A patient who visited Dr. Bernstein to learn about her hair loss authored an article on her experiences which appeared in the January 2014 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. In an article titled, “Thinning Hair Nightmare,” the patient wrote about her struggle in coping with thinning hair, the taboo of talking about women’s hair loss, and ways in which she attempted to overcome these physical and emotional difficulties.
Renowned hair restoration surgeons Robert M. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.A.D., and Dr. William Rassman, have co-authored the first authoritative, but user-friendly guide, to help both men and women understand hair loss, its prevention, and their medical and hair transplant options. The book, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is set for a December 3 publication date. Titled Hair Loss & Replacement for Dummies, the book follows in the tradition of the other informative books in the popular For Dummies series.
Dr. Bernstein is the author of numerous medical publications on hair restoration, which can be found at www.bernsteinmedical.com.
Those who follow the current trends in hair restoration and hair transplant procedures know Dr. Bernstein for his pioneering work in the development of the Follicular Unit Transplantation procedure which has revolutionized the treatment of hair loss. Recently awarded a certificate of achievement from Columbia University, he has been named one of New York Magazine’s “The Best Doctors in New York” for the ninth consecutive year.
Q: I am female and thinning can I be a candidate for a Follicular Unit Hair Transplant?
A: If it turns out that you have female pattern hair loss, you may be a candidate a hair transplant, but would need to be evaluated by a doctor who specializes in surgical hair restoration.
In the evaluation, you should have your degree of hair loss assessed and donor supply measured, using an instrument called a densitometer, to be certain that you have enough permanent donor hair to meet your desired goals. For more information about hair loss in women, please see the Diagnosis of Hair Loss in Women page of the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration website.
Q: I heard that you can buy a laser for hair loss and use it at home. What are the advantages or disadvantages of doing this?
A: The advantages of home use are convenience and that it is generally less expensive than going to a doctor’s office for treatment.
The main disadvantage of using laser treatments without a doctor’s supervision is that a more effective treatment for hair loss may be available and you may not know about it. By spending time using the laser, the window for a more effective treatment may be missed. A good example is the 20 year old male who has extensive hair loss in his family and is just starting to thin. It is very important for this person to start Propecia (finasteride) as soon as possible, since the long-term benefits of using this medication are well established.
Q: Dr. Bernstein, I was reading about a densitometer on your website. What is it and what is it actually used for? — Z.A., Westchester, NY
A: The hair densitometer was introduced to hair restoration surgeons by Dr. Rassman in 1993. It is a small, portable, instrument that has a magnifying lens and an opening of 10mm2.
To use it, the doctor clips the hair short (~ 1-mm) and the instrument is then placed on the scalp. The doctor counts the total number of hairs in the field, looks at the number of hairs per follicular unit and assesses the diameter of the hair, looking in particular for abnormal levels of miniaturization (decreased hair shaft diameter caused by the effects of DHT).
The densitometer can increase the accuracy of the diagnosis of genetic hair loss by picking up early miniaturization.
It can also better assess a person’s donor hair supply, thus helping to determine which patients are candidates for a hair transplant.
Densitometry has helped us define the conditions of diffuse patterned and unpatterned hair loss (DPA and DUPA) and help to refine the diagnosis of hair loss in women.
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.
A patient who visited Dr. Bernstein to learn about her hair loss authored an article on her experiences which appeared in the January 2014 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. In an article titled, “Thinning Hair Nightmare,” the patient wrote about her struggle in coping with thinning hair, the taboo of talking about women’s hair loss, and ways in which she attempted to overcome these physical and emotional difficulties. 
