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Transplanted hair is not fake; it’s your real hair.  Once it’s transplanted and fully matures, it will feel, look like, and act just like your normal hair. This gives you the flexibility to manage and style your hair however you see fit.  Determining the best hairstyle for you after hair transplant surgery however, can be a challenge.  At what hair length and style will your hair appear thicker?  Is it better to comb it back, forward, or to the side?  

Real hair restoration patients discuss hairstyles that have worked best for them after surgery.  Feel free to share your own story and experiences on our hair loss forum.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: Transplanted hair, hair transplant, hair restoration

If you happen to be blessed with as much body hair as a hairy back gorilla, you might be wondering whether or not body hair can be used and transplanted on your balding scalp.  The concept of body hair transplant surgery has been around for some time, but does it really work?  Will body hair grow like scalp hair when re-transplanted?  Will you experience any hair growth?

Dr. Robert True, an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians offers an analysis and presentation of this topic and the types of body donor hair characteristics that are most viable to use for hair replacement surgery.  You are encouraged to contribute your thoughts.  See also this hair loss forum thread and read other and contribute your opinion or experience with body hair transplant procedures.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: balding, hair transplant, hair growth, donor hair, hair replacement, body hair transplant

The first few weeks after hair transplant surgery can be awkward.  Though looking at all the new little hairs in the mirror can be exciting, you may look funny to others while you are in the healing stages, especially since hairs are initially surrounded by scabs for the first few days to a week.  As you are reminded of the new head of hair you will have after your hair transplant matures, you are encouraged.  But how do you conceal your awkward time of healing from the world?  How long should you take off from work for healing?  How can you keep you hair restoration surgery a secret?

Forum member “dakota3” shares your concern on our hair loss forum and receives veteran patient and physician input on the best ways to keep your hair replacement procedure hidden.  Join in by offering your input and personal experience.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, hair restoration, hair replacement

Is it possible to transplant hair on areas of my forehead where there has never been any hair growth from birth?   I am very unhappy with my big forehead and want to minimize its appearance.

Yes, this is possible.  Whether or not hair transplant surgery is right for you to lower the hairline to reduce the appearance of the size of your forehead however, is another story.  This will depend on a number of things including your age and whether or not you are currently experiencing or might in the future any hair loss.  I encourage you to consult with one of our Coalition Hair Transplant Surgeons who have proven to be some of the best in the industry to see if this type of procedure is right for you.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: transplant hair, hair growth, hair transplant, hair loss

This insightful information was posted on our hair restoration forum by Dr. Alan Feller of Great Neck, NY who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

Much of the hair transplant industry has been cleaned up since the advent of hair loss forums and websites like the Hair Transplant Network. However, there are still areas of hair restoration that remain largely unaddressed such as the proper “absolute” position of donor incisions.

This is why I scanned and posted the textbook definition as to how a proper donor incision should be planned and executed. I doubt any doctor will publicly contradict the text, and they shouldn’t since it is one of the few things in medicine that is objectively and demonstrably correct.

On the hair loss forum, a particular physician ignored the basics of “Hair Transplant 101″ by harvesting a donor strip that was obviously too low and led to a needlessly greater chance of large scar formation. Was this just an isolated “once in a while” incident, or was this “less than optimal” approach to donor harvesting a more pervasive problem?

I think it is not only a prevalent problem, but epidemic.

By coincidence I had a patient in my office only a few days before Allan posted his results from a UK hair transplant doctor. What I found in the donor area was appalling. It demonstrated an utter and complete lack of understanding of basic scalp physiology and an almost purposeful desire to disfigure.

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, hair loss, hair restoration, hair transplant doctor

I’ve noticed a number of hair restoration physicians like to employ a few hundred double follicular units (DFUs), particularly when working on the balding crown / vertex.  It makes sense that this would be a boon towards increased hair density.  But what are the downsides?  And if you are a proponent of selective DFUs, are virtually all cases of crown/vertex work a good fit to utilize this?

The most immediate concern I have would be “naturalness”, but I’ve seen it stated that when blending in to the crown region this concern is nullified.

I happen to be an advocate of all follicular unit grafting however, Dr. Paul Shapiro and a few others have made a compelling case on our hair loss forum with hair transplant photos that using minimal quantities of double follicular units in certain candidates might help aid the illusion of hair density.

In my opinion, DFUs must be used in small quantities in the forelock or crown area in patients with adequate surrounding hair density - either natural or transplanted hair (follicular units). Otherwise, the DFUs may appear “pluggy”.

Another concern in my opinion, is that using too many double follicular units may limit a patient’s hair length and style.  Cutting their hair too short may result in an unnatural look in these areas.

If DFUs have been placed around natural hair that later suffers from hair loss, a patient may feel more pressed to get another hair transplant not only to add more hair density, but to camouflage the double follicular units.

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, double follicular units, DFU, balding, hair density, DFUs, follicular unit grafting, hair transplant photos, transplanted hair, hair loss

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. William Lindsey of Reston, VA who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

I don’t really smoke cigarettes, maybe one here and there, however I do like to smoke a small capone filtered cigar about once a day (i do inhale a little). My question is if I must stop I will, but I didn’t stop before hair transplant surgery because I wasn’t told to because it came up so quick, so it would mainly be for after. Will a smoke a day or even every other day make THAT much of a difference in the grafts healing properly and hair growth if I am doing everything else perfect? It just seems to me like more of a extensive precaution than anything. Again keep in mind I don’t smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. I’m talking maybe one filtered cigar a day or every other day and maybe a cigarette or two a week tops.

I have posted several threads on this hair loss forum on the effect of smoking on wound healing and agree with the sentiment of those of you who feel that if you are spending a bunch of money on hair replacement surgery and smoking might compromise your result, don’t smoke for 10 days before and after your procedure.

Several studies, and malpractice insurance carriers, have documented the preoperative effect of smoking on wound repair.

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair loss help, hair transplant, hair growth, hair replacement

This question was posed by a hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by Dr. Ricardo Mejia of Jupiter, FL who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

I think this is an especially important question for younger hair transplant patients. Often I find young hair loss sufferers in their twenties single and starting to see the early effects of androgenic alopecia. They are trying to keep up with their friends, women and their own self esteem. I recently had one young hair restoration patient I convinced to try shaving his head. He was only 19 and destined to be a level 7 on the norwood scale of hair loss. His expectations were too unrealistic for hair transplantation in the long run. He did shave his head and he is very happy now. Another patient I know is now married with kids who started early with his hair transplants before he was married. He confided he did it to look better because he was single. Now that he is married he doesn’t feel the same way about his hair as when he was younger and he stated he probably would not have done it. Because he too was destined to be a NW6, he has gone through multiple hair replacement procedures by multiple physicians in an effort to keep up with his ongoing hair loss. It is just not that important now to him.

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair loss help, hair transplant, androgenic alopecia, hair restoration, hair transplantation, hair transplants, hair replacement

Is it true that, when transplanted to balding areas of the scalp, that body hair can grow like “head hair”?

Body hair transplant (BHT) surgery does exist and may be a viable surgical option for a select group of patients however; it is often overhyped and there is a lack of compelling evidence that BHT is consistent in quality results for all hair loss patients.  I have heard and seen cases of patients shoveling out tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars with very little if any hair growth, while some repair patients have experienced a significant cosmetically pleasing result.

In my opinion, it is better to consider scalp hair restoration surgery via follicular unit transplantation (FUT) in the hands of a skilled physician which has been proven to highly effective. Follicular unit extraction (FUE) in my opinion has a long way to go to show that all hair loss patients are FUE candidates but some hair transplant clinics seem to be doing some quality work in this area as well.

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: balding, Body hair transplant, BHT, hair loss, hair growth, hair restoration, FUT, FUE, hair transplant

If you are considering hair transplant surgery, it is important for you to understand exactly what to expect otherwise you may panic when you find your transplanted hair falling out between two and four weeks after surgery.  Is this normal?  If so, why does it happen?  Is there anything a hair restoration physician can do to prevent this from happening?  When can I expect the hair to grow back?

Visit our hair loss forum to read other and share your own thoughts and experiences on this topic. 

Bill - aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair transplant, transplanted hair, hair restoration