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Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration
Hair Restoration Answers

Which Is The Better Hair Transplant Technique, FUT or FUE?

Q: I am so confused reading about FUT and FUE on all the blogs. Can you please tell me which is better, FUT or FUE? — M.T., East Brunswick, NJ

A: FUT (via strip) will give the best cosmetic results (more volume) since the grafts are of better quality (when using microscopic dissection, there is less transection and more surrounding tissue to protect the grafts) and better graft selection (the grafts can all be harvested from the mid-portion of the permanent zone).

In contrast, in FUE you need approximately 5 times the area. Because of this large donor area requirement, some of the hair must be harvested from fringe areas and thus the hair will be less stable genetically.

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Bernstein Medical In The News

Press Release: Hair Transplant Pioneer Studies Hair Cloning, Hair Restoration Procedures Using ACell’s Extracellular Matrix

Hair Cloning with ACell MatriStemRobert M. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.A.D., the renowned hair transplant surgeon and founder of Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration in New York, is studying four different applications of ACell MatriStem™ extracellular matrix in a type of hair cloning, called hair multiplication, as well as current hair restoration procedures. Click the link to read the whole press release.

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Bernstein Medical In The News

Eyebrow Transplant And Restoration Article Seeks Dr. Bernstein’s Advice On Aesthetics

Eyebrow transplant and restoration article - New York TimesEyebrow transplant procedures are growing in popularity. More women are realizing how much damage they can cause to their appearance by overplucking, shaping, and over-styling their eyebrows. Today, the New York Times reports on the trend of repairing eyebrows with hair transplant techniques and the use of camouflage products to cover up eyebrows that have been “tamed into oblivion.”

As the article’s headline declares, it is time to call in the professionals. The author of the article, Ms. Catherine St. Louis, turns to hair transplant pioneer Dr. Robert M. Bernstein for guidelines on performing a cosmetically-pleasing eyebrow transplant.

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Hair Restoration Answers

Can You Have a Hair Transplant to the Crown Before the Front or Top of Scalp?

Q: Can the crown be transplanted first instead of frontal area? Why is the crown the last choice? Any reasons behind it? — H.H., Ladue, M.I.

A: The crown can be transplanted first in patients who have very good donor reserves (i.e., high density and good scalp laxity). Otherwise, after a hair restoration procedure to the crown you may not be left with enough hair to complete the front and top if those areas were to bald.

Cosmetically, the front and top are much more important to restore than the back. A careful examination by a trained hair restoration surgeon can tell how much donor hair there is available for a hair transplant.

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Hair Restoration Answers

Is it More Important to Do Scalp Exercises Before First Hair Transplant or Second Hair Transplant?

Q: Is it more important to do scalp exercises before the first procedure or the second? — P.P., Richmond, V.A.

A: When the scalp is tight, it can be useful for either the first or the second hair transplant.

Keep in mind, however, that the scalp will naturally stretch between hair transplant procedures, so that if exercises were not needed for the first procedure, they will generally not be needed for the second.

In our practice, we generally wait one year between hair restoration sessions so that we can see the full cosmetic impact of the first procedure and give the scalp laxity a chance to return to normal on its own.

In addition, there is a risk that active massage after the first procedure may widen the donor scar. Therefore, before considering massage before a second hair transplant, make sure that enough time has elapsed between procedures so that stretching of the scar will not be a be a problem.

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Hair Restoration Answers

Which Causes Bigger Cosmetic Change: First Hair Transplant or Second Transplant?

Q: In which procedure do you generally more of a change, the first or the second? — N.N., Flatiron, N.Y.

A: The answer depends upon the patient’s baldness. If they are very bald, the first session will be the most noticeable, since going from no hair to hair is much more dramatic than going from some hair to more hair. In addition, if someone is very bald, the first session is generally the largest, with less hair being transplanted in the second.

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Hair Restoration Answers

Why Change from Sutures to Surgical Staples in FUT Hair Transplants?

Q: I recall that you wrote an article about Monocryl for the donor closure in hair transplants. Why are you now using staples? — R.S., Park Slope, NY

A: I have been using staples in almost all of our follicular unit hair transplants since the beginning of 2006. Continue reading for the detailed explanation as to why I made the switch from sutures to staples.

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Hair Restoration Answers

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

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.

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Hair Restoration Answers

How Long is Hair Transplant Procedure?

Q: Hair transplantation sounds like a really time-consuming procedure. How long does the hair transplant actually take? — S.M., Hell’s Kitchen, N.Y.

A: An average hair transplant, that involves the movement of 1,500 to 2,500 grafts, can take a team of up to six people, five to eight hours.

Surgical hair restoration is a very time-consuming, labor intensive process, where every aspect of the surgery must be precisely controlled to get maximum growth and an optimum cosmetic result.

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Hair Restoration Answers

How Many Hair Transplant Grafts Will Give Best Results and Do Megasessions Yield Best Cosmetic Benefit?

Q: There is such a big deal made on the chats about people getting Megasessions of over 4000 grafts per session. When I look at the pictures on your website, the results look great, but I am surprised that not many grafts were used compared to what is being talked about. — N.R., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

A: My goal is not to transplant as many grafts as possible, but to get the best results possible without exhausting a person’s donor supply. It is important to keep reserves for future hair loss. Unnecessarily large sessions also risk poor growth and have a greater incidence of donor scarring.

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Hair Restoration Answers

Can a Hair Transplant Restore Original Hair Fullness?

Q: Can you get your original density back with a hair transplant? — C.C. Scarsdale, New York

A: Although the cosmetic benefit can be dramatic, a hair transplant only “moves” rather than creates new hair. In surgical hair restoration, a limited amount of hair from the donor area is transplanted to a much larger area in the front and top of the scalp, so that we can never reach the original density.

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Hair loss has a variety of causes. Diagnosis and treatment is best determined by a board-certified dermatologist. We offer both in-person and online photo consults.

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