IamA Leading Hair Transplant Surgeon AMA!

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Is there a way to know if the transplanted hairs fell out or your natural hair? Because if the latter I know the medications don’t really work for everyone.

Are you asking which ones fell out after a hair transplant? The hair follicles often start to enter the resting phase two weeks after the procedure, but they start to grow in after two or three months.

Microneedling is king.

Elvis is the King. Microneedling is a medical procedure.

Why has Turkey become the hot spot for hair transplants?

I know there have been some replies to this question, but I will say that Turkey has become so popular due to the number of doctors in the country, hospitals that mostly follow European health standards, and the price.

However, you need to perform research on the doctor you choose and keep in mind that it might be difficult to return to/use the services of the same doctor if you have any issues after the procedure if they are located in another country.

How many generations are we away from figuring out the cure to baldness?

If I had the answer to that question, I would be a zillionaire.

Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure on the horizon, but the medical world is always working on research and new techniques to try and get closer to that goal.

Why does LeBron’s hair look so bad when he has all the money in the world for the best treatments?

Being based in Los Angeles, this is actually a topic we often discuss.

In the past, a scar was visible on his scalp which could be an indication of a FUT procedure. There was also a game where his hairline seemed to be fading in the middle of a game. This might be Toppik (a concealer) not reacting well to sweat.

He could have made changes to his hairline when older technology was the only option, or he could have been trying to save money on a procedure. (Celebrities....They are just like us!)

Those are my theories.

Are transplants a good option for women with female pattern baldness? Most treatments seem geared towards men. I am a woman in my 30s and trying for pregnancy, so would prefer to stay away from treatments like Rogaine.

Female hair loss can be the result of genetics, hormones, or the aging process and women suffering from hair loss can experience either female patterned baldness (FPB) or male patterned baldness (MPB). Female patterned baldness can result in miniaturized hair that starts to become finer in texture and appearance as time passes.

A hair transplant is a viable option for female patients, and this would need to be discussed with a board-certified doctor who is experienced in diagnosing female hair loss causes as well as providing professional and natural looking hair restoration solutions.

What are the best signs that a hair transplant surgeon or practice is trustworthy?

You can check with websites such as the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery to see if the doctor you have in mind is a member.

You can also look at reviews of the surgeon on their Yelp page or any number of doctor review websites to see what others have to say about the surgeon and their medical team.

If you do have a certain doctor in mind, you can request to talk to former patients or ask to view "before and after" photos of actual patients treated by the surgeon.

At what point is it "too late" to grow hair back with treatments? Is it the kind of thing where one should apply treatments as soon as possible once they notice thinning, or can a thin crown be restored using non-surgical methods?

"Too late" can vary per person but the sooner you get a diagnosis for your hair loss/thinning condition, the sooner you can address the issue. A nonsurgical method such as minoxidil can provide results but that are nonpermanent unless you are committed to using it on an ongoing basis.

Thanks for the response!

I appreciate the question!

How much pioneering work did you do with Elon's plugs and did he try to take credit for the R&D afterwards?

I think we all aware that Elon knows all, and he likely did all of the R&D and even performed a procedure on his own hair. We are talking about Elon Musk!

Where does the transplanted hair come from? Is it a lifetime procedure?

Thanks for the question!

The transplanted hair comes from the body of the patient. It normally comes from the back and sides of the scalp as the hair in this area of the scalp has proven to be resistant to balding. If there is not enough donor hair there, the donor hair can come from other areas of the body such as the beard and chest.

The results do last a lifetime in the area of the scalp that was treated. There might be an occurrence of balding on other sections of the scalp not treated by a hair transplant.

It normally comes from the back

Is there a market to sell others your hair? My wife tells me I could make a fortune

I asked a surgeon why I couldn't get donated hair, he said the body would reject it like any organ, so you'd need to take immunosuppressants, which is not something you do to implant hair.

Plus it'd look terrible unless the hair was very similar to yours.

You are correct in that the body of the patient would treat hair from someone else as a foreign object and reject it.

What makes the transplanted hair more resistant from the cause of baldness than the rest of the hair. I mean in my understanding the same cause that will make you lose the hair in the first place will make you lose the transplanted ones

For some reason, the hair on the back of your head tends to be naturally much more resistant to DHT (the main baldness hormone) than the hair on top of your head. It's why dudes who are super bald on top usually still have hair on the back and sides of their head. Those hair follicles keep their special resistance even after they're transplanted. So you might continue losing your original hair over time, but the transplanted hair generally stays put.

I don't know if anyone knows why some hair is more resistant to baldness than other hair. It just is.

The transplanted hair will stay put but there can still be baldness on the scalp in the areas not treated by a hair transplant.

Hello everyone! I will be here for the next hour, and I'd love to hear/see your questions about hair transplant surgery and the field of hair restoration. Thank you to Reddit for this great opportunity.

Who should not get a hair transplant?

A person who should not get a hair transplant is either a person with a lack of enough donor hair on the body to provide adequate coverage on the scalp or enough donor hair to provide natural results.

Plus, a person who is not sure about having the procedure or someone who is thinking about having a hair transplant simply to make someone else happy with their appearance.

Do you have any experience with online programs advertised to help with hair loss, such as Keeps and Hims?

I have seen the ads for both of these companies, but I do not have experience with either of them.

Thank you for all the questions! I will keep checking this page throughout the week and answer as many questions as I can.

Hey Doc, I seem to have somewhat diffuse balding over the entirety of my head; does this pattern mean I’m SOL as far as hair transplant procedures might be concerned? What about stem cell treatments? At any rate, what’s the best way to go about assessing my options? I’ve just been rocking the buzz cut, but if it might be possible to get my hair back without having to take drugs for the rest of my life, I’d be interested.

Has a doctor examined your scalp to assess the current amount of hair loss as well as the reason for the hair loss? Determining the reason for the hair loss (genetics, medications, etc.) can help your doctor make a plan of the best way to treat it.

keeping in mind that no medical procedures are without risk, in your experience, what are the most common issues with hair transplants?

Some of the most common risks include an infection, swelling of the scalp, bruising around the eyes, itching, and numbness.

These conditions should resolve on their own after a few weeks.

How many hair studios are hiding the dirty little secret that if all the other procedures fail or the client isn’t a good candidate for a transplant, if they can even do a transplant at all, the final remedy is a glorified wig that needs regluing every 8 months?

All I will say is maybe too many but I can't give a specific number.

I am super bald. Have a band of hair. Is there any hope for me to have a Viking braid someday? Ty

It is close to Halloween season so you might be able to buy one and rock the look.

How much would Elon Musk's plug cost?

It varies per patient and depends on the amount of hair follicles that need to be transplanted into the scalp.

Hey!

Do you transplant hair to other places other than the head? If not, do you ever receive such requests?

Hey!

There are other places where hair can be transplanted on the body. One is on the head, but it is not on the scalp. I am talking about the eyebrows.

Hair follciles can also be transplaned into the beard/mustache.

Cool! I’m just wondering if anyone had rare requests like hobbit feet or chest hair implant.

Hair can be transplanted to the chest. I am sure some people have naturally hairy feet that look like a Hobbit.

What advice do you have for someone who is primarily balding at the crown and considering a transplant?

Do you always recommend a lifetime on Fin after a procedure?

I mentioned this in another answer, but you don't have to keep using the medication after a hair transplant. That is the choice of the individual patient, but it can help decrease hair loss in areas of the scalp not been treated by a hair transplant/susceptible to hair loss.

Can you do hair transplants without shaving the head? I don’t want to shave my long hair

We do a procedure known as Celebrity Hair Transplant where patients can come into the procedure with long hair. There is not any need for trimming or shaving on the donor or recipient areas in most cases. Patients can wear the same hairstyle when they arrive as well as when they leave the office. There are likely other surgeons acorss the country who can perform the same treatment.

Hi doctor, Are beard transplants legit? What does a transplant beard look like when 100% shaven? Is it noticeable that there's been a procedure? Thanks

Yes, transplanting hair into the beard is legit. It should look like a normal shaved area as there will only be some tiny dots/scars in the donor area that easily heal.

Hello,

I've been on finasteride for 10 years (31). My hairline has slowly receded during this time but the rest of my hair is thick.

Is a transplant on my hairline an option or do I need to wait until the receding stops (if it ever does)?

You don't have to keep using the medication after a hair transplant. It is up to the individual patient, but it can help decrease hair loss in areas of the scalp that has not been treated by a hair transplant/susceptible to hair loss.

If we can transplant internal organs, eyes, even faces from one person to the other, why are we not able to do the same with hair?

The body would see/identify the hair transplanted from another person as a foreign object and would try to reject it (as happens sometimes with transplanted organs such as kidney).

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These are good questions, and the answers depend on the individual person.

In order to get a better idea about the cause and extent of the hair loss, it is a good idea to schedule a consultation appointment with an experienced and board-certified doctor who addresses hair loss issues on a regular basis. The doctor can examine the scalp and recommend treatment options to you. A consultation appointment does not mean you have to commit to a hair transplant. The hair loss could be the result of medication or pulling the hair on an ongoing basis (or other causes) so the loss of hair might be able to be treated by a method other than a hair transplant.

Doctor, is your hair real or transplant?

My hair is real but I would admit if it was transplanted!

Did you do Joey Logano's hair? That dude went from pre-mature balding to Donny Osmand like overnight.

I cannot "name names" when it comes to patients I have treated. I do like the visual of Joey Lagano singing Donny Osmond songs while driving his stock car.

Isn’t it important for people’s mental health to learn to live with being bald? Don’t you feel like you might be taking advantage of mentally vulnerable men?

That is a very god question, and I will say that that the idea of living with being bald is not for everyone. The restoration of their hairline can do wonders for the self-image and self-confidence of a person. On the other hand, it is important to make sure the person is having a hair transplant because they want to make a change in their appearance and not to make someone else happy. It is also important that the person have realistic expectations about the final results and not take advantage of them by overpromising results that cannot be achieved.

Does transplanting actual metal safe for the scalp and body? Is it even feasible?

( There was some influencer who claimed he had transplanted gold and silver onto his literal scalp)

Are you talking about Dan Sur? He is a rapper who had gold chains implanted into his scalp. He had hooks implanted into his head in order to attach the gold chains

This is not a good idea as he now has an easy way for bacteria to travel between the outside world and the internal body, Plus, the weight of the hooks or a forceful tug on one of the gold chains could cause the implant to dislodge and/or fracture the skull.

If you take from the back to add to the top, where do you take from if/when the back begins to thin?

If there is enough hair in the donor area of the scalp (back and sides of the scalp), hair can come from other areas of the body such as the chest or beard.