Diffuse un-patterned and patterned alopecia is uncommon. The medical descriptive term 'senile' appears in literature; unfortunately, the word implies that it impacts only the old and senile, which is not the case. It has appeared in almost every age group somewhat equally, but as each carries the malady throughout its life, the frequency increases as the population ages.

Smoking causes constriction of blood vessels and decreased blood flow to the scalp, predominantly due to its nicotine content. The carbon monoxide in smoke decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. These factors may contribute to poor wound healing after a hair transplant and can increase the chance of a wound infection and scarring. Smoking may also contribute to poor hair growth.

After the procedure patients are provided a mild pain killer for any tightness they may experience along the back of the head, where the donor hair was removed. In the subsequent seven days the small incisions made in the recipient site will scab over and fall out. Because the incisions are so small, the scalp usually heals completely in 10-14 days. On about the tenth day the patient returns to receive a suture removal.

the individual characteristics of the patient, e.g. hair wave, hair texture, hair color, and skin to hair contrast

Yes. A local anesthetic is used to numb the scalp. This way, you are able to read, listen to music, watch television or sleep.

Not really. When you arrive on the day of your procedure, you will be given an oral medication to help you relax. Then, when your procedure begins, the area of you scalp which will be worked on will be frozen with a local anesthetic. When you leave after the completion of your transplant, you will also be supplied with some oral pain relievers. However, most patients report that they take very few post-operative pain relievers.

Hair transplantation is a process where donor hair from the back and sides of the scalp is surgically removed and transplanted to the thinning areas of the scalp. The primary reason that so many individuals don't take action to do something about their hair loss is the fear that doing something may be worse than just being bald. There are an estimated 40 million men, and 20 million women with hair loss in the United States alone.

This is a common question, particularly for children, teens, and young adults who are beginning to form lifelong goals and who may live with the effects of alopecia totalis for many years. The comforting news is that alopecia totalis is not a painful disease and does not make people feel sick physically. It is not contagious, and people who have the disease are generally healthy otherwise.

The only medically proven hair loss treatments for male pattern baldness are Propecia (finasteride), Low Level Laser Therapy, Rogaine (minoxidil), as well as hair replacement surgery, which can be performed in our Massachusetts and Rhode Island facilities.

Immediately after having a transplant procedure, you will have some redness and scabbing on the scalp area where your transplant was performed. This will disappear usually within 7 to 10 days. And, because our surgeon only performs micrograft procedures you will have no permanent scarring or "plug-like" appearance.

Alopecia areata is not medically disabling; persons with alopecia areata are usually in excellent health. But emotionally, this disease can be challenging, especially for those with extensive hair loss. One of the purposes of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation is to reach out to individuals and families with alopecia areata and help them live full, productive lives. There are thousands of successful, well-adjusted, contented people living with this disease.

The side effect we see most, although not often is folliculitis. This occurs after a transplant begins to grow and presents itself as ingrown hairs. It is accompanied by redness and bumps that resemble pimples. Occassionally we also get reports of nausea from pain medication and swelling around the forehead region.

Immediately following surgery a patient’s recipient area is typically pink with scabs forming around the micro incisions. These hundreds of tiny incisions will heal rapidly within a week to ten days. During the first few days after the surgery a person’s hair transplants will be noticeable if there is no previous hair to mask these temporary scabs. However, most patients feel comfortable being in public without wearing a hat within 5 to 7 days following surgery.

Yes. Today's highly trained and up-to-date surgeons, using a combination of artistry and technology, can recreate hairlines and crown coverage in a manner that truly defies detection. Progressing beyond the old style 'plug-type' transplants has been possible using advanced techniques which allow the transplantation of large numbers of small grafts. An appreciation for the natural shape and patterns of hair growth allows surgeons to create wavy, randomized hairlines that look natural.

If you are starting to thin, balding, or completely bald, you are a candidate for hair transplant surgery. Those who have been losing hair for a few years at a moderate to dramatic rate should consider hair transplant, as it is the only permanent solution to hair loss.

Yes. At your request, we can provide you with contact information of past patients who are willing to share their experience.

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure in which a patient’s existing hair is relocated to areas on the scalp that are bald or thinning.

Today hair restoration clinics typically provide free no obligation consultations, with surgical sessions priced either per graft or by the session. Prices typically average around $5 to $6 per graft. It is normal for the price per graft to drop as the size of the surgical session increases. Many clinics will offer a reduced rate per graft once a certain surgical session size (i.e. 1,000 or 2,000 grafts) is exceeded.

your initial free consultation, HTC's trained staff will carefully evaluate your present hair pattern to determine the best possible design for your new grafts. Not everyone is a hair transplant candidate, so if we feel a hair transplant is not in your best interest, we will tell you so! The procedure will be completely explained and you will know in advance all costs involved. In most cases, the hair implantation procedure takes only a few hours.

Every individual has a unique combination of hair loss and existing hair type so it is impossible to say that everyone will need such and such a number of grafts and this many sessions, because it varies. For example, a patient who has a medium balding area (type 5) but very fine hair may need just as many grafts transplanted as someone who has a larger balding area (type 6) but has thick, course hair.

Alopecia is considered to be an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system, which is designed to protect the body from foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, the tiny cup-shaped structures from which hairs grow. This can lead to hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere. In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. In many cases, the disease does not extend beyond a few bare patches.

Immediately following your transplant the procedure may be noticeable upon close inspection. This depends on how much work is being performed and how much hair you currently have. In some cases immediately after the procedure the work is virtually undetectable to the untrained eye. If you and the doctor decide to add density to thinning areas then it will be less likely to show during those first weeks as compared to recreating a new hairline on bald scalp.

Do you have to take Rogaine and/or Propecia or some other hormone medicines in the rest of your life to maintain the transplanted hairs? Are those orally taken chemical pills will damage liver for long term? Remember if liver is damaged, it will cause hair loss.

Absolutely. Both of these medical treatments can enhance the result of a hair transplant and can help minimize further hair loss. Also, newly FDA-approved Laser Hair Therapy can be used pre- and post-operatively, to stimulate new hair growth and stop hair loss. This is provided in a location convenient to the surgical office.

NHI, we believe in the dignity and intelligence of our patients. We spend a significant amount of our energy to publish information that will be of benefit to our patients and we disseminate this information in medical Journals and at Seminars and Open Houses across the country. We offer free private consultations with NHI physicians (not salespeople) so that patients can have the best answers to their questions.

Hair transplantation is an artistic redistribution system that takes donor dominant hair follicles donor areas such as the chest or from the very back of the head and artfully transplants them into thinning or balding areas. With current microsurgical technologies, this results in a very natural appearance. Basically we take hair from where you have more than you need and put it where you need it more.

Yes, we offer 100% financing through multiple financial institutions for all hair transplant procedures. Applications are available at our office or through the web and our staff can help you through the application process. For more information click here.

Hair transplant surgery is a very low risk procedure. Minor swelling and in-grown hairs are the most common side-effects, although not all patients experience these symptoms. Swelling is normal and usually occurs 4 days after surgery and subsides completely by the 10th day, in-grown hairs are less common but easily treatable.