Bernstein Medical Blog

This page contains all posts in our News, Answers, Video, and Research sections.

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Instead of Hair Transplant, Can You Treat Early Hair Loss with Once a Day Minoxidil?

November 3rd, 2006

Q: I have some early thinning in my crown and the doctor said I am too early for a hair transplant. I don’t want to take Propecia, but using Rogaine twice a day is a big nuisance. Can I use Rogaine once a day? — L.B., Cleveland, Ohio

A: The tissue half-life of minoxidil is 22 hours.

This means that 22 hours after it is applied, about 1/2 of the compound is still bound to the skin and exerting some effect. Because of this, once a day dosing is probably OK.

Please note that this is hypothetical and that there have been no controlled studies to confirm this.

Can Hair Transplant Thicken Thinning Hair in Person with Early Hair Loss?

November 2nd, 2006

Q: I am 22 and losing my hair all across the top of my head. How can I thicken my hair to its level a few years previously? — I.L., Kentfield, CA

A: If medication, such as finasteride, is successful it can thicken hair by increasing the diameter of the existing hair shafts. Although the cosmetic benefits can be dramatic in a person with significant hair loss, a hair transplant can not restore hair to its original density, since it only moves the existing hair around and does create new hair.

Can Hair Transplant Treat Diffuse Hair Loss in Women?

October 27th, 2006

Q: My hair loss resembles the grade I female hair loss scale, but none of the male hair loss patterns. It has been relatively stable for the past five years and only recently has it begun to progress further. I began both Propecia and regain two months ago, but the hair loss still continues at the same pace. I’m really worried. Does a hair transplant work in such a diffuse hair loss? — D.D., Park Slope, Brooklyn

A: If your hair loss is diffuse only on top, then a hair transplant will be effective. This condition is called Diffuse Patterned Alopecia or DPA.

If the diffuse pattern of hair loss affects the back and sides as well, then surgical hair restoration should be avoided. In this case (called Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia or DUPA) the donor area is not permanent and the transplanted hair will continue to thin over time.

After Hair Transplant, What Happens if Transplanted Area is Injured?

October 23rd, 2006

Q: I am a patient of yours who had a hair transplantation procedure done mostly in the crown area and in the front about seven months ago. The hair is just starting to come in nicely and is starting to fill in the bald spots. Yesterday I carelessly banged the top of my head against a beam in my attic and cut a nice gash in, you guessed it, a transplanted area. I’d say that the cut is about a good inch. My wife works for a doctor who is certified in facial plastic surgery and I had him suture up the gash. He did not cut any hair, but it took 4 stitches to close the wound. I’m worried about the impact on the transplanted area. Just when it was starting to come in nice I now have a bald spot that I suspect is going to stay as a result of the accident. Please advise. — V.F., Fort Lee, N.J.

A: There is not much you can do at this time. Depending upon the doctor’s suturing techniques; you may or may not have permanent hair loss from the trauma and subsequent suturing. The problem is that if the sutures are placed too far from the wound edge they can strangulate hair follicles, particularly if there is any swelling. Hair loss may be temporary, but if it is permanent, it should be minimal. Additional grafts can be added at your next hair restoration procedure to cover any area of hair loss and the scar from the injury, if it is visible.

After a Hair Transplant, What is Post-op Wound Dressing and How Soon Can I Shower?

October 17th, 2006

Q I had a friend that had to wear a turban-like bandage on his head for a week after his hair transplant, but his procedure was a number of years ago. What is the post-op dressing like now and how soon can you shower after a hair transplant procedure? — E.B., White Plains, N.Y.

A: Patients leave the office after the surgical hair restoration wearing only a tennis band wrap and a surgeon’s cap (that can be worn under a baseball cap).

The morning following the hair transplantation, the dressing can be removed and no further dressings or bandages need to be used.

The day following hair transplant surgery I suggest patients to take 3 or 4 showers to remove the crusting as it forms. The crusts are removed by gently shampooing with a copper-peptide based product. After the 1st day following the procedure, the crusts no longer form and showering/shampooing can be decreased to twice a day; morning and night.

After the first week, showering once a day is fine.

Hair Restoration Series in NY Japion Features Dr. Bernstein

October 15th, 2006

NY Japion — a weekly newspaper in the Japanese language, published in the New York tri-state area, and distributed for free in the Japanese community — has featured Robert M. Bernstein, MD, in their series on hair loss in men and women.

In the series, TV producer, Hideo Nakamura, who is bald himself, goes on a mission on behalf of fellow bald men. His column hopes to help others with hair loss to have a more fulfilled, fun life and to raise their self-esteem.

New Methodology and Instrumentation for Follicular Unit Extraction

October 10th, 2006

In this paper, Dr. James Harris presents a blunt tip instrument to be used in a 3-step FUE hair transplant procedure. The instrument is described as a 1-mm dissecting punch that has a tapered blunt edge. After scoring the skin with a sharp punch, the dissecting punch is advanced to a depth of approximately 4-mm.

This instrument is similar to the one recently described by Bernstein and Rassman in New Instrumentation for Three-Step Follicular Unit Extraction, recently published in Hair Transplant forum International New Instrumentation. Dr. Bernstein’s instrument was, in turn, based upon ideas presented in a paper written by Dr. Harris in 2004.

How Do You Treat Diffuse Hair Loss in Donor Area?

October 9th, 2006

Q: I underwent hair transplant surgery several years ago and was pleased with the results. However, over the last 2-3 years I’ve lost hair in the donor area with subsequent loss of hair in the transplanted area. Is this type of hair loss especially difficult to treat? What accounts for hair loss from the back of the head that is typically considered “permanent”? — F.D., Laude, Missouri

A: Less than 5% of patients have unstable donor areas, i.e. where the back and sides thin along with the front and top. We call this condition Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia or DUPA. It is best to identify this condition before hair transplant surgery is contemplated as people with DUPA are not good candidates for hair transplantation. The diagnosis is made using densitometry by noting high degrees of miniaturized hair in the donor area.

At this point, I would use medications such as finasteride. I would not do further hair restoration surgery.

Can You Perform Hair Transplant with Curly Hair?

October 6th, 2006

Q: I have curly hair with thinning on top and strong, but less curly hair on the sides and back. My hairline is receding, but it is really the area on top I am concerned about. Does hair replacement work with curly hair and will it match? — E.B., Sanibel, F.L.

A: Yes, curly hair grows as well after a hair transplant surgery as straight hair.

After the hair restoration, the transplanted hair will take on the characteristics of the hair that was originally in the area, so it will match perfectly with respect to curl and wave.

Can Hair Transplant Treat Chronic Telogen Effluvium?

October 2nd, 2006

Q: I am a 36 year old female who has been diagnosed with Chronic Telogen Effluvium. Although I do not have any bald spots yet my hair is much thinner on both of my temples as well as in the back of my head. Is a hair transplant an option for me or am I just going to shed the new hair as I am shedding my current hair? — R.K., Providence, R.I.

A: Since Chronic Telogen Effluvium is a generalized condition, it is not amenable to correction by a hair transplant. The reason is that there is no stable area to take donor hair from. Chronic TE is generally self-limited, so try to be patient.

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