GM - 2500 grafts beard hair transplant in crown (8 months update)

Dear forum readers,
Today we discuss the case of patient nicknamed GM.
There are many interesting insights in his case.

First some images. Follow up pictures have been taken by the patient himself.

The patient had only beard hair transplanted in the crown in 2007 in our clinic.

This is what he has to say on being asked about the progress -

the results of the beard BHT transplant have been great (just fantastic).

My face healed very quickly post-surgery (which was mid-September).
In terms of my beard, it’s still quite thick, so I definitely plan to have 3 or more procedures with you to fill in the thin spots.

I’m extremely pleased with the progress.

Thats undeniably good growth and the patient is happy.

Dr. Arvind, I am curious as to why only beard hair were used. Did the patient have no usable scalp donor hair?

Dr. A, which of those scalp hairs are beard hair grafts? Thanks.

» Dear forum readers,
» Today we discuss the case of patient nicknamed GM.
» There are many interesting insights in his case.
»
» First some images. Follow up pictures have been taken by the patient
» himself.
»
»


»
»

no offense im sure he beard hair grafts have taken but
his crown seems to have gotten worse…and thinned more , since the procedure…ahh i see if you look towards the front of the head it looks thicker

still hard to tell with the lighting, angles, and distance from the scalp

Dear Hangininthere,
I am waiting for some natural daylight pictures taken without flash.
The current after pictures taken by GM are under Flash. Using the flash on the crown area makes the scalp shine through and the hair coverage look less than what it is.

Regards,
Dr. A

» Dr. A, which of those scalp hairs are beard hair grafts? Thanks.

Dear Tembo,
The blue line demarcates the beard hair.

I shall be posting intra operative pictures showing the placement of the beard hair grafts.

Regards,
Dr. A

» Thats undeniably good growth and the patient is happy.
»
» Dr. Arvind, I am curious as to why only beard hair were used. Did the
» patient have no usable scalp donor hair?

Dear Arun,
GM would have been a NW 5 had he not undergone any hair transplants.
Years before visiting us, he had undergone approximately 12 to 15 sessions (he himself is not sure how many) scalp fue (front) and a similar number of BH sessions (crown) at various other fue clinics.
He did not wish to use anymore scalp donor and did not wish to rely on chest hair alone.

Therefore, 2515 beard hair grafts were transplanted in the crown.

I hope that answers your query.
Regards,
Dr. A

» The patient had only beard hair transplanted in the crown in 2007 in our
» clinic.
»
» This is what he has to say on being asked about the progress -
»
» the results of the beard BHT transplant have been great
» (just fantastic).
»
» My face healed very quickly post-surgery (which was mid-September).
» In terms of my beard, it’s still quite thick, so I definitely plan to have
» 3 or more procedures with you to fill in the thin spots.
»
» I’m extremely pleased with the progress.

Beard hair are the turning point in the history of hair transplants. I think Dr. Arvind needs to be thanked for singlehandedly inventing this field.
I look forward to more doctors embracing the beard hair to scalp transplants.

No doubt the beard hair has taken, you can easily see the beard hair retains its rough texture, very very rough, not natural I am sorry.

» No doubt the beard hair has taken, you can easily see the beard hair
» retains its rough texture, very very rough, not natural I am sorry.

I totally agree.I cannot understand how anyone could transplant beard hair into the scalp.Beard hair is too coarse.Many have claimed that it will grow well in scar tissue but at what cost to the patients appearance ?
You wouldn’t be able to run your fingers through your hair without being pricked.Beard hair in the scalp would be like trying to pat a porcupine.
There have been cases here where patients have had their beard hairs removed from the scalp because it was like wire.

Dr A,you would be better of searching for a cellular solution.Indians have been working on cloning organs & what not for a very long time.Maybe u could leas with some of these scientists ?

» » No doubt the beard hair has taken, you can easily see the beard hair
» » retains its rough texture, very very rough, not natural I am sorry.
»
» I totally agree.I cannot understand how anyone could transplant beard hair
» into the scalp.Beard hair is too coarse.Many have claimed that it will grow
» well in scar tissue but at what cost to the patients appearance ?
» You wouldn’t be able to run your fingers through your hair without being
» pricked.Beard hair in the scalp would be like trying to pat a porcupine.
» There have been cases here where patients have had their beard hairs
» removed from the scalp because it was like wire.
»
» Dr A,you would be better of searching for a cellular solution.Indians have
» been working on cloning organs & what not for a very long time.Maybe u
» could leas with some of these scientists ?

You have it wrong, IMO.
The patient wouldnt be happy if fingers were getting pricked everytime he ran his hand through them. Nor would he be going for more. But he is!
The picture suggests beard hair have retained their high diameter, but I doubt I will recognize the difference between the hair if I met the person on the street.

Then again, maybe you have very coarse/prickly beard and, maybe, this patient does not. As for me, I wouldnt mind a bit coarser hair, if the end result means all the bald areas covered with hair.

» You have it wrong, IMO.
» The patient wouldnt be happy if fingers were getting pricked everytime he
» ran his hand through them. Nor would he be going for more. But he is!
» The picture suggests beard hair have retained their high diameter, but I
» doubt I will recognize the difference between the hair if I met the person
» on the street.
»


»
» Then again, maybe you have very coarse/prickly beard and, maybe, this
» patient does not. As for me, I wouldnt mind a bit coarser hair, if the end
» result means all the bald areas covered with hair.

Your “opinion” also claims that Arvind “singlehandedly inventing this field” when the WORLD knows that Woods in Australia has been doing BHT (incl Beard hairs) since 1989.
Hey,what ever helps you sleep at night.

What’s the reason for using only beard hairs? Wouldn’t it look more natural to mix up different types of hair?

» What’s the reason for using only beard hairs? Wouldn’t it look more natural
» to mix up different types of hair?

I’m feeling my beard hairs now. I’m not sure if i could life with that texture on my head. Do i think that anyone would say “hey they are beard hair”, no. It would fool most people. Can you show photos of his face? Are there any marks where the grafts were moved?

»
» Your “opinion” also claims that Arvind “singlehandedly inventing this
» field” when the WORLD knows that Woods in Australia has been doing BHT
» (incl Beard hairs) since 1989.
» Hey,what ever helps you sleep at night.

I sleep very well, thank you. What bothers you? Insomnia?!

Beard hair to scalp is different from body hair to scalp.
Read the archives.
The first beard hair to scalp fue transplant was performed by Dr. Arvind in 2006, when no other doctor had done it. In the years to follow more doctors also started doing it. Dr. Woods, if I remember correctly, did his first beard hair to scalp fue in 2008. Do you know of an instance where Dr. Woods performed such a surgery before Dr. Arvind? I dont.

So, I am correct in saying that Dr. Arvind was the pioneer, nay inventor, of beard hair to scalp fue.

» Dear Dr. Woods,
» I am glad you decided to embrace facial hair as a donor resource in
» suitable patients.
» I wish you and your patient the very best.
»
» Regards,
» Dr. A

I had no problem extracting beard hair since 1999. But I did not utilise it due to

  1. potential facial scarring
  2. looking and feeling unnatural
  3. I always found an alternatie

Chest , abdomen, back, arms, wrists are good choices in that order.

Legs are highly variable and prone to extremely high transection rates. And apart from specific patients with good donor in specific and limited areas, it’s a flimsy result and a waste of time for many.

Harvesting from the “sweat zones” , i.e. armpit and pubic areas is , in my opinion, medically negligent .

And that leaves the facial/neck hair .
It is the last chance for many who need a good result.

But I do not embrace it.

I approach it with extreme caution and respect.

What I care about is , if things go wrong, what is the worst possible outcome and is it worth the risk.

That decision is taken slowly , carefully and with full cognisance of all the facts, positive outcomes and side effects

Dr Ray Woods