Minor Procedure. Major Results!

A hair transplant is a minor procedure done under local anesthetic lasting only a few hours; however, its impact will last a life time. The difference a hair transplant can make in someone's life is phenomenal.   I say this with confidence because I have seen the difference it has made in thousands of peoples lives and I have personally had a hair transplant myself. 

The average person who comes in for a hair transplant at a minimum has lost their confidence.  In addition to their decreased confidence, this hair loss has changed the way that the individual sees themselves.  Their demeanor is different, their self esteem is lagging and they have a poor self image.  Why you ask?  If you have hair and you are not concerned about hair loss, then you are the one asking this question.  However, if you are the one who is experiencing hair loss, you know exactly what I am talking about and you are ready to have a hair transplant! 

Restore Your Hair!

Many people ask me, what is my favorite part of the job?  My answer without hesitation is seeing the patients when they return for their follow up visits one year following their hair transplant procedure.  It is such a pleasure to see what a difference you have made in someone’s life.  To help restore someone’s self confidence and self image is so gratifying I cannot even put it in words.

Get the Hair Transplant you've always dreamed about!

Prevent More Hair Loss!

The first step of the process is helping to prevent future hair loss.  This is imperative, this way when we correct the current situation for you; we are moving in a forward direction and not spinning your wheels!  We do not want to do hair transplant on you, and then have you continue to keep on losing more of your own natural hair.  We are not concerned about the newly transplanted hair falling out from the hair transplant.  This hair is genetically preprogrammed not to fall out. What we are always concerned about is the patient losing their own existing hair around the transplanted area. If the patient continues to lose more of their own hair, then that area would have to be surgically corrected at a later date with a hair transplant.    

There are three FDA approved treatment modalities on the market currently available to help prevent future hair loss: Propecia, Rogaine and the Laser Comb. It is extremely important to use any preventive treatment as much as possible to help maintain your existing hair.  If you are a male you could use all Three, if you are choosing one, Propecia is the best choice.  However, Propecia is not recommended for females.   Females should use Rogaine and the Laser Comb.  The laser comb was approved by the FDA in February 2007. In the FDA trial some 93% of the participants saw an increase in hair density with an average increase of 19 hairs/cm with the HairMax Laser comb. In addition, you could use other non FDA approved treatment modalities that have shown some (non–substantiated) encouraging results such as saw palmetto.  There are a slew of products on the market claiming to be the cure all for hair loss.  You should be very skeptical when purchasing these items; the majority of them are unable to produce the results they are implying. We recommend that our patients do everything they can do to help maintain as much of their own natural hair as possible to limit the amount of hair transplant procedures that they will have to have.

If surgery seems to be the answer for you, it is in your best interest to seek the best suited hair transplant physician. 

1. Shop carefully, the same as you would if you were purchasing a new car or a house. 
   You would not buy the first house you see, would you? So do not make a decision to do hair transplant surgery with only meeting one hair transplant physician.  There are multiple philosophies about hair transplants (further explanation to follow), become educated about them and make an informed decision. 
   
   
2. Do not shop price, because in many instances you will get what you pay for. 
   This holds true for any cosmetic surgical procedure, pick the best hair transplant doctor not the best price!
   
   
3. How much hair is really being moved during a hair transplant?
   The question that needs to be asked to any hair transplant physician you consult with regarding a hair transplant procedure is how much hair is going to be moved?  There are numerous amounts of sales techniques that are being used by hair transplant consultants and doctors.  The most common one is by the number of grafts.  This to me is very deceiving, because a graft could have only one hair in it, or it could have multiple hairs in it.  So if a consultant or doctor tells you he is going to give you 1000 grafts, what does that tell you?  The answer is nothing.  They could give you all one hair grafts.  What you want to know is how large is the size of the donor strip that is being harvested.  This tells you in much greater detail about the amount of hair being moved.  When I do my largest size case on someone, I move approximately 30-35 cm (11.81 inches by 13.78 inches) in length and approximately 1- 1.4 cm (.39 inches by .54 inches) in width.  This will vary from patient to patient based on their individual head circumference and elasticity of their scalp.  This amount could yield up to 8000 hairs based on your own unique characteristics.  If I can get more, I will; it just depends on the circumstances and you never know for certain until you do the hair transplant procedure.  This is the “truth in lending” of the hair transplant industry, how big is the strip (the area being harvested)?  Do not be deceived, ask the right questions and then you can make an informed decision.
   
   
   
4. Go to a Hair Replacement Specialist
   There are a number of physicians that are performing hair transplants, although, this may not be there specialty.  Would you go to a drugstore to purchase tools for your home, or would you go to a hardware store?  Yes, you may find some tools at the local drugstore, but are you going to get the best tools with the most knowledgeable staff informing you on the tools there?  The answer is obvious; you need to go to a specialist in the industry.  When you go to a hair transplant specialist, that is all that they do, they do not do anything else in that office.  This means that all of the staff only performs hair transplant surgery.  This is super important, because hair transplant surgery is performed by a team; and the final results are not only based on the performance of the physician, but on the whole surgical team.

Moving the Maximum Amount of Hair

What separates me from other hair transplant surgeons is my cautious aggressive approach.  I want to move as much hair as possible for my patient every time that they have a hair transplant surgery.  By doing this I max out each individual surgical session by moving the maximum amount of hair and hopefully limit the amount of times the patient has to return for future surgical sessions.  I use an array of various sized grafts according to what best suits the patient’s individual needs.

There are many different approaches to hair transplant surgery.  One of the more common theories is called follicular unit transplantation.  A follicular unit is the naturally occurring bundle or grouping of hair follicles.  The average follicular unit may have anywhere from two to four hairs (The hair transplant industry average is 2.5 hairs per follicular unit.).  There are a number of hair transplant physicians who feel this is the only way to perform a hair transplant surgery [using only micro grafts (one hair) and follicular units exclusively].  They will use these follicular units everywhere, the front (hairline), the middle (vertex) and the back (crown).   I could not disagree with this more!  I definitely use micro grafts and follicular units; however, I do not use them exclusively.  In my opinion this is a disservice to the patient; by limiting the amount and type of grafts you use will limit the results. 

I use micro grafts and follicular units where they are needed and incorporate a blend of various sized grafts in order to best meet the patient’s needs and get them the greatest results possible!   A various sized graft could have one to two follicular units or it could have two to three follicular units.  I will use these various sized groupings in such a fashion that they are blended in with the other grafts and are not discernible.  By incorporating these multiple bundles, I am able to achieve a much greater density with unparalleled natural results.  Every patient is different.  Therefore, every surgical hair transplant will be different.  Each individual will have their own hair characteristics.  The coarseness, color and density of the hair all have to be taken into account in order to best suit the patients individual needs.  Everyone has their own unique facial characteristics which have to be considered as well.  The hairline and hair type go hand and hand and must be carefully thought-out when designing a game plan to not only fit their face now but in the future as well!