1. Do hair transplants really work?

Hair transplants work if they are done properly. The procedure involves taking hair from the back and sides of the head and relocating it to the bald or thinning areas of the head. The procedure is done with follicular units of 1-3 hairs in each unit which is referred to as a graft. We transplant from 40 to 50 grafts per square centimeter and can do up 5000 grafts in one session.


2. Do the results of a hair transplant look natural?

The results will look natural as long as only follicular units are transplanted and the direction of the hair transplanted matches the surrounding hair.


3. What causes hair loss?

Hair loss is due to the genetic make up of each hair follicle. The genetic code of the follicle is the biological time clock of the hair. It controls the time and length of the hair cycle. Other factors can shorten the growth factor but the genetic code determines the outcome of the follicle.


4. Is this type of specialty a subspecialty of dermatology and is it done as a fellowship post-residency?

Hair transplantation is learned from other physicians. It is done by many different types of doctors not just dermatologists. It involves not only the actual surgical technique, but artistry in designing something that will look natural now and 20 years from now.

The best hair transplant doctors do nothing but hair restoration and the longer they have been doing it the better the results. The average hair transplant takes at least 6 hours and requires a staff of at least 4 medical assistants plus the doctor to perform. All the hair is dissected under magnification and all the slits created are from 0.6 to 0.9 mm in size. These slits are so small that without magnification the procedure could not be done.


5. Is there any scarring?

There is no scarring in the area where the hair is transplanted. The slits created for the hair to be transplanted into are smaller than an injection slit. The only way to avoid any scar in the donor area is to do follicular extraction. This is a method where each follicular unit is extracted one by one, but is limited to the number that can be done in one day. For the large session a strip method is done where a strip of donor tissue is removed and then closed. In doing this method hair follicles are buried in the suture line so hair will grow up through the scar line and thus becomes very hard to detect.


6. I have a medical condition can I still receive a hair transplant?

Most people can have a hair transplant but certain medical conditions like hemophilia prevent you from having the procedure. It would be helpful to name a medical condition and then determine if the hair transplant could be done.