Bernstein Medical Blog

This page contains all posts in our News, Answers, Video, and Research sections.

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Celebrity Hair Transplant Procedures An Increasingly Hot Topic

December 15th, 2009

Celebrity Hair Transplants - Kevin Costner

Celebrity hair loss is becoming an increasingly hot topic in the media. The continuing demands on celebrities to keep their good looks, seems to be of great interest to the tabloids. This is evidenced by the recent interest in the hairlines of stars like John Cleese, Mel Gibson, John Travolta, Kevin Costner, Dennis Miller, Tom Arnold, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, David Beckham, Matt Lauer, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, and many others.

Interest in celebrity hair transplants is not just reserved for film and TV stars, but for all kinds of professions in the public eye. Read on for the full article about celebrity hair transplant procedures.

Which is Better Hair Loss Treatment: Minoxidil With Retin-A or Without Retin-A?

November 9th, 2009

Q: Is using Minoxidil combined with Retin-A better than regular Minoxidil for Hair Loss? — L.W., Gowanus, New York

A: Minoxidil has been prescribed (off-label) in combination with other medications, such as topical retinoic acid (Retin-A), to enhance its penetration into the skin and thus increase its effectiveness. This combination of medications can increase the absorption of minoxidil into the bloodstream and may increase the risk of potential side effects, including changes in blood pressure and scalp irritation. It is important to use combination therapy under the supervision of a physician.

In Follicular Unit Hair Transplant, Can You Double-up Follicular Units and Still Call it FUT?

November 9th, 2009

Q: Could you accept easing of the very strict definition of FUT, which you published about 15 years ago? Could you agree to use mixture of single FU and double FU under the name of FUT? — N.W., Huntington, N.Y.

A: One would never want grafts larger than the largest original follicular units or the results will not look natural. The artificially large grafts will stand out in relatively thin surroundings. If one were to try to fix this by transplanting the doubled FUs very close together (over one or more sessions) one risks running out of grafts for other areas of the scalp. In other words, you can’t fool mother nature.

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

October 26th, 2009

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.

Does Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) Affect Hair Loss in Men and Women Differently?

October 19th, 2009

Q: Have there been any studies showing the difference between men and women in their response to laser treatments for hair loss?

A: In the International Journal of Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology (Vol. 5, Number 2; 2003), a study on low level laser therapy (LLLT) was conducted which indicated that there was a 55% increase of growth (hair count) in the temporal area as well as 64% in the vertex of the female subjects who were treated with LLLT for hair loss. The study also indicated a 74% increase in the hair counts of the male subjects in the temporal area and 120% in the vertex region. These results would initially indicate that LLLT works better in men than in women, but there were four times as many men in this study so the results might be different in a larger test group.

Is Genetic Test for Hair Loss Worthwhile?

October 14th, 2009

Q: Is it worth getting the genetic test for balding?

A: You’re referring to Hair DX (hairdx.com), which costs about $150 and came to market in January of 2008 as the first test for androgenetic alopecia, aka male pattern baldness.

The test screens for variations in the androgen receptor gene on the X chromosome, the gene that is associated with male pattern hair loss. The purpose of the test is to identify persons at increased risk of developing hair loss before it is clinically apparent – so that medical intervention can be started early, when it is most effective.

Areas of Unethical Behavior Practiced Today

October 6th, 2009

Note from Dr. Bernstein: This article, by my colleague Dr. Rassman, is such important reading for anyone considering a hair transplant, that I felt it should be posted here in its entirety.

Areas of Unethical Behavior Practiced Today
William Rassman, MD, Los Angeles, California

I am disturbed that there is a rise in unethical practices in the hair transplant community. Although many of these practices have been around amongst a small handful of physicians, the recent recession has clearly increased their numbers. Each of us can see evidence of these practices as patients come into our offices and tell us about their experiences. When a patient comes to me and is clearly the victim of unethical behavior I can only react by telling the patient the truth about what my fellow physician has done to them. We have no obligation to protect those doctors in our ranks who practice unethically, so maybe the way we respond is to become a patient advocate, one on one, for each patient so victimized.

What are Options for Fixing Wide Donor Scars?

October 5th, 2009

Q: I would like to have the donor area from an old hair transplant repaired so it does not show the scar when I cut my hair shorter. What are my options?

A: Widened scars can be improved in two ways: they can be re-excised to make the scar finer, or hair can be placed into the scar to make it less visible.

Dr. Schweiger Discusses LaserComb for Hair Loss in Women in Wall Street Journal

September 29th, 2009

Dr. Eric S. Schweiger, an Associate at Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration, was interviewed recently for an article in the Wall Street Journal.

The article — Can Lasers Stimulate a Hair-Growth Spurt? — discusses the efficacy of the HairMax LaserComb and low level laser therapy (LLLT) and also touches on Dr. Schweiger’s main area of expertise, the diagnosis and treatment of hair loss in women.

Follicular Unit Hair Multiplication with FUE

September 8th, 2009

Follicular unit extraction is a technique of removing one follicular unit at a time from the donor region. The most important limitation of this hair transplant procedure is a high transection rate during the extraction process. In this clinical study, the authors transplanted different parts of transected hair follicle when harvesting with the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique. Five male patients participated in the study.

In each patient, three boxes of 1 cm2 were marked at both donor and recipient sites. The proximal one-third, one-half, and two-thirds of 15 hair follicles are extracted from each defined box and transplanted in recipient boxes. The density is determined at 12 months after the procedure.

The authors concluded that the survival rate of the transected hair follicles was directly related to the level of transection. The authors demonstrated that even though some of the transected parts of the follicles can survive after being transplanted to the recipient site, the growth rate is not satisfactory and the hair is thinner than the original follicles. As a result of this study, the researchers recommend that the hair transplant surgeon does not transplant the sectioned parts and that they should be careful with the patients whose transection rate is high during Follicular Unit Extraction procedures.

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