Posts

Donor Scars in “Strip Harvesting”- How to Prevent and Treat

Greetings,

Today I would like to discuss donor scars in the “strip harvesting” technique in hair restoration surgery and how to approach them. The trend in many clinics is towards larger procedures which many patients request. Most people would like to get as much done as possible in one sitting, and for the clinic this can mean larger fees. However, this is not always in the best interest of the patient for many reasons. Firstly, there is a diminishing return in graft growth as the grafts are kept outside of the body for long periods of time. In “mega-sessions” of 3000+ follicles, this tends to become an issue. In addition, the only way to harvest 3000+ follicles in most people, is take a width of donor strip that exceeds 1.7 cm and in many cases even 2.0 cm. The studies have clearly shown that with donor strips this wide, even if all the other necessary precautions are taken in wound closure, there is a much higher incidence of scar widening, hair shock, and various other problems that can be encountered in the donor region. It is for this very reason that the largest case size I will perform is about 3000 follicles in a single session, and this is usually only on a first time patient with excellent donor density. More often, my large procedures are in the 2500-2800 graft range. I limit the width of my donor strip to 1.5 cm maximum, and try to keep it between 1.0-1.3cm whenever possible. The studies have shown that when the donor strip is kept below 1.2cm there is a very low risk of scar widening or any other complications. In patients with low scalp laxity, or even hyper-elastic scalp, it is sometimes necessary to place deep retention dissolvable sutures to decrease the tension on the skin edges. This can also decrease the incidence of scar widening. Typically on repeated procedures, the scalp tends to lose elasticity, which should make the physician think twice about how wide a donor strip to take in these cases. The typical donor scar should be between 1mm-3mm when everything goes as planned. Sometimes even though all the rules are followed the patient can still end up with a donor scar that is wider than we would like. In these cases the first step is usually to resect and revise the donor scar by just taking out the old scar and trying to limit the width to 10mm or less. If that is not possible, or the patient requests another option, a great way to treat this is by harvesting follicles by FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), which involves using a special tool to harvest one follicle at a time, and then placing the grafts into the scar. Transplanted hair follicles grow very well through most scars and this treatment can be effective in minimizing the appearance of a wide donor scar. I hope this brief overview clearly explains how I approach “strip harvesting” in Hair Restoration Surgery.

All the best,

Marc Dauer, MD

/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist

New F.U.E. S.A.F.E System

, , , , ,

Greetings all,

For the past few months I have been using a new machine for my FUE procedures called the “New F.U.E. S.A.F.E System”. For those of you who are not familiar, FUE stands for “Follicular Unit Extraction”. It is the process where donor follicles are taken out one by one, instead of removing them via the “Strip Method”, where a strip of donor scalp is removed and dissected under the microscope into individual follicles. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to FUE vs. Strip Harvesting but I will not get into this discussion here. FUE is typically described in marketing and promotional advertisements as a “scarless” procedure. This is not actually true. What is true is that FUE causes many “micro scars” in the areas where the follicles are removed. In most cases these micro scars heal well and only leave a small dot of hypo-pigmentation in each spot where a follicle is removed. This is usually cosmetically insignificant as the area where the donor hair is removed is usually covered by the remaining hair in that region. The other issue with FUE is that in the past there has been a high rate of transection with the removal of the follicles. This means that in the process of removing the follicle, the structural integrity of the follicle is compromised, thus giving the follicle a much lower percentage chance of growth. The goal is a system where there is a low rate of transection and where the follicle is exposed to the lowest amount of trauma possible. There are many new automated and manual systems available now for FUE and I did extensive research into all of them and decided that the SAFE system was the way to go. The thing I really like about this system is that the punch that is used to extract the donor follicle has a blunt tip as opposed to a sharp tip that most of the other systems use. What this means is that since the tip is not sharp there is a much lower incidence of transection. Since donor follicles are very finite in each individual (the average person has about 8000 donor follicles), a lower transection rate of even 10-20% can result in hundreds or possibly even thousands of saved follicles. In addition, because the tip is not sharp, I believe it causes less trauma to the underlying vasculature, which can protect the scalp for future procedures. Also, because this system is motorized, like a small drill, it allows you to “score” the follicles much quicker, thus allowing more follicles to be harvested in a session. With this system, you still have to manually extract the follicles, manually trim the follicles, and manually implant the follicles, but the automation in the drill definitely speeds up the process. FUE is good for some patients and has it’s advantages and disadvantages. We are now able to transplant up to 1200 follicles in a day with the new FUE system, as opposed to significantly lower numbers before this system. In addition, FUE allows us to harvest chest hair, back hair, and beard hair for donor follicles. What is most important, is that every patient throughly understands all the advantages and disadvantages of both harvesting techniques before deciding which route to take in their own hair restoration journey.

Marc Dauer, M.D.

/1 Comment/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist

Discomfort associated with Hair Transplantation procedures

, , , , ,

Greetings all, a very common question I am asked is, “how painful is a hair transplant procedure?” Most people imagine it like a trip to the dentists office or some sort of extremely painful process. In reality, it is not like that at all. That is not to say there is no pain associated with the procedure. The level of pain however is very tolerable, and most would quantify it as minimal. To begin with, I use a vibrating mechanism when administering my anesthesia (all local anesthetic) which greatly reduces the discomfort associated with the injections. Because the brain perceives vibratory sensations quicker than painful sensations, by using the vibration it greatly reduces the discomfort associated with the injections. Once the numbing injections are complete, the patient should then be pain free for the duration of the procedure. After the procedure I prescribe pain pills for my patients, but most tell me they don’t even need to take them longer than a day or two. By day 3 most of the discomfort is gone. I can attest to all of this because I have had the procedure myself, so I am not only speaking from my experience as the treating physician, but also as the patient. I hope this clarifies any confusion related to this topic.

All the best,

Marc Dauer, MD

/1 Comment/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist

New Advancements In Hair Restoration

, , , , ,

The Latest Advancements In Hair Restoration

Eyebrow Hair Restoration and Concealment of Scarring with Hair Transplantation

By Marc Dauer, M.D., ABHRS

Hair Restoration has come a long way from the unsightly large “plugs” of yesteryear. Today we practice Follicular Unit Transplantation which allows us to relocate hair follicles in the same way they naturally occur. This technique has also allowed us to transplant hair to other areas of the body besides the scalp.

Follicular Unit Transplantation is the general term to describe transplantation of naturally occurring follicular units. Typically hair grows in clusters of 1,2,3, and 4 hair follicular units. There are two main techniques used to harvest these follicular units. The first and most commonly used method is called “The Strip Method”. This involves taking a narrow strip of hair (usually not to exceed 1.5 cm in width) from some region in the permanent hair zone (in men this is in the occipital and parietal regions of the scalp) and dissecting the strip under magnification into individual follicular units. The other technique used in harvesting is Follicular Unit Extraction. This involves using a biopsy punch tool, usually between .6mm-1.2mm, and extracting the individual follicular units from the permanent hair zone for transplantation into another area.

Eyebrows are one of the most important defining characteristics of the face. Often you don’t even realize the full impact that eyebrows make until you see a person without them. With the Follicular Unit Transplantation, it is now possible to restore natural looking eyebrows that will last a lifetime.

Eyebrow hair loss can occur for several reasons in women and men. Physical trauma (such as burns or lacerations), medical treatments (such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy), excessive plucking, and even menopause, can all contribute to eyebrow hair loss. In the past some people opted for eyebrow tattoos to recreate lost eyebrow hair. Eyebrow transplants can be implanted over eyebrow tattoos to recreate natural looking eyebrows.

The hair to be transplanted into the eyebrows is usually harvested from either the mid occipital region or the nape in the posterior auricular region. In both cases the hair in these areas is of finer quality, thus more accurately resembling natural eyebrow hair. With an artistic eye, and keen attention paid to the individuals facial characteristics, the boundaries of the new eyebrows are drawn in so that the patient can see the shape of their new eyebrows. Once the design is completed the area to be transplanted is anesthetized with local anesthetic containing epinephrine and then tumesced with saline solution. The tumescence allows the grafts to be placed closed together, while elevating the skin further away from the underlying vasculature, thus resulting in less vascular damage. Small recipient sites are made with a solid core 22 gauge needle, with care taken to limit the depth to the size of the follicle to be transplanted. Grafts placed too deeply may result in excessive bruising and/ or cyst formation or scarring. Only single hair follicular units are placed in the eyebrows.

/1 Comment/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist

Hair Restoration Conference in Dubai

Greetings, I have recently returned from leading a teaching conference on Hair Restoration in Dubai on behalf of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. This conference was very well attended with 25 attendees in all. This was my second time in Dubai so I did not have to do all the required sightseeing again. There are many wonders to see in Dubai. The attendees came from the U.K., South Africa, India, U.A.E., Syria, Iran, and the U.S. I met many very interesting individuals, some of whom I am sure I will stay in contact with for years to come. It is always enjoyable to teach my techniques and approach to Hair Restoration to others. It also helps me to review and stay up to date on the latest innovations in the field. I will post a few photos from the conference.
All the best,
Marc Dauer, M.D.

/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist

Dubai Hair Transplant Teaching Conference

, , , , ,

Greetings all, in more recent news, I have just returned from Dubai teaching a course in Hair Transplant Surgery. The attending physicians came from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Dubai, and the United States. It was very interesting to hear the practice experiences of the attending Cosmetic Surgeons in their respective countries. One physician from Iraq described how he treated Saddam Hussein’s wife, who then brought him to treat Saddam himself. He went on to treat Saddam for a period of 5 years, all the while his 6 brothers were killed by Saddam’s people. He wears a Rolex watch that Saddam gave him as a gift. Another physician who currently practices in Iran described in great detail how the current political and social issues there have affected his practice and his personal life. The city of Dubai is a sight to behold. The infrastructure is modern and well planned. The malls are all like the nicest stores on Rodeo Drive or 5th Avenue. I went to the top of the tallest building in the world (2 1/2 times the size of the Empire State Building!), went skiing in the indoor ski resort, and saw the world’s only 7 star hotel. I also had the chance to meet some new prospective patients and follow up with some of my existing patients who live in the Middle East. I may be going back to Dubai in the next few months to perform cases on private patients there and will keep you updated on these activities. I have posted some photos of my trip below.

All the best,

Marc Dauer, M.D.

Conference Attendees

Skiing Indoor In Dubai

Tallest Building In The World

/1 Comment/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist

Hair Transplantation / Hair Restoration in Younger Patients

, ,

Hello all, over the past few years I have been performing an increasing number of Hair Transplant / Hair Restoration procedures on younger individuals, so I thought that I would outline my general approach to these patients.

As the new technologies in Hair Transplantation have improved, the numbers of individuals seeking out a permanent treatment to hair loss have increased. This has included younger individuals who are anxious to treat their hair loss. Many times hair loss in younger individuals can have even more devastating psychological consequences than in older patients. These psychological issues must be as carefully managed as the medical plan to treat these patients. It is very important to take a thorough medical and psychological history to assess the patient’s psychological well being as well as their hopes and expectations. In most cases, I will not consider transplanting a patient younger than 25, as often the full extent of their eventual hair loss cannot be fully determined at such a young age, and therefore it is in the patients best interest to wait until their late 20’s when a more complete picture of the patients eventual hair loss is better determined.

Patients that have a more moderate degree of hair loss can still be candidates for Hair Transplantation in their mid 20’s, and in the right cases, by performing the Hair Transplant earlier, it allows the patient to “stay ahead” of the hair loss that they will be experiencing in the future. Barring any medical contraindications, I usually encourage all my young patients to begin on a regimen of Propecia and Rogaine. I also think there is some positive scientific evidence to support the benefits of Low Light Laser Therapy in these patients. Another issue I am commonly confronted with in regards to Hair Transplantation in younger patients, is hairline design. Many patients wish to have their hairlines restored to the hairlines they had as teenagers. I often encourage my patients of all ages to bring in photos of them in their youth to give me a complete picture of what the patient looked like before their hair loss set in. In designing a hairline in a younger individual, it is very important to explain to the patient that there is a very finite amount of donor hair in every patients “hair bank” (the permanent hair on the sides and in the back).

Sometimes the problem with bringing the patients hairline down too low is twofold. The first issue is that young patients with hair loss are set in motion to have a significant degree of hair loss as they get older. Medical therapies can help slow this progression, but rarely stop it all together. When the hairline is brought down too low, it then forces the Hair Transplant Surgeon in successive surgeries to spend large numbers of grafts to “fill in” the areas just behind these low hairlines, and sometimes this is at the expense of other balding areas that can no longer be addressed, because of the overall lack of donor hair. In addition, a hairline that may look natural on a 25 year old, will probably not look natural on a person in the 50’s or 60’s.

I tell all my younger patients to think as conservatively as possible on their first Hair Transplant. I tell them that they have a finite number of donor hairs in their “hair bank”, and that it is very important that every hair is used in the most effective manner, and placed in the exact appropriate location. Hairlines can always be brought down, but once they have been brought down too low, the patient is faced with either the prospect of permanently removing valuable transplanted hair in the hairline, or trying to fill in just behind the hairline, at the expense of balding areas on the top of the head. Just like hair loss is a progressive phenomenon, so too, the approach to Hair Transplantation is usually that a typical patient will undergo 2-4 Hair Transplant sessions over their lifetime. The transplanted hairs we put in will never fall out, but most patients will continue to have loss of their surrounding native hairs in the areas prone to genetic hair loss.

It is important to educate the patient that proceeding more conservatively on the first procedure can give the patient many more options as they get older, and as their hair loss progresses. I hope this clarifies some of my approach to Hair Transplantation / Hair Restoration in younger individuals. Please feel free to email me if you have any additional questions.

All the best,

Marc Dauer, M.D.

/by Los Angeles Hair Transplant Specialist