Q: Can hair transplants grow in scars? P.N. – Westbury, N.Y.
A: Grafts will grow in scar tissue as long as the scar is not thickened. However, they cannot be placed as close together as in normal scalp because of decreased blood flow. When performing a hair transplant into scar tissue, it is often necessary to perform the hair restoration in multiple sessions to allow the area to gradually re-vascularize (allow the blood supply to return).
An English based company called Intercytex has claimed some success in its research on hair cloning with its first testing in humans. This technique is similar to the one initially proposed by Dr. Colin Jahoda and published in 1999.
The idea is that certain cells (called fibroblasts) found at the bottom of hair follicles can be separated from the follicles after they have been removed from the scalp, and then be used to form new follicles.
Q: I am 19 years old and seem to be thinning all over, including the sides. My father has all of his hair but my grandfather is totally bald. Should I have a hair transplant now or wait until I am older? — T.K., Garden City, NY
A: Most likely you have a type of androgenetic alopecia called Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA).
In this hereditary condition, hair thins all over rather than just on the front, top and back as in the more common male pattern baldness.
The fact that the back and sides of your scalp are thinning (the donor area) precludes you from being a candidate for surgery. The diagnosis can be made by observing a high degree of miniaturization (fine hair) in the donor area under a magnifier. This instrument is called a densitometer.
For further information, please read the article:
Bernstein RM, Rassman WR: Follicular Transplantation: Patient Evaluation and Surgical Planning, published in the journal Dermatologic Surgery in 1997. Specifically, read the last part of the article.
Q: Why can donor hair become frizzy and dry once transplanted? — G.F., Stamford, C.T.
A: Frizzing and kinkiness is a temporary phenomenon that is part of the normal healing process after a follicular unit hair transplant.
During the healing process, the new collagen that forms around the grafts can alter their growth. Over time, usually within a year, this collagen matures and the hair quality usually returns to normal.
If grafts have been excessively traumatized or grafts larger than follicular units have been used, these changes are more likely to be permanent.
Q: Is it true that smoking is bad for a hair transplant and why? P.P. – N.Y., N.Y.
A: Smoking causes constriction of blood vessels and decreased blood flow to the scalp, predominantly due to its nicotine content. Also, carbon monoxide in smoke decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
These factors both contribute to poor wound healing after a hair transplant and can increase the chance of a wound infection and scarring. Smoking may also contribute to poor hair growth.
Q: When performing a repair on an old, pluggy hair transplant, why can’t all the grafts be removed at once? A: We always try to do this, but it is not always possible. If the large grafts (plugs) are spaced too close together, suturing one will put tension on an adjacent graft and make it …
Can Repair of Old Hair Plugs be Completed in One Session? Read More »
Q: Will the shock of a hair transplant make me lose my existing healthy hair and is it permanent? – Westport, C.T.
A: In general, only miniaturized hair (the hair that is affected by androgens and that has begun to decrease in diameter) is shed after a transplant. This hair would be lost in the near term anyway.
Q: Are camouflage agents harmful to newly transplanted follicles after a hair transplant? A: Cosmetic camouflage products are not harmful to grafts per se, but they may make it difficult to keep the transplanted area clean right after the hair restoration procedure. They may be used safely as early as one week following a hair …
Can a Hair Transplant be Harmed by Cosmetic Camouflage Products? Read More »
Q: I had a hair transplant two weeks ago and I just started noticing that some grafts were in my baseball cap at the end of the day. Am I losing the transplant and what can I do to keep this from happening? – Weston, C.T.
A: The follicles are firmly fixed in the scalp 10 days following the hair transplant. Hair is shed from the follicle beginning the second week after the procedure. This is perfectly normal and does not represent any loss of grafts.
What you are seeing is the root sheath that is shed along with the hair shaft. This looks like a little bulb, but is not the growth part of the follicle and should not be a cause for concern.
Two weeks following the hair transplant you may shower and shampoo your scalp as you normally did before the procedure without any risk of losing grafts.
In a recent article “The Secrets to Hiding Celebrities’ Hair Loss,” published in the New Jersey newspaper, The Bergen Record, author Abigail Leichman pondered the variety of techniques used by celebrities to battle hair loss.
Articles such as these put a spotlight on the fairly recent phenomenon of celebrity hairline watching that has sprouted up in the media and on the web.
