Hair Restoration Blog

Innovation in Chronic Wound Healing

A new study on hair transplant in chronic wound healing brings new hope for many patients who suffer from non-healing or delayed healing wounds.  The study was conducted by my friend Dr. Francisco Jiménez in Spain. In this research, Dr. Jiménez and his colleague evaluate the effect of hair transplant grafts on improved healing of chronic wounds.

Area reduction in experimental group (black line) that received hair transplant into their ulcers vs. the control group (red line)

The study is based on the fact that epidermal sheets from the hair follicle may help in re-epithelialization of the wound bed.  The investigators reported that healing of chronic wounds progresses faster in skin where healthy hair follicles exist.

This may be explained by the fact that hair follicles are full of progenitor cells (cells that can transform to other types).  In this study 10 patients with chronic wounds (ulcers) of about 36 cm².  Most wounds were present without complete healing for about 10 years. The researchers implanted 20 hair grafts in an area of 2×2 centimeter.  They also used a similar square of non grafted area as control.

After evaluation of the wound in those two areas it was readily apparent that the area receiving hair implants healed much faster at the 18-week end point.  In this particular case the transplanted area of wound (ulcer) healed significantly better than non transplanted area (27.1% vs. 6.5% ulcer area reduction).  The maximum healing has been noted to be 33.5% vs. 9.7% (transplanted vs. control group) reduction at week four.  In further microscopic evaluation, the investigators noted an increase in several wound healing elements such as epithelialization, neovascularization, and dermal reorganization.

This study demonstrates the amazing role of hair follicle grafting into wound that do not heal normally due to a variety of different causes.  The process of transplanting the wound with hair grafts can be done as an outpatient procedure. This new procedure could improve the life style of many people while reducing the financial burden of treating chronic wounds for the society.

Reference:

Jiménez F et al. A pilot clinical study of hair grafting in chronic leg ulcers, Wound Repair Regen. 2012 Nov-Dec;20(6):806-14

Q:

Dear Dr. Mohebi,

I have a question regarding the FUT hair transplant process. Will the white hairs separated from the strip of scalp be used for hair transplant too? As I have some white hairs at the back of my head.

Thanks a lot.

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A:

Good question. We generally don’t discriminate between black and white. Every hair will be used. However, we can decide to use more of grafts with black hair on one area rather than others. We usually discuss these factors before a hair transplant and will definitely consider individual styling preferences when planning for a hair transplantation.

Hair Transplant Price for spring special is now available at US Hair Restoration offices in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles (Encino), and Orange County. The spring promotion for hair transplantation include 28% discount off the cost of hair restorations on standby basis.

*The standby program is for people who can be flexible with their time and can stay on a waiting list until we have an opening for them.
**We still offer 0% financing for 18 months for approved credits. The patients who use our 0% interest financing can only receive 20% discount off the cost of hair transplantation when they use standby rates of hair transplants.

For more information on hair transplant cost and other options such as group discount and travel reimbursements please visit hair transplant cost in our website.

US Hair Restoration Management,

Los Angeles Hair Transplant Centers of US Hair Restoration and their services are reviewed by Dr. Mohebi in this video.

Q: Hello Dr. Mohebi, I had a strip procedure a month back for 1500 FUs on the front/middle section of head. While I wait for this results, I was thinking if I can have a FUE procedure for crown and hairline enhancement, so that my recovery will be well utilized. I may be wrong. Could you provide your recommendation/suggestion? Thanks. A: In short the answer to your question is yes.  However, there are some qualifying factors and conditions for this consideration. When performing a ‘Strip Method’ FUT surgery it is possible to also perform and ‘FUE’ follicular unit transplant immediately following the first surgery. Actually the two types of procedures can be performed in the same session; as long as the FUE grafts are being placed in different recipient areas.. If you need to restore hair in the same recipient area as a previous hair transplants procedure, then I recommend a minimum wait of 5-6 month from the first hair transplant procedure. The reason for this is that we need to see outgrowth of hair from the first procedure. The visibility of the new hairs allows us to be able to place new hair in between them and to avoid placing a new hair graft on top of the old ones.

Innovation in Hair Loss

Hair loss continues to be one of the leading medical cosmetic concerns among men and to a lesser degree for women. Modern hair transplant is a proven natural solution and continues to benefit many people. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is growing in popularity and can offer a unique solution to some individuals with limited donor hair.

Many men today are opting for shaved or ‘military type hair styles where the entire scalp and hairline frames the face with closely cropped ‘stubble’ hair. A person with limited donor hair can be a prime candidate for this safe and less invasive hair transplant procedure.

Hair Transplant Surgeon Can Combine both Techniques

Skilled hair restoration surgeons can take individual follicular units (FUs) and create the maximum balanced coverage over the scalp. They can then create further ‘look of density’ by simulating hair stubble with scalp micro-pigmentation (SMP).

SMP is a procedure where special surgical needles are used to inject dermal pigments into the scalp or other areas such as eyebrows into the skin. The color of pigment selected is close to that of the patient’s hair resulting in a cosmetic hair shadow. SMP is a safe and very non invasive procedure.

Combining FUE and SMP to resolve the challenge of hair loss for people with little alternatives and represents an advancement in modern hair restoration. This solution is not for everyone but is a welcome choice for some people who previously had limited alternatives to resolve their hair loss problem.

Q:

Dr. Mohebi,

Is it still possible to do the procedure on standby to save on the cost of hair transplant? That’s what I did the last time and my schedule is flexible, so that would be my preference if possible.

A:

Yes, being put on the standby list is completely doable. That saves a lot of money for you on your hair transplant costs if you have a flexible schedule. The standby rates has made our hair restorations very affordable this season. You must first check with our staff at US Hair Restoration to notify them on when you would like to have your hair transplant. Although standby rates are subject to change, you will always receive 10% off the cost of your hair transplant since you had a procedure done with us in the past.

Please check our website for more on the costs of hair transplantation.

Q:

I had a hair transplant in past and planning to have another one. Part of the scar from the first procedure is often visible on the right side of the back of my head even when my hair is pretty long. It’s just a small section, but during the second procedure would it be possible to minimize its visibility further by transplanting a small amount of hair into that area (not sure if this is safe or not if the grafts are being removed from a nearby area) or through other means?

Stretched Hair Transplant Scar

A:

In order to minimize the visibility, we will do a double-edge trichophytic closure on the donor scar. We generally have more flexibility with our trichophytic closure during the second procedure due to the fact that we now know how aggressive we should be in bringing hair into the scar. The second time around, we know how your body scars and can anticipate what kind of stretching will occur. Going further, in the future we can place hair into the scar if needed with filling the scar with FUE transplant or even use SMP (scalp micropigmentation), which will minimize the visibility of the scar by placing pigments in it. Everything discussed above will be addressed in the future if necessary.  Whether to use FUE or SMP to minimize the visibility of hair transplant scar is discussed in another blog post.

Q:

After the last procedure I started using Toppik to provide the illusion of greater density. After having the second procedure it will appear strange if I am not using it suddenly. I know I won’t be able to use it for the first two weeks, but will it be safe to use after that?

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A:

After the first week following your hair transplant procedure, your recipient and donor incisions are mostly healed. This means you can use any topical products, including Toppik, if you choose to.

For more information you can see our page about after a hair transplant and all Dos and Don’ts after a hair restoration procedure.

Celebrity FUE Transplant offered at US Hair Restoration is a type of FUE transplant in which we remove hair units individually without the need to shave the entire back of head and transplant them one at a time. This outpatient procedure that takes not more than 3-4 hours allow the person to maintain his/her hair look with no obvious sign of surgery. The process is more gradual because we limit the number of grafts to four to five hundred at a time. That is exactly what most celebrities prefer and choose. They enjoy the benefit of a gradual transformation with minimal interruption to their eventful lives.

What Non-Shaved FUE Procedure Can Offer?

1. No down time
2. No shaving
3. Minimal pain and discomfort

Of course this new approach is not limited to celebrities only. It is for anyone who wants to enjoy the benefit of a healthy head of hair with minimal downtime. Whether you opt for a single procedure or our unique Celebrity FUE Hair Transplant we are certain you will like the new you after our hair restoration procedures.