Dr. Mwamba – 2579 FIT to the frontal third, 9 month results

Dr. Mwamba, Brussels IHTI – 2579 FIT to the frontal third, 9 month results

This 25 year old patient came to our IHTI European branch in Brussels, Belgium after his hair loss was triggered by chemotherapy. The chemotherapy treatments caused all of his hair to fall out. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, “Fortunately, most of the time hair loss from chemotherapy is temporary. You can expect to regrow a full head of hair six months to a year after you stop treatment, though your hair may temporarily be a different shade or texture….It takes about four to six weeks for your hair to recover from chemotherapy. In general, you can expect about a quarter inch of growth each month…” Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment - Mayo Clinic

Following the successful completion of chemotherapy treatments, this patient did grow his hair back. Unfortunately, it came back as a Norwood Class IV or V, rather than his previous full head of hair. The chemotherapy caused acceleration in his natural hair loss progression.

When the patient contacted our office, he had been on Proscar for a little over one year and had gone 1 ½ years with stabilized hair loss (no loss or gain).

This patient had fine hairs on top and in his donor as well. Although his hair was fine and wispy, it provides decent coverage with what density he had, as seen by wet and dry pictures. By using FIT, we picked the strongest hairs to build his frontal core to give the impression of fullness. A mature, 7 cm hairline was utilized, rather than aggressive, to frame his face and conserve his donor as his family history indicated possible future loss. Hopefully, the medications can stabilize his loss, but if he needs a touch up surgery in the future, less grafts will be needed to match the current transplanted density. The total graft count came to 2579 grafts.

The patient has added Rogaine and HairCycle products to his hair care regimen to stabilize loss, thicken existing hairs, and to promote the best possible hair and scalp health.

We are very pleased with the natural appearance and density achieved. The patient is happy and told us that even his barber didn’t notice he had it done. Congratulations!

Do you have any pics with the hair brushed back ?

It’s so sad, only 25 and had to go through chemo. It does put things in perspective, I am glad he has both his life and his hair back.

» Do you have any pics with the hair brushed back ?

And while you’re at it, how about posting actual before and after pictures instead of side comb-over after pics meant to disguise the thinness of the hair. We see an obvious improvement, but most patients are concerned with how their hair will look in the real world of everyday life–not in a perfectly prepared setting.

So docs and salespeople, please post your before and after pictures in a manner not intended to make the results look better than they actually are. It is imperative to style the hair exactly the same, use the exact same camera angles, and use the exact same lighting. Anything else is, IMO, an attempt at deception and bodes very poorly on the reputation of what might actually be a very good doctor.

If you want to style the hair in a manner that best fits the new hair, fine, but please reserve this for non-before/after comparisons.

This individual had quite a bit of hair in the front which I’m sure blended in nicely with new grafts placed in that area.

What the board wants to see are pictures in FULL lighting of the TOP CENTER and CROWN of this individual’s head. And then we want to see the TOP CENTER and CROWN WET and combed straight back just like you posted these types in the before photographs.

All you have to do is take photos of the top of the head combed back just as you do in the prepared before pictures. Then wet the hair, just as you did in preparing the before photos, and take photographs of the hair combed back wet.

When/if you provide these photographs is the time the members will be able to more accurately ascertain the true results of 2579 grafts.

» » Do you have any pics with the hair brushed back ?
»
» And while you’re at it, how about posting actual before and after pictures
» instead of side comb-over after pics meant to disguise the thinness of the
» hair. We see an obvious improvement, but most patients are concerned with
» how their hair will look in the real world of everyday life–not in a
» perfectly prepared setting.
»
» So docs and salespeople, please post your before and after pictures in a
» manner not intended to make the results look better than they actually
» are. It is imperative to style the hair exactly the same, use the exact
» same camera angles, and use the exact same lighting. Anything else is,
» IMO, an attempt at deception and bodes very poorly on the reputation of
» what might actually be a very good doctor.
»
» If you want to style the hair in a manner that best fits the new hair,
» fine, but please reserve this for non-before/after comparisons.

I thank you for your criticism; perhaps it can improve our picture taking in the future. We don’t really have a prepared environment. Maybe we should build one. We have a chair, a camera, and sometimes we put up a blue sheet on the wall behind the patient. The patient literally walked in, sat in a chair, and Dr. Mwamba snapped some pictures. This is the way the patient wears his hair on an everyday basis. If he sends more pictures or comes for another follow up, then I will try to get the shots you request.

It is difficult for us to keep the lighting, camera angles, and hair styles exactally the same because we often travel to see the patient. Although IHTI currently only offers surgery in Atlanta and Brussels, we go to New York, DC, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Milan, Brussels, London, Madrid, Paris, Zurich, etc. for consultations and follow up appointments. Pretty much wherever we have enough interest, we go straight to the patient. We can’t bring all that set up with us. Maybe video would be an improvement? The pre-op shots are easier to get, but its the follow up results that can be more challenging. What do you think? How should we set it up so that it can travel with us?

There’s some very intellegent, creative, innovative folks on this forum. I hope people chime in.

The same thing happens with almost all hair transplants companies. You get the after photos without flash, sun, indoors etc.

I am a NW 3. If i comb properly my hair and get some pictures without flash indoors without sun, i go down to NW 1.

» This individual had quite a bit of hair in the front which I’m sure blended
» in nicely with new grafts placed in that area.
»
» What the board wants to see are pictures in FULL lighting of the TOP
» CENTER and CROWN of this individual’s head. And then we want to see the
» TOP CENTER and CROWN WET and combed straight back just like you posted
» these types in the before photographs.

»
» All you have to do is take photos of the top of the head combed back just
» as you do in the prepared before pictures. Then wet the hair, just as you
» did in preparing the before photos, and take photographs of the hair combed
» back wet.
»
» When/if you provide these photographs is the time the members will be able
» to more accurately ascertain the true results of 2579 grafts.

I think video is a great idea, i think all clinics should adopt this for before and after shots.

» I think video is a great idea, i think all clinics should adopt this for
» before and after shots.

With video, would there still be the issues of hair style, hair length, lighting, angle, etc?

Overall, I agree. Its impossible to photoshop a video…right? Or can they do that now?