Hair Restoration Blog

Often times we at US Hair Restoration receive calls and emails from individuals who are ashamed that they need a hair restoration for their balding situation and want to hide the fact they contacted us for advice. Although we are very sensitive to the needs of each individual who seeks our help, we also want to speak encouragement over their situation as well as give them new hope, confidence, and a fresh perception of what they are getting themselves into.

Modern technology has allowed us capabilities we did not have 50 years ago. Just as with vision problems, many have the disadvantage of wearing glasses. Although there are contact lenses as well, there is still a dependence upon outside tools for sight, which can be inconvenient. After many years, LASIK was developed which has solved this stubborn problem of fading eyesight which many, to this day continue to suffer from.

If someone chooses to undergo a LASIK procedure, does it make them an insecure person? Not in the least! Rather, they are using their resources to look their best and be as functionally independent as possible.

We always use the latest technology in hair restoration at US Hair Restoration, which was not available as recent as 10 years ago. The question to ask is, why not use it? Thousands are doing it every year with excellent results, and nobody is concerned if their hair is native or transplanted.  Hair loss is a disease, yes a common one and like any other diseases there are treatments for it.  The proper conclusion is that these individuals are no longer bald and don’t have the competitive disadvantage like those who decided to do nothing for their baldness.

 In the end we all must be ourselves and do whatever makes us feel our best. No matter what we do with our lives, there will always be someone who will be critical of whatever we do.  Regardless of what others may say, do whatever makes you feel good about yourself.  There are options available to you today that was not available to your ancestors.

US Hair Restoration sees hundreds of Hair loss patients each year. Many people find seeking treatments for hairloss to be embarrasing and prefer to keep them confidential. Every now and again there are individuals who are confident in overcoming any social taboo’s about hair replacement, and let others know about their new found joy and are excited to share how their lives changed because of new hair growth.

Recently, one such patient shared his new more youthful look with the world and was happy to let us know of his actions. We are pleased whenever we get to share our art and science of hair transplantation, but when an individual goes out of their way to do something we never asked or imagined, we take pride in knowing we changed someone’s life. We want to say “Thank You” to this individual for:

Allowing us the opportunity to make a difference in his life
AND
Letting others know there is a solution for balding!

 US Hair Restoration always appreciates when individuals spend time on their own to let others know about their satisfied results, and we are happy to share them with others. We encourage our patients not to feel ashamed about recieving a hair transplant, but rather accept the fact of baldness being a reality for many which today has natural, lifelong alternatives. People always feel better when having a solution to any common problem, and we are happy to be available as one of those solutions!

A person’s self-esteem and self-image is greatly affected by the amount of hair they have on their head. When a disease or trauma brings about hair loss, those results can have be weighty on the individuals they affect. Finding solutions to these situations isn’t always easy, but there is an opportunity available to help these individuals get through these physical and emotional recoveries.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Parsa Mohebi is one of the active members of Operation Restore.  Operation Restore is a Pro Bono Foundation established by the International Society Of Hair Restoration Science (ISHRS) which connects prospective patients suffering from hair loss due to an accident with volunteer physicians to help restore the physical appearance and emotional wellbeing. This program specializes in giving a new opportunity and fresh start to those who cannot afford hair restoration, but are in great need of a hair transplantation.

Over the years multiple patients have been helped through this honorable charity and Dr. Parsa Mohebi is proud to be a part of it. He, along with many others, continues to donate thousands of man hours each year to see those who are victim to disfiguring accidents, receive a new start.  US Hair Restoration is proud to give back to this cause and see many receive a new beginning.

I am back from our summer vacation and we will be posting on the site regularly again. We have several visits to local California attractions and as always I took a whole lot of pictures.

This bald Lego-Man in LegoLand (San Diego, CA) looked very sad and reminded me of the article we published a few years ago on Hair Transplant Forum International “Psychology of Hair Transplant”.  In the article we discussed how hair transplant can affect changing people’s mood and energy level and make them feel happier.

I guess anything with hair loss is a subject for my photography and a topic for my blogs these days.

Every now and then I see patients in my office that have no sign of baldness whatsoever, yet they are extremely concerned about losing their hair.  Some of these patients have even previously received hair transplants from other clinics.  Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) or body dysmorphia is a type of mental illness in which a patient is always preoccupied with his or her appearance and cannot stop thinking about one or several problems in their face or body.  This problem may be an exaggerated preexisting problem or it may be totally imaginary.

People with BDD often have significant anxiety and do not want to be seen by anyone if possible because they think their appearance seems too shameful.   BDD could be seen in both men and women and it is estimated that 1–2% of the world’s population meet all the diagnostic criteria for body dysmorphic disorder (Psychological Medicine, vol 36, p 877).

People with BDD are intensely obsessed over their appearance and their body image, often for many hours a day or even to the point that it affects their life or work. They may ask for several cosmetic procedures in an attempt to improve their perceived image, however they are never satisfied and their perceived image cannot ever be met. If the doctor seeing this patient cannot diagnose the problem and agree to pursue with a cosmetic procedure, he or she will also tend to be blamed for some (or at times all) of the problems that they imagine they have.

Diagnosis of BDD

1. Preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person’s concern is markedly excessive.
2. The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
3. The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., dissatisfaction with body shape and size in Anorexia Nervosa)

In research carried out by Dr. Katharine Philips, involving over 500 patients with BDD, percentages of patients concerned with the most common problem locations of their bodies were recorded and hair problems were reported in as high as 56% of patients as the second most common problem (after skin) that these patients express having.

Treatment of BDD

Treatment of body dysmorphic syndrome involves cognitive-behavior therapy which includes education about BDD and its treatment, and specific treatments to deal with faulty thoughts.  In some patients, medications may be needed as well.

International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) has done a nice work on its website.  The organization that is the most prestigious organization for hair restoration surgery has challenges people for the differentiating a transplanted hair to a natural head of hair without any hair restoration surgery done.

The site requires you to take a survey to see if you can detect which of the people in the photos in the site have had a hair transplant and to determine how important hair is to you. The survey will only take about 5 minutes to complete. Here is the questionnaire.  By responding to the hair transplant challenge survey you can help to add to the knowledge about hair loss and hair restoration surgery.

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I visited a 30 year old patiet for a hair loss consultation a while back who believed he lost his hair due to having too much sex.  The fact is that most patients attempt to find a reason for rapid loss of hair in the early stages.  Thas is often the same age that they are most active sexualy.  The combination of the two may convince them that they may have lost their hair due to having too much sex in those years.

These people are not the only balding peole who try to find an environmental situation and blame it for their genetic balding problem.  Many people blame their partner, bad relations, stressful situations and other significant events in their lives for their hair loss.  The reality is that gene, sex and time are the only major contributors to male or female patterned hair loss and environmental factors only may accelerate the presentation of the hair loss.  Normal people without balding gene may lose hair for different reason, namely stressful conditions, but the hair always grow back when stressor is gone.   This is not the case for people who have the gene of hair loss that may never grow their back what they lost after losing it due to stressors.

Q:

Hey Doctor Mohebi,

I was wondering, I’m thinking about getting a hair transplant, but I’m afraid of telling my future wife and female friends that I’ve had a hair restoration. I know men may not care that much, but if I’m dating someone and eventually I tell them I’ve gotten a hair transplant, I fear that they may get turned off.

I kind of look at it like plastic surgery. I know when I meet women who has undergone a nose job, I kind of feel strange about it and think maybe that person was not happy with their looks.
To be honest, it  turns me off.

So, my question is: from your experience with patients, do they keep it a secret from others or do they not mind telling people?

A:

Today, we have capabilities we did not have 50 years ago. As a young soccer lover, I used to have the disadvantage of wearing glasses.  It was very difficult for me to stay competitive in succer team without wearing my glasses.  Every now and then, I use contact lenses to be able to put aside my glasses. I am planning to get a LASIK procedure for that as well.

If I undergo a LASIK procedure, does it make me an insecure person. Not at all. I call it using all your resources to look your best.

We do have technology that we did not have 10 years ago. I say: why not use it? A lot of people are doing it, and nobody cares if these peoples’ hair is native hair or transplanted. The point: they are not bald any more and they can be as competitive as their non bald rivals in life.

One time, I met a very beautiful woman at a party and I ended up having a conversation with her.  When I told her I do hair transplants, she told me a story about someone who proposed to her and she rejected him. She said the man was bald. But I’m not saying because he was bald that he got rejected, but because he did not do anything about it. I know the argument can be made that what the woman did is sad and superficial but, hey, looks do play a part in initial courtship, whether we would like to admit it or not. And it was her prerogative to make that decision.

My point is: Be yourself and do whatever makes your heart happy. No matter what you do with your life, there are going to be people who may not like it. It should not influence your decisions.

Q:

Hiya Doc,

I’ve read in a book on hair loss that mentioned, in certain circumstances, hair loss can be caused by emotional or mental stress. I’ve started to lose a bit of hair, but I’m really hoping it’s only temporary, as I don’t think I have genetic hair loss because my two older brothers seem to be doing OK.

How common is it for hair loss to be caused by emotional distress?

Thanks,

A:

Many hair loss patients who come to me for their initial hair loss evaluation associate the beginning of their hair loss to some stressful event in their lives. Many say they notice hair loss when they moved to another city or different country, got divorced or had significant problems at work or in their personal lives. Usually, they are right as these types of evens can accelerate hair loss.

However, hair loss would not happen to these same people if they were not genetically predisposed to balding. In other words, at age 30 and after, we may have the hair loss gene which is supposed to cause balding. At age 30 or after, if we are involved in a stressful situation, an emotional traumatic event, or major surgical procedure, it can accelerate the hair loss process. So the loss expected to be seen in 10 years could come around sooner.

Stress, trauma, or major surgeries may cause hair loss in people who are not supposed to lose hair, but the condition is temporary and the lost hair will grow back after the passing of the stressful condition, or treatment of the medical condition.

In these cases, patients have a condition called telogen effluvium in which, due to stress, a significant number of hair follicles go to sleep. Remember: patients do not lose those follicles permanently and the follicles can produce new hairs in just a few weeks.

My recommendation for you is to see a hair specialist and get your hair miniaturization mapped by microscope; this way the doctor can tell you whether or not you are experiencing an early stage of patterned baldness or that you have lost your hair due to stress.

If your baldness has just begun, medication may help you. If you are experiencing telogen effluvium without being predisposed to pattern baldness, you only need to wait and your hair will grow back in a couple of weeks.

One time, a friend told me he was at a diversity conference and there was a man who came up to the podium to speak. He asked the audience, “what is the first thing you notice about me?” Someone yelled out, “BALDIE!” And subsequent laughter ensued (being an African American, it turned out he was hoping someone would say, “you’re black”).

Although the remark was taken as a joke, it’s unfortunate many people in our society notice physical appearances before anything else. There’s no shame whatsoever in losing one’s hair. The reality is that it’s not that person’s fault. It’s their genetic coding.

For those losing hair, there’s a socially acceptable solution: A hair transplant. Hair transplants have done wonders for all types of people, from big-name actors to prominent television sports anchors. It boosts self-confidence, makes a person feel less conspicuous in social settings, and may even increase the chance of a person landing a first date or better someone’s job prospects.

Hair transplants at US Hair Restoration are all-natural. Take a look at our hair transplant before and after photo gallery.  In a way, a hair restoration can restore your youth and help you feel at ease around people you’re meeting for the first time, making the experience of life better and more rewarding.

Much like narrowing a gap between teeth by getting braces, or correcting one’s near-sightedness by lasik eye surgery, a hair restoration can be a wonderful option for those who believe they may benefit from it.