Q: Is it ill-advised to comb one’s hair more than twice a day, especially hair that has been transplanted? Will frequent combing induce hair loss? — G.K. ~ Paramus, N.J.
A: Combing or brushing one’s hair does not cause hair loss – no matter how many times a day you do it. However, constant traction with braids or hair extensions can cause hair loss and this loss can be permanent.
Q: Is the recovery time a lot longer with FUT compared to FUE? — C.W., Chicago, I.L.
A: Cosmetically, the recovery for FUT is actually shorter, since the back and sides do not need to be shaved and the longer hair can completely cover the donor incision immediately after the Follicular Unit Transplant procedure. In large Follicular Unit Extraction procedures, the entire back and sides of the scalp need to be clipped very close to the scalp. It can take up to 2 or 3 weeks for the hair to grow long enough to completely camouflage the harvested area. Once the healing is complete and any redness has subsided, the hair can be cut shorter.
For strenuous physical activity, however, the recovery is longer with FUT due to the linear incision. This is a major reason why professional athletes or very physically active people prefer FUE. However, many business professionals prefer FUT hair transplantation as there is significantly less down time from work (for the cosmetic reasons discussed above).
Posted byGholamali Abbasi, MD, Sepideh Pojhan, MD, Susan Emami, MD. Tehran, Iran
SUMMARY of Dr. Abbasi’s Abstract from his presentation at the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, 2005 – Sidney, Australia
Edema of the forehead and the peri-orbital area is observed frequently after a hair transplant. To prevent this edema the authors introduced a new method (Abassi’s solution) at the 12th Scientific Meeting of ISHRS in Vancouver, Canada. The present study tries to determine if Abbasi’s solution can have a negative effect on the growth of transplanted grafts following hair restoration surgery.
In this study, the authors examined the effects of Abbasi’s solution on hair growth one year after a hair restoration procedure.
Abbasi’s Solution
Normal saline, 100cc
Epinephrine 1/1000, 1cc
Triamcinolone acetate, 40 mg
In this study, the authors injected Abbasi’s solution into one side of the bald scalp and tumescent solution in the other side. 30 FU’s (2 hairs) were transplanted to each side. Photos were taken before, immediately after surgery, and 12 months after the hair transplant. In order to evaluate the hair growth, they compared the number of transplanted hairs with the number of hairs that actually grew after 12 months.
Results:
Preventative Methods % Edema Free
Oral Steroid 47.6
I.M. Steroid 65.7
Xylocaine/Steroid Mixture 70.0
Abbasi’s solution 97.4
Results showed that for hair transplant patients who received Abbasi’s solution, 97% had no edema during the period of 2-6 days after surgery. About 95% of the implanted hairs showed regrowth after 12 months.
The conclusion was that Abbasi’s solution not only can prevent post-operative edema following hair restoration procedures but also does not show any negative effect on the growth of the transplanted hairs.
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