Long time reader and my very first post here. My new year’s resolution is to do something about my hair in 2014. Being able to shave my head completely is very important. Can someone name a few doctors who give the cleanest scar free FUE? preferably in the US or Canada. I know there are a few popular names out there such as Armani and Cole but the truth is that I have never seen any FUE patient shave down to ground zero. It will be a deal breaker if I can’t shave my head after the transplant.
I would appreciate it if someone can point me to the right direction.
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by Blu[/postedby]
Long time reader and my very first post here. My new year’s resolution is to do something about my hair in 2014. Being able to shave my head completely is very important. Can someone name a few doctors who give the cleanest scar free FUE? preferably in the US or Canada. I know there are a few popular names out there such as Armani and Cole but the truth is that I have never seen any FUE patient shave down to ground zero. It will be a deal breaker if I can’t shave my head after the transplant.
I would appreciate it if someone can point me to the right direction.[/quote]
Where are you located?
A small punch and the use of ACell and possibly PRP can create an environment for the best possible healing. Dr. Cole developed a method of FUE with depth control we refer to as CIT. Minimal depth extraction leave stem cells allowing ACell (extracellular matrix) to remodel the donor sites. At the very least, ACell improves healing and reduces hypopigmentation. A percentage of the removed follicles usually regrow.
Even while using every technology available in 2014 to improve the appearance of the post-op donor, some men will still get some white dotting.
My suggestion is doing a small number of grafts and 9 months post op, shave your head to see how everything looks. If you don’t see any dots, get a little sun to see if they show up then. If you get minor dotting, try derma rolling with a .5mm needle length. Derma rolling or micro needling increases collagen production and improves the appearance of scars.
Also beware of any doctor who promises the complete absence of scarring. That would be pure marketing.
I am not a doctor and the content of my posts are my opinions, not medical advice
Agreed with CITNews. No doctor can promise that you won’t have visible scarring at a grade zero. Shaving that short you may be better off with scalp micropigmentation.
Why do you want to get a hair transplant and then shave it down? The idea is to have hair after the surgery, your goal kind of defeats the whole idea of having a hair transplant.
CITNews, does Dr. Cole use Acell and prp for all patients or only when they request? Is there a minimum number of grafts per session at your clinic? I had a consultation with another doctor and he would not do anything under 1000 grafts. I am on the west coast.
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by Norwood3[/postedby]
Why do you want to get a hair transplant and then shave it down? The idea is to have hair after the surgery, your goal kind of defeats the whole idea of having a hair transplant.[/quote]
I don’t think you can relate to how I feel, I will spare you the details as to why I have this fear in me for having to shave my head one day. I don’t plan on shaving my head but I need that option in case I have to one day.
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by Blu[/postedby]
…the truth is that I have never seen any FUE patient shave down to ground zero. It will be a deal breaker if I can’t shave my head after the transplant.
I would appreciate it if someone can point me to the right direction.[/quote]
CITNews and Jotronic are spot on. There is a good reason you haven’t seen that very often, because FUE usually leaves some kind of mark.
I was on this merry-go-round a few years ago because I asked the same questions and at the time struggled to get a straight answer. The bottom line with FUE is if it truly is a deal breaker that you must be able to completely shave your head then the deal is broken.
No reputable FUE doctor will guarantee a scar-free head when shaved to the bone.
The only other option (apart from micro-pigmentation, which of course has its own issues) you could look at is Dr Gho’s HST - but with that you have to decide on the efficacy of the actual procedure with regard to yield - there is no consensus on that and I don’t see any coming any time soon so you would have to research it and make up your own mind.
Good luck - BTW, with the same requirements on shaving as you I came to the conclusion that currently there is no viable solution for me, however, that had as much to do with the fact that I am a NW6+ with a not small head and pi$$ poor donor area as it did with scarring issues.
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by Blu[/postedby]
CITNews, does Dr. Cole use Acell and prp for all patients or only when they request? Is there a minimum number of grafts per session at your clinic? I had a consultation with another doctor and he would not do anything under 1000 grafts. I am on the west coast.[/quote]
ACell and PRP are optional. I would say about 95% of our patients choose to have their donor area treated with ACell. PRP treatment is at about 50%.
We offer a small test session. Our patient coordinator could give you details.
We have found that hair taken from the beard area just below the jawline heals remarkably well. When ACell is used, we see an average yield of about 90%. See photo.
if your talking about totally shaving your head then there might be some white dots. you can maybe use Dr. Cole donor exchange and it might work but there is no guarantee. it did work for this patient:
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by Blu[/postedby]
Skywalker what is your reason for wanting to shave your head after getting a hair transplant?[/quote]
Two reasons Blu, the first is that I would want to take advantage of the “Less is more” illusion that the human brain falls for - the 2nd is that if the transplant doesn’t work/ gives poor yield I want the fallback position of being able to shave down and get on with my life.
Remember I am a NW6/7 so I have to be realistic about what is achievable.
In reality I have now come to the conclusion that my loss is so great and my donor so poor that unless some form of cloning protocol can be made to work I am $h1t out of luck and will have to continue to shave down as I am
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by Blu[/postedby]
Skywalker what is your reason for wanting to shave your head after getting a hair transplant?
[postedby]Originally Posted by Skywalker[/postedby]
Two reasons Blu, the first is that I would want to take advantage of the “Less is more” illusion that the human brain falls for - the 2nd is that if the transplant doesn’t work/ gives poor yield I want the fallback position of being able to shave down and get on with my life.
Remember I am a NW6/7 so I have to be realistic about what is achievable.
In reality I have now come to the conclusion that my loss is so great and my donor so poor that unless some form of cloning protocol can be made to work I am $h1t out of luck and will have to continue to shave down as I am :-([/quote]
Do you currently shave your head?
If I could do it over, I would shave my head and use alternative hair sources to create a “shadow” of a hairline and some density of hair emerging from the scalp. That way it would look like I shave for style.
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck
I use clippers with no guard, so extremely short stubble, I prefer that to shaved.
I have pale skin, so I don’t think a shadow on my hairline would work, I do appreciate the suggestion and it might work for somebody with darker skin (lower contrast) but for my personal characteristics I don’t think it would look good.
BTW, another reason why I need to shave down is I have miniaturisation in my lower donor area - so if I grew it to any length it looks bizarre - shaved down you cannot tell there is anything amiss.
Why the big difference in the usage rate of Acell versus PRP? Price? Efficacy?
I expect Acell to be the heavy-hitter in terms of donor regeneration but I would think PRP might also help the process noticeably.
Would you be willing to throw out any guesses for “average” regeneration rates you are seeing these days? I ask this with the FULL understanding that any given figure CANNOT be guaranteed in any official way.
[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by cal[/postedby]
To CIT:
Why the big difference in the usage rate of Acell versus PRP? Price? Efficacy?
I expect Acell to be the heavy-hitter in terms of donor regeneration but I would think PRP might also help the process noticeably.
Would you be willing to throw out any guesses for “average” regeneration rates you are seeing these days? I ask this with the FULL understanding that any given figure CANNOT be guaranteed in any official way.[/quote]
Personally if given an either-or choice between ACell and PRP, I would opt for ACell. Much of the ACell skepticism is due to a sketchy understanding of how it works.
All cells in solid tissue are surrounded by extracellular matrix. ACell is a porcine-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) product. Extracellular matrix is not yet fully understood. Originally it was thought to be only a “scaffolding”, like the 2x4 stud framing in the walls of a home that keep the siding and sheetrock in place. More recently it was learned that extracellular matrix also serves as a kind of conduit that enables communication between cells. Doctors who are not having success with ACell are not using the product correctly. Dr. Cole uses a minimal depth extraction technique based upon a patent and patent pending depth control technology. Minimal depth extractions leave stem cells behind. If a doctor goes too deep with the extractions and removes every trace of what was originally there, communication between cells is severed. In that case, the wound is repaired with the generic repair “bondo” of the body we all recognize as scar tissue. When you go with minimal depth extractions and fill the extraction site with ACell gel, a “scaffolding” is reintroduced and a degree of cell communication is restored. The body has a better idea of what was originally at the extraction site and is able to remodel the site based upon what was originally there. That is why we get some follicle regeneration. As technology moves forward and extracellular matrix products are enhanced and improved, it’s only going to get better.
I sometimes get frustrated when people view FUE as a standardized procedure. We had a patient in for scar repair a few days ago who described his beard grafting experience with another doctor. He said a tremendous amount of pressure was used to extract the grafts. So much pressure that his face was bruised. On top of that, Dr. Cole mentioned there was only about a 5% yield. Our patient was pleasantly surprised by the difference in Dr. Cole’s extractions. The toughest part of scar repair though, is the anesthetic injections into scar tissue. I know from experience.
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck
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