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!

Q:

Hello. I am considering getting a hair transplant and had some questions for you. I am 27 years old and began losing hair around age 21 immediately after using the drug accutane. I was on a very high dose and took more than the recommended amount during those couple weeks because I thought I would get better results. Within 3-4 weeks of starting the medication I lost an incredible amount hair. After losing the hair I read online that hair loss is a possible side effect of accutane and stopped taking it immediately . My hair went from being as thick as possible (my barber would using special thinning scissors because it was so thick) to being able to see my scalp within a month. The hair loss started in a diffuse pattern about 1-2 inches above my hairline and initially the affected area was about the size of my hand. Over the next 6-12 months I lost a ton of hair and was probably shedding a couple hundred hairs a day. I also had a burning sensation on my head for several weeks after I stopped using the medication. The shedding gradually slowed down over time but the hair I lost did not regrow.

A:

Many medications like Accutane may have hair loss as one of their side effects.  If your hair loss was only because of the use of this medication, it should have been improved after stopping it.  You  started losing your hair at the time that most people show early signs of Male Patterned Baldness (MPB).  Being on Accutane may have accelerated the pattern that you were supposed to develop, but probably was not the only reason for your hair loss.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a type of local hair loss due to autoimmune reaction of the patient’s body against hair follicles.  Alopecia Areata generally presents as circular coin shape hair loss lesions, but it can progress to involve larger areas of the scalp (Alopecia Capitis) or even the entire body (Alopecia Universalis).

Several treatment options are recommended for inducing hair growth for treatment of alopecia areata. Some patients may recover spontaneously over a period of time; because of this patients should be evaluated and selected carefully.  It is important that the options to forgo treatment are reviewed with the patients, as well as discussing the high failure rate of all the various options available.

Most people who have hair loss on the hair line prefer to treat this condition more aggressively with a variety of medications.  The chance of spontaneous recovery appears to be more in patients who have smaller and fewer hair loss paths.

• Topical Steroids

Topical steroids for treatment of AA has been widely used with little evidence of success.  They are easy to use and more affordable to many patients. However, the current lack of evidentiary success does not make this a valuable recommendation for patients.

• Local Injection of Steroids

Infiltration of long acting corticosteroids into the AA lesions has been studied with some degree of success.  Patients with smaller lesions of alopecia areata may respond better to local steroid injections.

This type of local injections of steroids is most desirable for limited lesions of cosmetically sensitive areas like hair lines and eyebrows.  The most common used medication is Triamcinolone acetonide (5-10 mg/mL).

• Systemic Steroids

Systemic treatment with steroids may stimulate hair regrowth in a limited number of patients.   Continued use of steroids is generally needed in most of these patients to maintain the level of hair growth.  Pros and cons of long term use of steroids should be discussed with these patients before initiating systemic steroid therapy.

• Topical immunotherapy

Topical immunotherapy utilizing allergens has been studied and proven to have some success in patients. The protocol for contact immunotherapy using DPCP has been recommended. Continued use of DPCP is needed to keep the skin irritated for a long time.  The inflammation seems to be able to change the progress of immune reaction that causes hair loss in alopecia areata.

Treatment should be discontinued only after full regrowth is apparent.  This can take an indeterminate length of time, and during this period patients may have to tolerate inflammation of the skin.  A high rate of relapse after discontinuation of treatment makes this option less desirable for most hair specialists.

• Other treatments of alopecia areata

Other medical treatments such as phototherapy, photochemotherapy, minoxidil and dithranol  have shown limited improvements.  Finally patients with extensive stages of hair loss with no response to treatment options may use wigs or hair systems.  That is more desirable for many women with extensive hair loss due to alopecia areata that are having zero to minimal response from any other treatments.

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!

Here is our recent instructional Scalp Exercise Video which is to be done at home prior to a Hair Restoration

It is very important to do these scalp exercises prior to a hair restoration procedure as it increases the laxity needed for the Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) strip method. When the skin laxity on the back of the head is increased, the size of the donor strip is also increased and more hair grafts can be transplanted in one surgery as well as receive minimal scar results. This pre-operational exercise has helped to move the hair restoration industry forward into having larger one-time procedures which has helped to save time and money for both the patients and physicians. Taking the necessary time to properly do these will help to bring about the best possible results.

US Hair Restoration is excited to begin 2012 with a new Webinar series that allows for patients and curious onlookers to connect with Dr. Mohebi personally and ask their hair loss questions first hand. Each webinar will focus on different topics from “why balding happens” to “Breakthrough technology in Hair Restoration.” Each webinar will be equipped with a meet and greet, informative interactive conversation such as hair loss, hair restoration, latest techniques of hair restoration, etc. with Parsa Mohebi, MD. There will also be time for question and answers which may include special incentives for those who are interested in a hair loss consultation and hair transplantation.

Webinars are a growing craze which give a personal touch from the presenter to the audience. More and more corporations and special interest groups are connecting from several places around the world to one central location through this readily available medium. We at US Hair Restoration are excited to have this time to answer the many different questions given by people wanting to know more about the art and science of hair restoration, as well as those wanting simply to know “what do I get out of it?”

There are constant hair loss and hair restoration questions coming to US Hair Restoration that get answered over the phone, email, or have a blog written about them. Still, many feel they don’t have answers readily available for their questions. This hair restoration webinar series will give place for those questions to be answered in an open forum where Dr. Mohebi is available to answer all the questions himself. This is a great way to start the New Year off with an innovative, more personal way to connect to individuals.

We are excited to expand the ways we can stay in touch with everyone in our first webinar on January 9th, 2012 at 6 PM Pacific Standard Time. To sign up please send us an email to webinar@ushairrestoration.com or call us at (888) 302-8747. Space is limited and on a first come, first serve basis. Have a great week and see you on January 9th!

The modern hair restoration surgery is still a fairly novel procedure in the world of cosmetic surgery even though it helps to retain a youthful appearance. Among the few known hair transplant practices around, there is great competition to appeal to the many patients who come each year to seek advice for their hair thinning and balding. The question in the back of many minds is “who is the best hair transplant company?” Or “how one should find the best hair transplant company?”

Although we at US Hair Restoration take pride in meeting the needs of all our patients, it’s our aspiration to provide the best hair transplant in Los Angeles, as well as to be one of the first choices for hair transplantation in the USA. Yet we want all who inquire about hair restoration to make an informed decision and be satisfied, even if they choose to see a different surgeon.

Reviewing all available information about a Hair Restoration practice is very important in order to make a fully informed decision. The questions to ask oneself should be, what are the doctor’s surgical technique expertise, experience, training, compassion, and results? Do these results show true value for the cost of a hair transplant? Do they place a high standard on honesty and integrity? These are all questions which will help navigate through the different options available to make a satisfied group of patients throughout the process of their hair transplantation.

Giving the fact that hair transplant has been rapidly growing in last few years, it is good to know whether or not the hair transplant surgeon you chose is involved in any studies, innovations and improvement of the field of hair restoration.  Being on the cutting edge of the industry is critical in an evolving scientific field which sets its aim of constantly improving in quality.

Finally you need to meet your doctor and interact with him or her.  Hair transplantation is a long process and it is important that you feel comfortable with the doctor before you proceed.  Make sure you have the proper questions during your consultation and that you don’t leave the doctor’s office before all the questions are answered.  At the end of the day you need to understand the results of a hair transplantation stay with you for the rest of your life. Take your time and find the best hair transplant surgeon for you.

Laxometer II

Often times we receive inquiries at US Hair Restoration about the latest hair transplant technology, and we feel obligated to spread the news about the latest hair transplant technology.  We are excited about the new generation of Laxometer, the newest hair transplant device invented by Dr. Parsa Mohebi. The Laxometer II is a handheld device which revolutionizes the art and science of hair restoration. Being in the growing sector of the cosmetic surgery arena, progressive updates on hair transplant new technology is critical.

Applications

The revolutionary Laxometer II increases the number of hair grafts which can safely and precisely be transplanted in one surgery. A hair transplant of more than 3500 hair grafts once upon a time took two or more surgeries to complete, but with this latest technology in hair transplantation, it can be done in only one procedure.

The Laxometer II, the new technology in the hair transplant industry, is basically a measuring device which is used to calculate the laxity of one’s scalp. An accurate measurement of scalp laxity is critical when determining how large the donor strip can be. This latest breakthrough hair transplant technology gives a precise measurement which can be increased as a result of patients actively doing daily scalp exercises. The larger the available strip, the more grafts can be made available for transplantation.

At the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s 19th Annual Scientific meeting in Alaska in September 2011, Dr. Mohebi unveiled his new invention for purchase to all hair transplant surgeons. This latest technology in hair transplant surgery was welcomed with anticipation and applause as it will help to continue the industry progressing forward.

Here is a video demostration of the Laxometer work: Laxometer Instructional Video