• Pregnancy
• Lack of sleep
• Poor diet
• Bad circulation
• Iron deficiency
• Folic acid deficiency
• Stress

However, the leading cause of women’s hair loss is female pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia. This condition is different in women than it is men, largely because it lacks the prevalent genetic factor, and also because it’s a byproduct of the natural aging process—a culmination of hormonal changes.

Rogaine For Women’s Hair Restoration

Photo courtesy of www.soap.com

The next quandary to typically follow suit after a female pattern baldness diagnosis is: what’s the cure? Hair transplantation is as viable and permanent an option for women as it is for men. However, for those seeking non-surgical hair restoration, the male-female equilibrium of options changes. The two FDA-approved non-surgical hair loss treatments are:

• Finasteride (Propecia)
• Minoxidil (Rogaine)

Propecia is contraindicated in women and, therefore, off limits. But Rogaine is okay for female hair restoration. The women’s formula lining the shelves of your local pharmacy comes with a 2% concentration of minoxidil, while the men’s formula contains five percent. However, there are some cases for which a doctor may even recommend that his/her female patient use the 5% dose. Every person is different. If you are suffering severe female hair loss, unsure whether or not to try the higher dosage, check in with your physician or a hair loss specialist.

Rogaine may have side effects, especially in higher concentrations of minoxidil. This may include:

• Scalp itching
• Scalp irritation
• Facial hair growth

This excessive degree of hair loss called for the use of non-head hair. Thus, Dr. Umar transplanted used FUE hair transplant to move 8,000 grafts from the patient’s beard (and some from donor areas on the head) to the recipient site. One year later, the results showed great yield, so the patient returned to Dr. Umar for even more density. This second FUE hair transplant added 4,000 grafts to the patient’s balding area.

The results of this update come six months post-second surgery. Photos have been supplied directly from the patient.

Check out the video of this patient post-first surgery.

AKN starts out appearing as small razor bumps and grows into keloid-like plaques. These masses cause permanent scarring and hair loss in the area affected. Surgical excision is the only cure for acne keloidalis nuchae.

After having the condition surgically removed once before, this patient’s AKN returned, in addition to surgical scars. He consulted Dr. Umar for a second surgery, hoping to get rid of the lumps and the scarring permanently. Five months after this second procedure, the excision is proving successful, with minimized scarring. The patient says that his wound has mended quickly and keeps improving.

Watch the video of this patient’s acne keloidalis nuchae before and after results.

It starts out looking like small razor bumps on the back of the head or nape of the neck and develops into keloid-like masses. These tumescent plaques cause permanent loss of hair and scarring in the affected area. The only way to effectively get rid of AKN is through surgical excision.

This patient suffered with acne keloidalis nuchae and had it surgically removed, but it returned, with surgical scarring to boot. The patient decided to see if Dr. Umar could rid him of the condition and scarring with a second surgery. Five months after the procedure with Dr. Umar, the results are promising. The patient reports that his wound healed quickly and the scar is now minimal in comparison to before.

In this way, hair loss is yet crueler than we tend to realize. We think, Yes! Hair transplant is the permanent solution! And while it is, it comes with certain prerequisites. The biggest catch is that, even though hair loss has started, that does not mean it’s finished. A hair transplant restores lost hair, but it can’t keep future hair from falling out.

What Happens When Hair Transplant Is Done Too Early?

Many have gone after this wonderful solution too early. And as male pattern baldness continues to progress, the newly implanted DHT-resistant hair stays in while the hair around it falls out. This creates hairline and temple-point recession preceded by a strange, surviving wall of hair still framing the face.  It creates a “halo” effect at the vertex, with mid-crown density surrounded by a circle of baldness. And while these deformities can now be corrected through follicular unit extraction, or body hair transplant (in extreme cases), they are nonetheless avoidable.

If you don’t want to have to undergo the emotional and financial cost of hair transplant surgery more than once, you must be patient. You must wait until you are at an age where your prospective surgeon can determine where your hair loss is heading and thus decide the best overall implantation design and pattern to suit you.

How Old Is Old Enough?

A younger hair transplant recipient with successful results.

The standard age for hair transplant is no less than 24 years old. Anyone younger is usually not yet a practical candidate. There are always exceptions to the rule, though; every now and then there are particularly young patients with successful long-term results (or who are preemptively willing to undergo a second procedure later). However, on the flip side of this, there are surgeons who require even greater age to qualify, possibly depending on the area of baldness. For example, one surgeon who is recommended on the Hair Transplant Network will not restore crown density on anyone under the age of 35.

If you have begun losing your hair at an early age, you may very well progress to a NW 6 or 7, which could continue developing well into your 30’s. Being the right age for a hair transplant requires the patience and foresight to recognize the dangers of undergoing surgery too early. Plan a free consultation with a known and respected hair restoration surgeon to find out what the right age is for you.

Dr. Umar’s FUE SFET technique restored this patient to a youthful, natural-looking frontal scalp and hairline. By transplanting 2500 head hair grafts and 350 beard hair grafts, Dr. Umar added density to the temple points and hairline, while also refining the hairline with nape hair. The 350 facial hair grafts were implanted strictly on the linear scar to supply sufficient camouflage.

Four years post-hair transplant repair with Dr. Umar, the patient is incredibly happy with his results. The long-term yield of the new hair has surpassed his expectations. Check out the video detailing his FUE hair transplant repair journey.

Dr. Umar’s Use Of Nape Hair

Dr. Umar is a world-leading follicular unit extraction surgeon. He is a recommended surgeon on the widely respected online patient community the Hair Transplant Network, where a member recently raised this very topic. The question was even specifically targeted toward Dr. Umar, as his impressive FUE and use of nape hair is creating a buzz.

It’s no wonder people are inquiring about non-traditional donor sources—who would want to have a hair restoration transplanting nape hair to later find out that the long-term graft survival rate is low? Patients want hair that looks great, and that will last permanently. Dr. Umar’s reply to the online community is reassuring—through his years of practice and experience, he confirms that nape hair is not always DHT susceptible, regardless of its location outside the SDA. In fact, it is more resistant to DHT than hair in the balding areas and is ideal with regard to the artistry of hair restoration. He has transplanted nape hair with lasting success to refine hairlines, and has even used other non-traditional donor sources (such as facial or chest hair, with body hair transplant) for those whose baldness is beyond the correction capabilities of strip harvesting.

Regardless of what a hair transplant surgeon recommends, it is up to the patient to decide if he trusts a non-traditional donor source like nape hair. It is true that the use of non-SDA hair hasn’t been around as long, but Dr. Umar’s results are showing long-term promise.

FUE hairline refinement using nape hair.

The patient decided to trust Dr. Umar’s expertise in advanced follicular unit extraction hair transplant. He made it clear to Dr. Umar that he wanted to add density to the front of his scalp, he wanted his hairline refined, and he wanted the strip scar covered up. Using his signature FUE SFET technique with 2500 head hair grafts and 350 beard hair grafts, Dr. Umar successfully completed the procedure. The 2500 grafts were implanted at the frontal scalp for density, with a concentration of nape hair used to create a soft, gradual hairline. The 350 grafts were used strictly to conceal the patient’s strip scar.

Four years after his second follicular unit extraction hair transplant, the patient is finally satisfied. The long-term graft survival of Dr. Umar’s FUE SFET surpassed his expectations.

Hair transplant cost is heavily influenced by the spectrum of surgeons (and the techniques they practice), ranging from novice to experienced to widely revered. Typically, surgeons are first classified by their specific niche, or the main hair restoration technique they practice. Some niches/techniques are:

• Follicular unit transplantation, also known as strip surgery
• Follicular unit extraction (FUE)
• Eyebrow transplant
• Body hair transplant

Surgeon Training And Technique Affect Hair Transplant Cost

A practitioner who is an expert at FUE may not be greatly experienced with strip surgery. And visa-versa, a surgeon with vast knowledge of strip surgery may know nothing about performing FUE.

Generally speaking, it is safe to say that the more experienced the surgeon, the more hours he has put into training and practice, the more he charges for his service. A novice surgeon will be much cheaper than a greatly practiced one. However, hair transplant cost is also affected by the technique practiced. With FUE requiring longer hours during the procedure, it is a more expensive technique to start with. And since FUE is also the more advanced and intricate technique, a skilled FUE surgeon is the cream of the crop. Thus an advanced FUE surgeon will usually be more expensive than an advanced strip surgeon, even if they are comparably skilled in their respective techniques.

Eyebrow transplant and body hair transplant are niches within FUE that become even more advanced in and of themselves. Thus, they naturally require a higher skill level on the part of the surgeon.

Why The Most Expensive Surgeon Is Not Always The Best

Unfortunately, there are other things to be considered in regard to carefully selecting the most qualified surgeon with cost in mind. It is imperative that a prospective patient not fall into the time-tested psychology that more expensive equals better. Because, with hair transplant surgeons, that is not so. The most expensive surgeon does not always translate to the best quality work. Some clinics inflate their fees simply because of high operating costs, advertisement, location (rent), etc.

The best way of knowing whether you’re really getting what you pay for is to observe the clinic’s photo or video documentation of previous work. Videos are especially valuable in evidencing combs-throughs and verbal patient testimony.   Additionally this type of documentation will speak for the clinic instead of costly advertising—the price of which ends up getting passed on to the unknowing patient.

Hair transplant cost, no matter how expensive, should never sway the decision to use a widely trusted and respected surgeon. Bear in mind that hair transplants are permanent; quality of care is not something to compromise.

How Hairline Recession Affects The Face

When it comes to proper balance and alignment of facial features, there is a “rule of thirds,” initially recognized by Renaissance artist, Michelangelo. Dr. Parsa Mohebi of Hair Transplant Network interprets Michelangelo’s rule well, describing the thirds as three horizontal sections spaced evenly over the face, with the chin as the base of the frame and the hairline as the apex. A specific alignment amid these sections (hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to the base of the septum, base of the septum to the chin) is what gives the face an aesthetic appearance. If any of these sections is not in proper proportion, it makes the face appear misaligned and displeasing to the eye.

This means that when the hairline recedes, the top “third” impairs the overall balance of the face. Hairline restoration through hair transplant is the only permanent way to correct this.

Image compliments of underpaintings.blogspot.com

Follicular Unit Extraction Applies The Rule Of Thirds To Hairline Restoration

Due to the nature of follicular unit extraction to remove donor grafts in individual follicular units, there is much more room for applying an indispensable artistry to the hairline restoration. An advanced FUE surgeon will be able to envision the proper graft placement of the hairline based on each individual patient’s facial structure. The overall result should be a gradual and natural-looking hairline that frames the face flawlessly and compliments the facial features. Dr. Umar, one of the world’s leading FUE hair transplant surgeons, is known for his remarkable artistic vision and capacity to replicate the natural hairline from patient to patient.