Japanese scientists have located a gene that seems to regulate hair loss in mice. They feel that this gene may also play a role in hair loss in humans. The results of the studies were recently reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Q: I have pretty significant hair loss. Should I take vitamins to help grow my hair back?
A: Although vitamin deficiencies are known to cause hair loss, there is little scientific evidence that shows that vitamin supplementation, in an otherwise healthy individual eating a well balanced diet, can prevent hair loss or improve the quality of one’s existing hair.
The New York Times interviewed Dr. Bernstein for a full-length article on hair loss and hair transplant options for women interested in hair restoration. The article — titled, “Tricks and Transplants for Women’s Hair Loss” — covered modern hair transplantation techniques, hair transplant costs, camouflage techniques, and more.
Q: It’s a question that greatly concerns me because I’m investigating getting a transplant sometime next year. I’m 28 and thought I started balding at 26, but photographic evidence suggests it had started somewhere around age 24. I’m roughly a Class 2 now, and thanks to finasteride, I’ve stayed almost exactly where I was at 26 with some improvement (not really cosmetically significant though). However, I am convinced I have some crown and top of the scalp thinning too, but not to a visible degree.
These people getting these miraculous jobs from Canada – it is a trick, right? They can’t honestly expect to be able to get away with what they’ve done over the course of their entire lives, can they? — L.M., Great Falls, V.A.
A: I think you have better insights into hair loss than many hair transplant surgeons. ABI was the “rare” patient who seems to be a stable Class 3. I made that judgment due to: almost no miniaturization at the border of his Class 3 recession, no crown miniaturization, and his unusual family history. He had several older family members who stayed at Class 3 their whole lives.
Q: What time should I take the Propecia? Does it work better if I take it at night as opposed to the morning and should I take it with meals? — B.J., Garden City, N.Y.
A: It doesn’t matter what time of day you take Propecia and the time can very each day.
The absorption of Propecia (finasteride) is not affected by food, so it can be taken without regard to meals.
Q: I wanted you to determine if I would be a candidate for FUE (to camouflage a scar). After reading through your vastly informative website, I had become aware that the Fox test is necessary to determine patient viability for FUE. When I mentioned the test, I believe I heard you say it was unnecessary. Unfortunately, I can’t help but think there was miscommunication between us, as your letter states that I should schedule a Fox test if I am considering FUE. Please confirm if a Fox test is, in fact, necessary. — N.S., Garden City, N.Y.
A: I perform FOX tests on all patients when I am considering a FUE hair transplant. I do not routinely perform FOX tests before repairs (or on eyebrow transplants) where the number of grafts is relatively small.
The purpose of FUE is to identify those patients in whom FUE is inefficient — i.e. there is a greater than average risk of damage during the harvest. If this is the case, I would not perform the hair transplant since even slight inefficiencies create a significant problem when thousands of grafts are transplanted.
Dr. Bernstein appeared with a female hair transplant patient on Fox News to discuss the use of Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) to correct hair loss. The patient had a procedure to camouflage scarring that resulted from surgical removal of a large skin cancer on her scalp.
Dr. Bernstein discusses the technique of follicular unit hair transplantation in a Fox News segment on hair loss and hair transplantation.
In the video, he discusses the use of the follicular unit hair transplant (FUT) procedure to correct hair loss and camouflage scarring that resulted from the surgical removal of a large skin cancer on the patient’s scalp.
Q: I have been told a number of different ways to massage my scalp. What do you suggest? — H.H., Pidemont, C.A.
A: We have found that the most successful technique is to perform the exercises: once a day, for at least 15 minutes, and using three different hand positions.
Q: How far into the scalp are the grafts placed and is the follicle far enough into the scalp that it will not be damaged? I have heard that the critical time to not touch your scalp is the first 2-3 weeks after the procedure. — M.G., Hillsborough, C.A.
A: The growth part of the follicle is 3-4mm into the scalp. Grafts can be dislodged the first 10 days, so you need to be careful not to scrub your scalp during this period. After that, the grafts are permanent. At 2-3 weeks they can’t be dislodged, even by vigorous scrubbing.
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