Hair Restoration Blog

Q:

Hi Doctor,

I am a class VI hair loss patient and have had one hair transplant in the past to get some thin hair on the front and top.  I am keeping my hair very short on the back and my primary goal was to camouflage the scar in the back of my head from previous hair transplants. So far, I have achieved this simply with longer hair, and the rest of my scalp was covered with Toppik-like products.

Cosmetically, it was successful, but usage of this kind of product is a bit messy and cumbersome. Thus I have shaved my head completely to try a different route. With the help of tattooing, I was going to go for a shaved head. Of course, the scar is a show-stopper and I need to consider my options. What I would consider successful is this: short hair covering my head completely, even with relatively light density. Combined with tattooing and a self-tanner to reduce contrast, that would be a success to me. I am not “greedy” about the sides at the front, and will accept a 3 or 3A pattern.

Is it possible in my case?

A:

It is good that you are not after high density and that you are realistic about the final appearance of your hair.  Being a class VI with limited donor hair, it should be possible to create some light density in the large balding area, but obtaining more density would be impossible or difficult due to your insufficient donor.  You need to know what your priorities are and how many surgeries you are committed to have.

• If you only need to revise the scar and get trichophytic closure to minimize the visibility of the scar, one surgery is adequate.  Double edged trichophytic closure is a new technique that can improve the appearance of the scar tremendosly.
• If you are after achieving higher densities and scar revision, you may need several hair transplant procedures if you have enough donor for them.

Through a consultation with an experienced hair transplant doctor, your donor hair can be easily evaluated and that can give you a good idea about what could be expected (in your case).

Dr. Parsa Mohebi of Los Angeles, CA was just approved for recommendation on the Hair Transplant Network, one of the largest online communities supporting hair loss patients. This site has truly revolutionized the hair restoration field due to its high demands made by patient members who participate on the Hair Transplant Network in conjunction with the participating physicians. Because all participating members of this site have such high expectations and demand superior quality results, it is no wonder why only physicians with a solid reputation and proven results are approved for recommendation.

Over the last year and a half, the hair restoration forum and participating community on HairTransplantNetwork.com have had the opportunity to review Dr. Mohebi, his technique, and corresponding results to determine his eligibility with hair transplant recommendations. Following the lengthy and worthwhile examination process, we are now happy to say that Dr. Mohebi is among the few qualified physicians to be recommended by the renowned Hair Transplant Network.

We hope that this physician recommendation and the consistent results of patients will help to expose more people to the wonders of quality hair transplants done by Dr. Parsa Mohebi. On average, we post 1-2 patient stories/photos each month on this site showing Dr. Mohebi’s results. Please feel free to check out some of our patient results and physician comments on this site at anytime and do not hesitate to ask questions on the forum if you have any. Thank you all for your support!!

** Here is the Press Release published by Hair Transplant Network regarding Dr. Parsa Mohebi’s recommendation

Double edged trichophytic closure is a new approach to donor wound closure.  Double edged or two sided trichotomy can help to minimize the complications of trichophytic closure based on the width of epithelium that is being removed and inability of some the hair follicles or oil glands to find their way out to the skin surface.

Hair Restoration Surgery is evolving rapidly and we are consistantly refining our approach on a regular basis to improve the quality of transplanted hair while at the same time minimize the possibility complications.

Double edged trichophytic closure helps us to minimize the width of the top skin layer (epithelium) that is being removed from each edge of the donor wound.  This approach allows hair to grow into the wound from both edges and thus minimize the contrast between scar (with no hair) and surrounding scalp (with 100% hair density).

By employing double edged trichophytic closure we constantly have results of less detectable donor scars and are able to minimize the risk of folliculitis or ingrown hairs in the donor area, which are the two common complications of trichotomy with the traditional methods.

Q:

Good Afternoon Dr. Mohebi,

My body trainer recently recommended that I go on a medication for body building purposes.  The medication that I am planning on taking is ANAVAR (an anabolic steroid), so I just wanted run it by you to make sure it would be OK to take it along with the Propecia I am currently taking.

I appreciate all you help, Thanks!

A:

Anavar (oxandrolone) is a weak androgen and is considered an anabolic steroid.  It is indicated as adjunctive therapy to enhance weight gain after weight loss due to an extensive surgery, infectious disease, trauma and so on.  Anavar has also been prescribed to some patients who for no reason fail to gain weight despite of proper nutrition and work out schedules.   It may also be used to maintain normal weight or to prevent the catabolism due to prolonged administration of corticosteroids.

There have been some online reports of hair loss with Anavar’s use and some exagerated hair loss reports in patients who take both Propecia (finasteride) and Anavar (oxandrolone) in conjunction. Although my personal searches in medical publications have never revealed any studies supporting this information, reports can be found online by its claimed users.

My general recommendation is, unless there is a strong medical indication for its use, those people with any evidence of male patterned baldness should stay away from anabolic steroids.  Although you may find some anabolic steroids over the counter, your family doctor should always be involved and aware of any anabolic steroids that you take as part of your body enhancing plan.

Hiccups may develop after a hair transplant surgery due to several factors. Some of these factors are due to the medication that patient takes, the possible local irritation of some nerve endings in the donor area (especially in strip technique hair transplant) and lastly, that patient’s diet.

These main causes of hiccups after hair restoration surgery are:

Medications: Some medications that are given to the patient after a hair transplant surgery (i.e. – steroids) may increase the chance of developing hiccups.

Local nerve irritation:The local irritation of some nerve endings, such as the posterior auricular nerve or the other branches of cervical plexus may stimulate the phrenic nerve thus also causing hiccups.

Diet: In the case that the patient developes hiccups due to eating or drinking, his/her diet needs to be controlled.  Alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages or taking in large volumes of food may also increase the chance of developing hiccups.

If the hiccups persist severely or beyond a few hours you are urged to contact your hair transplant surgeon for medical treatment.  You doctor may prescribe chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and you may need to continue taking the pills for a few days to avoid re-occurance of the hiccups.

US Hair Restoration’s Office in San Diego, California is now open!

US Hair Restoration’s debut hair restoration center in San Diego, California will now afford Dr. Mohebi the opportunity to serve an even larger portion of California with the same great quality that he is known for. Along with our already well-established hair restoration centers in Encino, Beverly Hills, and Orange County, US Hair Restoration is now able to provide its self-image enhancing services to countless residents of America’s Finest Cities.

By establishing an office in the southern most part of Southern California, both prospective and current patients of US Hair Restoration will reap the benefits. This new location will be much more convenient for those hair loss patients in the San Diego area seeking treatment close to home, while also offering closer resources for our current clientele in this area of Southern California. We truly hope that this new office location ensures the confidence of our current and prospective patients in that US Hair Restoration is willing to branch out to meet their needs, which will always come first.