additionally, medications may be used during and after the procedure that can potentially appear in breast milk.
On our Facebook and Instagram feeds, billboards, on the side of buses, and lining the walls of the subway, are ads of young, attractive men with voluptuous locks and titles saying things like “Hair loss is optional” and “Handsome, healthy you.” These are the ads for the millennial men’s wellness brand, Hims. Hims, and fellow start-up Keeps, offer hair loss solutions (that would normally be prescribed in-person, by a doctor) in one simple package to your home.
Q: What is your opinion of the companies that advertise hair loss solutions like Hims and Keeps?
In searching the web and riding the subway I’ve seen many ads for a company called Hims that offers hair loss medicine and other medical solutions for men’s problems. What are the medications used for hair loss and how do they compare to Propecia and Rogaine? ? — V.T., Long Island, NY
A: Hims and Keeps are digital wellness companies that are geared toward men. They prescribe the same hair loss products that you can receive from a doctor or from online stores like Amazon, such as minoxidil, finasteride, biotin, salicylic acid shampoos and other topical and oral medications. The patents on the most commonly used prescription medications have expired within the last few years, opening the door for companies to distribute their own generic versions. The online system that Hims uses allows people to get prescriptions without seeing a doctor. Although this might be convenient, receiving an in-person evaluation from an experienced physician is important to ensure that you receive the proper treatment. Medical treatments for hair loss are most effective when started early. Therefore, making sure the diagnosis is correct and that the medications are optimized, will give you the best chance of re-growing your hair and preventing future thinning.
Q: Can Rogaine Cause Miniaturization?
When I am on Rogaine it seems – to my untrained eye – that I am having hair miniaturization and when I stopped briefly, I had shedding. Does this seem accurate based on what you have seen? Can Rogaine cause miniaturization? Is there a point you would recommend I stop Rogaine or is it something that likely can’t cause a negative impact on hair? — B.T., Brooklyn, NY
A: Minoxidil reverses miniaturization. It does not cause it. Shedding can occur after starting use of Rogaine but this means the medication is working should resolve with continued use. New miniaturized hairs are either from the progression of your genetic male pattern hair loss or newly forming hair that was stimulated by the minoxidil which can mimic miniaturized hair.
Dr. Bernstein and Dr. Shaver attended the 26th World Congress of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS). At the congress, Dr. Bernstein introduced the newest robotic technology in the field of hair transplantation, the ARTAS iX, to an audience of over 550 hair restoration physicians.
Dr. Bernstein was recently a guest on “The Beauty Doc” podcast with a master of oculoplastic & facial plastic surgery, Dr. Joel E. Kopelman. Here, they discussed causes of hair loss in both men and women, the difference between hair falling out and balding, both the mental and physical effects of hair loss, when to come in for a consult and medical and surgical treatments for hair loss.
In this video Dr. Bernstein demonstrates the simultaneous robotic excision and manual extraction of individual hair follicles using the ARTAS 9x Robotic Hair Transplant System. The video highlights new features of the ARTAS Robot that make hair transplant procedures faster and more efficient.
Capsule is a digital pharmacy that connects to your doctors and insurance companies directly and delivers your medicine straight to your door – anywhere in New York City. Capsule works to build the first “holistic” pharmacy that simplifies the process for all parties involved – patients, doctors and insurers. The service allows the doctor to call in a prescription to a Capsule trained pharmacist, who will fill the prescription that gets delivered to you.
Dr. Bernstein’s revolutionary work in developing hair transplant techniques that have tremendously increased the standard of care within the field of hair restoration aligns with Capsule’s focus on patient care and innovation. Dr. Bernstein was interviewed by a journalist from Capsule about his ongoing role in the advancements of hair transplant surgery.
Q: In what cases do you think Scalp Micro-Pigmentation (SMP) is most useful?
When do you think Scalp Micro-Pigmentation (SMP) — M.O., Greenwich, CT
A: Scalp Micro-Pigmentation (SMP) is used in patients who want to make their thinning hair look fuller and want to avoid the nuisance of daily application of cosmetic concealers, powders or fibers. It is for patients who want a permanent solution, but who do not want, or who are not candidates for hair transplant surgery. It can achieve a variety of looks such as a buzz cut by tattooing hundreds of microdots that appear like follicles or it can reduce the contrast between generalized dark hair that is thinning over a pale scalp. It can even give the appearance of hair over a scar that has now become noticeable.
Dr. Shaver performs all Scalp Micro-Pigmentation procedures at Bernstein Medical.
