1. Question: What is hair transplantation or hair restoration surgery?

Answer: Hair transplantation is the same thing as hair restoration surgery. It is a minor, outpatient surgical procedure, that takes from 4 to 8 hours depending on the number of grafts (usually 1000 to 3500 grafts) that are transplanted. Much of the time the patient is merely sitting watching movies while the technicians cut and prepare the grafts using a microscope. It involves transplanting grafts of hair follicles that will grow and remain with the patient for the rest of his life. These transplanted grafts are surgically donated by the patient’s own permanent hair area (the sides above and behind the ears, and the back of the head area of the scalp. The hair transplant surgeon doesn’t give the patient any new hair. He re-arranges the patient’s hair, filling in the thin sparse areas, giving the patient an amazing illusion of more hair!

2. Question: Does the doctor use “plug” transplants?

Answer: No. The plug transplant method was done in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. The plugs were large tuffs of hair, 10 – 30 hairs per tuff. Today the state of the art allows the doctor to use follicular unit grafts that consists of 1 to 4 hairs per graft. The follicular unit graft method gives the patient a natural look and the transplantation is undetectable.

3. Question: Why doesn’t transplanted hair fall out?

Answer: The hairs surgically taken from the patient’s permanent donor area (sides and back of scalp) are genetically programmed not to fall out. The hair in the patient’s thinning area (usually the front, mid-scalp, and crown area) is generally genetically programmed to be somewhat prone to fall out as the individual gets older.

4. Question: Is a hair transplant painful and what about the anesthesia? 

Answer: Dr. Halby and other transplant doctors that are up to date in their technique provide a pain-free experience. The doctor numbs the scalp during surgery and generally gives the patient a mild sedative. Usually the patient watches movies (DVD) during the surgery.

5. Question: Will the patient miss time from his job after surgery?

Answer:  Most patients will be able to return to work in 1-2 days after surgery.  For appearance sake the patient may choose to take a few extra days off work.  Dr. Halby generally doesn't shave the surrounding hair and therefore the patient can in many cases comb his hair in such a manner to conceal the recent hair transplant.

6. Question: Can I exercise after surgery?

Answer: Patients are not to do strenuous exercise, being careful with their new grafts for 3-4 days after surgery. Patients are to avoid lifting heavy weights for 1 week.

7.  Question:  Why do women lose hair?

Answer:  The typical pattern of female pattern baldness is not the same as that of male pattern baldness.  In Women the hair is usually thin over the entire head, although the frontal hairline is usually preserved.  Moderate hair loss of the crown may occur in women, but only rarely does it go totally bald as it frequently does in men. 

Some of the common causes of female hair loss are:

a) Hypothyroidism - low thyroid hormone may cause thinning and/or patchy hair loss. 

b) Telogen effluvium - there is shedding of hair involving the whole scalp.  This may be chronic, but on the other hand it could be acute following stress to the body such as high fever, starvation, blood loss, etc. 

c)  Pregnancy, hormonal changes, and low estrogen (a hormone that counteracts the balding effect of testosterone) 

d)  Alopecia areata - a disease of unknown cause that comes and goes repeatedly and results in a patchy loss of hair to the scalp and/or eyebrow. 

e)  Loose anagen syndrome - a condition that causes shedding of hair before the hair's normal growth cydcle is completed. 

f)  Trichotillomania - a condition whereby the individual compulsively plucks his own hair resulting in permanent loss of hair.        

g)  Excessive harsh chemical hair styling 

h)  Androgenetic alopecia - diffuse hereditary pattern hair loss          

 i)  Traction alopecia - sometimes caused by repeated tight braiding 

j)  Aging

8.  Does Rogaine (minoxidil) help with hair loss?

Answer:  Rogaine may help somewhat for some people (men or women).  Only a 6-12 month trial will tell if it will help you.

9.  Does Propecia help?

Answer:  Propecia may help somewhat for some men.  Only a 6-12 month trial will tell if it will help you.  Propecia is not FDA approved for use in women.  Women of childbearing age should not take it because there has been some cases of associated birth defects in the male fetus.