Robert M. Bernstein, MD has been selected as one of New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors” for the eighth year in a row. He is the only hair restoration surgeon honored to be included in this list of prominent physicians for eight consecutive years.
The physicians are chosen through a peer review process by Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd., publishers of the guidebook Top Doctors.
The lead article in the March/April 1997 issue of Hair Transplant Forum International focuses on the latest tools available for assessing whether or not a person experiencing hair loss is a good candidate for hair transplant surgery.
Dr. Bernstein uses the techniques of densitometry and video-microscopy to analyze the scalp under high-powered magnification. This gives the doctors vital information for making decisions about whether patients are candidates for hair transplant surgery.
Dr. Bernstein took part in a PRWeb podcast about hair transplantation in June 2007. Stream the discussion below or view the full post to read the transcript:
The Trustees of Columbia University have named hair transplant pioneer Dr. Bernstein Clinical Professor of Dermatology. This promotion was based on Dr. Bernstein’s teaching, lectures, research, original scientific papers, and outstanding patient care.
Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration has moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility in mid-town Manhattan. The office is centrally located in the Park 55 building at 110 East 55th Street.
The new office is specially engineered for performing our pioneering follicular unit hair transplant procedures and innovative corrective surgery with custom surgical suites for patient comfort and operational efficiency.
Bernstein, who founded the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration, has made great headway with what’s called “follicular unit transplantation.” Instead of using single plugs, he works with clusters of hair that continue to grow in natural patterns. The results appear more natural, and his patients need fewer sessions than with the traditional method of hair transplant surgery.
NY Japion — a weekly newspaper in the Japanese language, published in the New York tri-state area, and distributed for free in the Japanese community — has featured Robert M. Bernstein, MD, in their series on hair loss in men and women.
In the series, TV producer, Hideo Nakamura, who is bald himself, goes on a mission on behalf of fellow bald men. His column hopes to help others with hair loss to have a more fulfilled, fun life and to raise their self-esteem.
In 1995, a surgeon just entering the field of hair transplantation became aware of these natural “follicular units” and came to believe that they should be the building blocks for all hair transplants. His name was Bob Bernstein.
Robert M. Bernstein, MD has been selected as one of New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors” for the seventh year in a row.
This special annual issue in New York Magazine, June 13, 2006, presents the findings of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publishers of the guidebook, Top Doctors: New York Metro Area.
Dr. Bernstein is the only hair restoration surgeon honored to be included in this list of prominent physicians for seven consecutive years.
The physicians are chosen through a peer review process by Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd., publishers of the guidebook Top Doctors.
Part 1
Hair Loss in the Younger Person
Interviewer: I brought a fair number of questions related to aspects of androgenetic alopecia and hair transplantation, but I will also ask you some questions regarding two other types of hair loss, like alopecia areata and cicatricial alopecia. Most of our listeners are fairly educated about the different hair restoration options available to them, so I’ll tailor my questions primarily for this type of audience.
The first question that I want to direct here is the dilemma that many young people face when they’re losing their hair and are considering getting a hair transplant. They typically don’t know the degree to which their hair loss is going to progress. When you’re in your 20s and 30s, you want to have a decently low-running hairline and you want to have a crown that looks full. But given that you don’t know how far your hair loss is going to go, how would you address this scenario for people in that age range?
Dr. Bernstein: That is the main problem with treating younger people. We don’t really know how they’re going to progress. It is so important to wait, usually until the person is 23 to 25 before you can really get a sense of how much hair loss they are going to lose. And even at that age it’s sometimes very difficult to tell. That’s even after considering things such as family history.
A problem with treating a younger person with surgical hair restoration is that they often want things that are unrealistic. A person in their 20s is what we call “backward-looking.” They’re looking to when they were a teenager and they want their flat hairline back and all their old density. But hair transplants are forward-looking. We need to consider what they’re going to be like in ten or twenty years – not how they looked in the past.
Dr. Bernstein, a renowned teacher, lecturer, and surgeon, is bringing his state-of-the-art hair restoration techniques directly to patients. His lecture on Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) includes a historical review of hair transplant techniques, from the out-dated “hair plugs” and “cornrows” to refined FUT procedures. Watch the lecture to see images of surgical tools, illustrations of surgical techniques, and before and after patient photos.
Hair transplant surgeon Robert M. Bernstein M.D. joins the blogosphere to discuss hair transplantation and help dispel the myths about hair loss and its treatment.
The blog serves as a clearinghouse for important concerns of both men and women suffering from hair loss.
Here is one exchange from the interview:
Moderator: How one can tell the difference between hair loss from hormonal imbalances and common baldness?
Dr. Bernstein: Measuring hormone levels alone, although important for medical management, does not necessarily reveal whether the cause of the hair loss is actually hormone related or is genetic. The diagnosis is made by examining the scalp and looking at the hair under close magnification using an instrument called a “Densitometer.”
In a new article appearing on the cover of Hair Transplant Forum International, the official publication of The International Society of Hair Transplant Surgeons (ISHRS), pioneering hair transplant surgeon Robert M. Bernstein MD, along with his colleague Dr. William R. Rassman, recently revealed details about a “New Instrumentation for Three-Step Follicular Unit Extraction.”
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.
Follicular Unit Forum is unique in that it affords visitors an opportunity to anonymously ask questions about the “ins and outs” of hair transplant surgery, of those who actually have had the state-of-the-art Follicular Unit Hair Transplant procedures.
Questions are posted to people who have actually undergone hair restoration procedures. Individuals who are considering a surgical solution to their hereditary baldness are able to search through “threads” or conversations that will answer their most pressing concerns such as; what to expect before, during and after a hair transplant, and what kind of procedure one should have.
Some of the world’s most renown hair transplant surgeons gathered this month to hear about the latest cutting edge methods in surgical hair restoration. Speakers included Robert M. Bernstein. M.D. founder of Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration , New York, NY
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) recently held their 13th annual scientific meeting. A broad range of topics were explored including; the most recent research in cloning, the latest proven medical therapies to prevent hair loss, and the newest concepts in the harvesting of donor hair follicles used for transplanting. The event was capped off with a live hair transplant surgery workshop.
As the largest non-profit voluntary organization comprised of over 650 hair restoration physicians, the ISHRS is the first international society created to promote continuing quality improvement and education for professionals in the field of surgical hair restoration.
“Dermatologic Clinics” is a hard-cover quarterly peer review publication with comprehensive, state-of-the-art information by experts in the field of dermatology. In a 2005 issue entitled “Advanced Cosmetic Surgery”, Dr. Bernstein is lead author of the article: “Follicular Unit Transplantation: 2005.”
This valuable contribution to the field of surgical hair restoration explores techniques and best practices of the surgical procedure known as Follicular Unit Transplantation that Dr. Bernstein pioneered and is now considered the state-of-the-art in hair transplant surgery.
“Over the past 10 years we’ve developed a new procedure called follicular unit transplantation, where hair is transplanted exactly the way it grows,” said Dr. Robert Bernstein […] This new technique replaces the plugs — groups of hairs inserted into round holes in the scalp — used in the early days of hair transplant procedures. It is now known that hair grows in groups of one to four hairs.
Dr. Bernstein: Anatomically, follicular unit transplantation is the end of the line. The next step would be hair cloning, which is still quite a way off. The way you get the most amount of hair into the smallest wound — and ensure that it’s going to look natural — is by using a follicular unit transplant. We can create swirls, add sideburns…
The beauty of follicular transplantation is that the hair will take on the old wave that the original hair had.
Surgery of the Skin: Procedural Dermatology; published in 2005 by Elsevier-Mosby and Edited by Robinson, Hanke, Sengelmann and Siegel; is monumental work that covers the entire spectrum of dermatologic surgical procedures.
Dr. Bernstein was honored to write the chapter on hair transplantation, with a focus on Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), the technique that has changed the face of surgical hair restoration over the past decade.
The chapter discusses strip harvesting, follicular unit extraction, the use of anesthetics, ways to optimize density and ensure the naturalness of the procedure, as well as a host of other important topics.
“Hair Transplantation” is a part of a series of medical textbooks — Procedures in Cosmetic Dermatology, published by Elsevier Saunders — which offers step-by-step, practical guides to performing cutaneous surgical procedures.
In “Hair Transplantation,” Dr. Bernstein co-authored the chapters on Follicular Unit Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction, covering the philosophy, basic science, and techniques in a practical clinical format.
The book’s editors selected Robert M. Bernstein as a major contributor, as Dr. Bernstein was uniquely qualified to provide medical professionals with insight and training on the state-of-the-art in hair transplant surgery.
Robert M. Bernstein M.D. was asked to provide expert medical commentary in two hair transplant videos produced by Healthology.
The topics included “Hair Transplantation Techniques” and “Using Cloning Techniques in Hair Transplantation.”
Excerpt from the interview:
Julie Chen: Dr. Bernstein, I want to go through all the options that are available for women, but what is the difference between female and male hair loss option-wise. What can we do to treat it?
Dr. Bernstein: The main difference medically is that women have hair loss often from hormonal changes and it’s due to an imbalance between progesterones and estrogens. That equilibrium can be reestablished with medication. Often birth control pills can do that.
“Good Morning America” interviewed Dr. Bernstein in their two-part series on hair transplant surgery. Below is an excerpt from the interview:
Charles Gibson: Are there good candidates and bad candidates for this?
Dr. Bernstein: Yes. And actually people that wear hairpieces are sometimes tricky because their baseline is a full head of hair, so one of the important things that we had to discuss in the first consult was what his expectations were and whether he realized that a transplant wouldn’t give him the fullness of a hairpiece, but of course, it would look much more natural.
The Discovery Channel interviewed Dr. Bernstein for a piece on hair transplant repair. Below is an excerpt from the interview:
Dr. Bernstein: When I first saw Ken in 1995. He still had the traditional plugs, and I would say on a scale of one to ten, he was maybe a seven, with ten being the worst. We performed a procedure called follicular unit transplantation where hair is transplanted in exactly the way it grows in nature, which are little tiny groups of one to four hairs.
Ken Gold: After the first surgery I was just ecstatic because I was actually able to look at myself in the mirror.
In giving Dr. Bernstein the 2001 Platinum Follicle Award, the President of the ISHRS said:
“I proudly present the 2001 Platinum Follicle Award to Robert M. Bernstein, MD. Dr. Bernstein has contributed to the field of hair transplantation in dramatic and substantial ways, revolutionizing the advancement of Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation. His published articles have become ‘Bibles’ for this methodology.”
Dr. Bernstein received the 2001 HairSite.com award for excellence in hair transplantation. “Dr. Bernstein is one of the most sought after hair transplant surgeons in the United States. He is one of the very few in the industry who is still involved in scientific and clinically related hair restoration research while engaging in hair transplant practice.”
Since the publication of ‘Follicular Transplantation,’ hair transplantation has undergone an “extreme makeover” itself, in part due do to the incredibly natural results that this powerful procedure can produce. FUT is now considered to be the state-of-the-art in hair transplant surgery and is currently the most widely used surgical hair restoration technique. Robert M. Bernstein M.D., Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University in New York City, sat with us for a Q&A on hair transplant surgery and its future.
The innovations Dr. Bernstein has described through his medical publications are now a part of history. In the Millennium Paper of the journal Dermatologic Surgery, a comprehensive history of the field of dermatologic surgery cites Dr. Bernstein as being one of the three physicians who played a leading role in hair transplantation in the 1980′s and 1990′s.
“The diagnosis and treatment for men and women is very different,” said Dr. Robert M. Bernstein […] Women usually have a diffuse type of hair loss with thinning all over while men keep a permanent zone on the back and sides. […] “A medical evaluation is extremely important to rule out underlying medical conditions,” said Bernstein.
“We felt it was necessary to clearly define follicular unit hair transplantation and mini-micrografting cut to size,” explained Dr. Bernstein, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York. “Follicular unit transplantation has many theoretical advantages… having standardized definitions of these hair transplantation techniques will allow us to make valid comparisons.”
Dr. Bernstein said the elements defining follicular unit hair transplantation include exclusive transplantation of hair in its naturally occurring individual follicular units…
The dissecting microscope takes some getting used to, but using it makes more efficient use of donor hair during follicular unit transplantation than magnifying loupes with transillumination, reported Dr. Robert Bernstein.
At the 6th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons held in Washington, D.C. in 1998, Dr. Walter Unger (defending the “old guard”) debated Dr. Bernstein (representing the new technique of Follicular Unit Transplantation) in front of an audience of over 450 hair restoration surgeons from around the world. Dr. Unger took the position that large grafts still had a place in surgical hair restoration, particularly for creating density. Dr. Bernstein took the position that the new procedure of Follicular Unit Transplantation could create that density while at the same time achieving a completely natural look — something large graft procedures were incapable of doing. He argued that the versatility and naturalness of Follicular Unit Transplantation rendered the older procedures obsolete.
Dr. O’tar Norwood discusses the origin of follicular transplantation, and the influence that Dr. Bernstein’s research and publications have had on the evolution of the hair transplant procedure. Read a segment of the article:
The evolution of “follicular transplantation” can be attributed to three people. Dr. Robert Bernstein coined the phrase and advanced the concept. Dr. Bob Limmer introduced the use of the binocular microscope, providing the technology, and Dr. David Seager showed by direct hair counts, comparing the growth of grafts cut with and without the microscope, how the hair growth was improved when the follicular unit was kept intact.
Dr. Bernstein receives the Surgeon of the Month award given by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Dr. Bernstein introduced the concept of “follicular transplantation” in 1995 through a publication in the International Journal of Aesthetic and Restorative Surgery, where he recommended that in all hair transplant procedures the implants should consist of only the naturally occurring follicular units. The anatomic follicular units, seen clinically as the patient’s natural hair groupings, are different for each individual, and these differences should be reflected in the transplant plan. He has been a strong advocate of using follicular transplantation for the best possible cosmetic result, and has encouraged his colleagues to use this approach in his writings and lectures.
The following is a portion of “An Idea Whose Time Has Come,” an editorial written by O’Tar T. Norwood, MD — founder of the Norwood Classification System for Hair Loss — and published in the May/June 1997 issue of “Hair Transplant Forum International”:
I just returned from visiting Dr. Bob Bernstein in New York, and was impressed with his operation and even more impressed with his thoughts, observations, and insights into hair transplant surgery. He applies scientific methods to his work, is academically honest, and has an almost eerie instinctive knowledge of hair transplant surgery. Of course he has Dr. Bill Rassman to work with, but it is still remarkable. Dr. Bernstein is best known for introducing follicular transplantation to hair transplant surgery, an idea Bob Limmer has been pushing for ten years with the use of the binocular microscope, but no one would listen to him. Dr. Limmer, however, never used the term follicular transplantation. Using the microscope, you automatically dissect the follicular units. It can’t be avoided if done properly.
Cosmetic Surgery Times features Dr. Bernstein’s presentation to the 55th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in their April 1997 issue.
The article describes Dr. Bernstein’s introduction of the concept of Follicular Unit Transplantation to the academy as well as the keys to making the technique successful. From the article:
“‘Hair doesn’t grow singly it grows in naturally occurring groups of from one to four hairs. In follicular transplantation, we use these naturally occurring groups as the unit of the transplant,’ he told CST.
Although the procedure is highly labor intensive, it can actually be less expensive than conventional hair replacement surgery, because it can be performed in a single, but lengthy, session.
‘It is also much more efficient and conserves donor hair much better than conventional hair transplants. Every time you make an incision in the person’s scalp you waste some hair and make the remaining hair more difficult to remove. Accessing the donor area just once or twice will increase the total amount of hair that is available for the transplant,’ Dr. Bernstein told CST.”
