Hair Restoration Blog

The New Year has been favorable to US Hair Restoration as many have already come for hair transplantations and many more come to see if they can receive one. The first step for each individual is to receive their thorough hair loss consultation where they receive a full microscopic evaluation and determine their current state of hair loss, as well as patterns for future baldness.

Medical Director, Parsa Mohebi MD, is making the consultation process even easier by soon opening a Bakersfield Consultation office where patients in the Central California area, will receive an expert opinion with greater convenience and financial ease. This new office is scheduled to be opened in March 2012 and will utilize the newest technology in hair restoration communications.

We are excited to have the opportunity to join the Bakersfield family and more conveniently serve the residents of Bakersfield, Lancaster, Visalia, and Fresno.

As with all New Year’s celebrations come new resolutions for the next year to be the best one yet! In spite of the predictions for the world to end according to the Mayan calendar, we at US Hair Restoration plan to be here long after 2012, and have developed some very exciting plans for the future.

The most exciting news for the turn of the New Year is our expansion to the two new hair loss treatment offices in Santa Barbara and Bakersfield  . We will have these brand new locations, which will utilize our newest hair transplant technology through the expansion and use of our new assisted telemedicine system.

There has been a growing trend for hair transplantations throughout the world as per ISHRS newly released stats, and we have noticed many of our patients commute from Bakersfield and Santa Barbara. It is our aim to ease the pressures which come from the time and resources needed to travel and thus, we will meet our patients where they are.

Our Santa Barbara Hair Transplant Office serves the city of Santa Barbara, Ventura County, Oxnard and northern cities of San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria. Our Bakersfield Hair Loss Office can serve residents of Bakersfield, Lancaster, Visalia, and Fresno.

We are excited for this new venture and look forward to all that comes in 2012 and beyond!

Q:

It seems to me that successful outcomes can, to a substantial degree, rely on the technicians handling the hair follicles. How do you measure your technicians skills?

A:

We have a great quality control system at US Hair Restoration in which every technician is monitored during cutting and placing.  We also have surveillance cameras in the OR to record the entire procedure for quality control.  We hire only highly qualified hair transplant technicians.  We still need to provide some special training to assure they can function according to US Hair Restoration standards.  We hold regular educational meeting for hair transplant techs to keep them all up to date on current procedures as well as US Hair Restoration quality expectations.

Check this post on my blog:  US Hair Restoration – Hiring Qualified Hair Transplant Technicians for more information on quality of hair transplant technicians.

Below are some responses to a few basic questions we received from a patient online:

How many grafts/hairs would I require for a good restoration? Could you please point to some examples.

Although for most cases with only frontal hair loss we recommend 1500-2000 grafts on average, your personal recommendation can be above or below that number depending on your eligibility, extent of balding area, history, donor density and scalp laxity.

An example of a female who received 1609 grafts with us can be seen here: http://www.ushairrestoration.com/hairrestorationbeforeaftergallery-view.php?album=93

What is the cost for hair transplants (including everything – procedural cost, fees, everything)? I understand you will not be in a position to get me the exact figures without a personal meeting but I need to have some rough idea to estimate my costs.

A hair transplant procedure performed at US Hair Restoration is calculated based on the number of grafts recommended to you. To determine what is recommended for your specific case, we recommend attending a free consultation with Dr. Parsa Mohebi at your earliest convenience. To view additional information on our general hair transplant costs please visit our hair transplant cost page.

There are times that US Hair Restoration offers Standby Rate discounts available to those with flexible schedules for booking the procedure.  Our stand-by option can offer you an additional discount (for discount rates and availability of this option please call 1-888-302-8747). You can also use our financing option in addition to that for your hair restoration.

Can the whole procedure be done in one sitting?

Yes. Overall, most hair restoration procedures performed by at US Hair Restoration will be completed in one day.  Occasionally patients may need more density that is not possible to create in one session or they have extensive hair loss that requires more than one hair transplant session.

Does FUE still have shock loss risks?
Yes, regardless of the technique of harvesting hair we recommend some sort of medication to prevent shock loss after hair transplant surgery.

In regards to your in-depth questions on exact number of grafts, donor hair growth, care after hair transplant, etc:
I recommend calling to schedule a free 30-60 minute consultation in which we can explain more detailed information to you personally and recommend an accurate number of grafts for your specific case.

Hi everyone,

I had a somewhat funny call to me the other day from a past patient of mine and wanted to share his experience with this blog. Although we, at US Hair Restoration, are known worldwide for our quality results and affordable prices, there are some downsides to the remarkable effects that your hair restoration may bring you without prior notice.

One of our patients called over to our office the other day laughing and telling our front desk receptionist that his passport photo looks NOTHING like him. He was traveling out of the country the following day when he had glanced at his photo and realized that the previously taken photo in no way resembled his current image. He called to request that I write a general letter confirming his procedure in the event that there were any discrepancies in his change of appearance.

We would like to apologize in advance for any unexpected changes in your appearance that may make you look years younger or like a different person following your hair transplant procedure. We are 100% proud of our patient results and happy to hear that if nothing else, these are the only few negative aspects of a hair transplantation with US Hair Restoration. We thank our patient for the great laugh and hope that he made it through customs without a hitch!

Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) is a hair loss condition in which hair thinning is seen diffusely throughout the scalp.  In DUPA, there is no a reserved area with good quality hair even on the areas of the back and side which are typically designated as the donor area in hair transplant patients.

A microscopic evaluation of the scalp generally shows significant miniaturization (fineness) of scalp hair diffusely.  DUPA can be seen in both men and women but its female type may at times be mistaken with typical female patterned baldness due to its close similarities.

A thorough medical evaluation with supporting lab work to rule out other causes of diffuse hair loss is always warranted before determining eligibility for a hair restoration procedure.  Hair transplantation is generally not a good option for people who have DUPA due to instability of the scalp hair on the back and side areas of the scalp.  Many people who have DUPA may suffer from other medical conditions that cause hair loss such as Iron Deficiency, thyroid or other hormonal imbalances or autoimmune disorders.  Medical treatment such as minoxidil in women and finasteride in men could be helpful in treatment of this condition.

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.

Hair Care Beverly Hills interview with Dr. Parsa Mohebi

Below is the second interview of Hair Care Beverly Hills with Dr. Parsa Mohebi.  Dr. Mohebi is the medical director of US Hair Restoration hair transplant centers in Southern California with offices in Encino, Beverly Hills, Orange County and San Diego.  Dr. Mohebi is the author of Hair Restoration Blog.  He also responds to the questions of many other resources of hair loss and hair restoration.  Her is his recent interview of him by Hair Care Beverly Hills for BuzyMoms.com.

• If a client has already had a transplant with another hair transplant doctor and is disappointed with the hair restoration results, can the procedure be redone?

Yes, hair transplant repairs are a good portion of our hair transplant surgeries performed in our Southern California offices (located in Beverly Hills, Encino and Orange County). Many people may have unnatural results from previous hair transplants due to the older techniques such as plug surgery, but some may even have problems with recent hair restoration procedures due to technical issues or lack of proper judgment on the part of the hair transplant surgeon. In most situations, the repair is easy and can be done in one or two sessions.

• Is there a minimum age for hair transplant surgery?

It was not unusual that a Hair transplant surgeon discourage a person younger than 24 for a hair restoration surgery.  However, nowadays microscopic techniques being used to evaluate the miniaturization of susceptible hair can assist surgeons in predicting the final pattern of hair loss. By being able to predict each patient’ s final balding stages, we are able to see where the pattern of baldness is heading and based on that recommend hair transplant surgery at an earlier age.

• Won’ t my bare scalp be showing in the back of my head once the donor hair is taken?

If you do not plan on shaving your hair after your hair transplant surgery, your donor wound will never be visible. However, if you plan on shaving your head for any reason, you may choose to have a FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction procedure done rather than the general FUT procedure through removing a strip from the donor area. FUE transplant eliminates the visibility of a linear scar on the back of your head and is the best option for patients who plan on shaving their head or keeping their hair very short in the future.

• Do you provide free consultations?

Yes, the initial consultation with me (Dr. Parsa Mohebi) is always free in any of our Southern California hair transplant offices in Beverly Hills, Encino and Orange County and San Diego.

• What type of information should be brought to the consultation?

Anything related to your hair loss and hair restoration, including family history of hair loss, other medical conditions that may have been attributed to ones hair loss, medical, surgical or even cosmetic changes that you like and may help you have a better result after a hair restoration procedure.

Discount for FUE Transplant – Limited Only for Study Participants

As a leader in hair restoration, US Hair Restoration is now conducting a study on different methods of FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) hair transplantation in its Southern California offices.  Our main goal of this study is to compare the quality of grafts harvested by the most advanced hair restoration techniques.  Study patients will be entitled to a discount from our standard rates of FUE hair restoration. The study will be going on until the end of July 2010 and the results will be submitted for publication in world-wide medical journals.

Who is a good candidate?

Hair loss patients who does not want to have linear scar on the back of their head might consider this option most probable for their needs.  Also, any candidate should know that the number of grafts available to be harvested in one FUE session might be significantly less than what could be done through a traditional strip method.  Thus, in addition to those who want to avoid scarring, patients who does not need a large number of grafts for their hair restoration may also be relatively better candidates.  FUE could be used for treatment of male patterned hair loss with class III and IV, eyebrow hair transplants, or to restore the linear scar from a previous strip procedure. Applicants can call the US Hair Restoration office at 1 (800) 302-8747 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Mohebi.  If you are still unsure whether or not FUE is the right procedure for you, please read our website and in particular the page on Follicular Unit Extraction.

Q:

Dear Doctor,

I am 14 years old and I have hair loss in form of CTTA and my parents agreed to let me get the hair transplant, but will it actually take months for my hair to grow and I need to know how much it cost for the operation please.

A:

Congenital Temporal Triangular Alopecia (CTTA) is a congenital condition that is noted by parents at birth or soon after that.  CTTA could easily be treated with hair transplantation at any age.  At US Hair Restoration, we charge patients with the number of grafts and since patients with CTTA only need a small number of grafts, the cost falls into our minimum charge category. Having said that you need to have a consultation with us so we can confirm the diagnosis and make sure you are a good candidate for a hair transplant surgery.

Transplanted hair will grow in 2 to 3 months after hair restoration surgery and will become even better than that for the following months after that.  Since the location of the transplanted hair is only in the temple areas, it may not show as much since most people can easily comb their hair to cover the hair loss area.

Please feel free to call our office at 1 (888) 302-8747 and schedule your complementary consultation at one of our Southern California offices. If you are contacting from other states, you can send us an inquiry through our website and we contact you to complete your online consultation.
We look forward to seeing you soon.

Dr. Parsa Mohebi

Click blow to see a before and after photo gallery of a patient with Congenital Temporal Triangular Alopecia (CTTA):