All comments below are by Dr. Bernstein.
Our patient (Patient API) had an early Norwood Class 4A pattern of hair loss. He received 2,002 follicular unit grafts to his hairline and frontal forelock region. The total distribution of grafts was as follows: 253 1-hair FU’s; 1,113 2-hair FU’s; 622 3-hair FU’s; and 14 4-hair FU’s. The incisions ranged in size from 0.7mm for the single-hair units to 1.1mm for the largest follicular units. All the sites were made using lateral (horizontal) slits.
Before Surgery
Patient API had predominately frontal hair loss with diffuse miniaturization that had not responded to Propecia. The purple line indicates the position of the planned hairline.
Day of Surgery
These photos show the distribution of the 2,002 recipient sites (holes created for the grafts). The photos were taken immediately before the grafts were inserted.
One Week Post-Op
The patient returned to our office with faint crusting, hair stubble, and some residual redness as the only indications of his hair transplant a week earlier.
Two Weeks Post-Op
At two weeks, one can see some remaining stubble of the transplanted hair, but no other signs of the recent procedure. With the hair lifted up, one can see some slight redness associated with the donor incision.
One Month Post-Op
At one month post-op, visually, Patient API is practically back to where he was before the procedure. On close inspection, one can see that the donor incision continues to fade.
Two Months Post-Op
Not much has changed since the last photos. It will be a month or so before the newly transplanted hair begins to grow.
3½ Months Post-Op
Early growth at 3½ months post-op.
6½ Months Post-Op
More growth at 6½ months post-op.
9½ Months Post-Op
Growth at 9½ months. The patient was finally able to comb his hair off his face – he tried it first to the side and then straight back. The donor scar is barely detectable.
Twelve Months Post-Op
Result at 12 months. Patient API continues to change the way he styles his hair using a side-part on some days and combing it straight back on others.
Second Hair Transplant
Second hair transplant surgery performed one year after the first. The second session consisted of 1,509 follicular unit grafts. The goal was to compensate for further thinning in the forelock, to extend the transplant further towards the back, and to add more fullness overall. The position of the hairline was not changed. Note how we inserted the new follicular unit grafts without disturbing the patient’s existing hair.
One Week Post-Op Second Transplant
Results one week after our patient’s second follicular unit transplant session of 1,509 grafts. Note that the newly transplanted grafts are barely detectable among the previous transplanted hair. The donor incision was closed with staples, a change from the first procedure where we had used sutures.
Three Weeks Post-Op Second Transplant
Appearance of Patient API three weeks after his second session. Note that there is barely a trace of the procedure. Half of the staples had been removed 10 days post-op. The remaining staples are being removed today.
Before and After Hair Restoration
Compare the photo of the patient from before his first hair transplant session (left) to the most recent picture (right) taken three weeks after his second procedure.
