Hair Transplantation

“…..I have always used the Norwood Hair Loss Scale for Men as well as the Hamilton Hair Loss Grading System for Women as an important part of my initial consultation with new patients. I find it very revealing in regard to a patient’s overall assessment of his/her hair loss. More to the point: how they see themselves. Typically there is a strong element of denial with respect to the amount of hair loss. This denial needs to be addressed with directness but yet with sensitivity to the patient’s genuine sense of loss. Patients can become very emotional at this time. I stress to my patients that HELP IS AT HAND. Throughout my career I have taken pride in knowing that I have always offered my patients the Gold Standard of care. Today that Gold Standard in hair restoration is Follicular Unit Transplantation [FUT] wherein hair follicles are selected and harvested as they grow naturally in 1, 2, 3 and even 4 hair groupings or units. I can say in all candors that I was one of the first hair transplant specialists in Beverly Hills to embrace the FUT procedure and have spent many hours during many thousands of procedures refining my technique. An important refinement in my practice is the attention paid to the appropriate use of hair texture. In other words finer, more delicate hair is placed where it is indicated, specifically at the hairline, and hair grafts of a coarser texture with more hairs per graft behind the hairline to build density. I have always stressed that it is not enough to merely place single hair grafts at the hairline. We must instead create those single hair grafts using the finest hair available which will in turn allow me to create the softest and most natural looking hairline. This attention to detail is, frankly, how I have built my reputation in Beverly Hills as well as internationally.

More recently another method of obtaining the follicular has been popularized. This technique is referred to as Follicular Unit Extraction [FUE] whereby the grafts are removed one at a time as opposed to removing a segment [strip] of donor material. We, of course, offer both the FUT as well as the FUE techniques. Both techniques offer advantages as well as potential disadvantages. Both offer the same results of the highest quality that I have always enjoyed being able to produce. I will be happy to discuss both options with you and make a recommendation as to what I feel is the best approach for you…..”

FULL PROFILE OF DR JON GAFFNEY

BEFORE AND AFTER







Techniques:

Hair follicles are typically transplanted using one of these two techniques:

Hair units are removed from a donor strip that has been excised from the donor area.

Individual hair units are removed directly from the donor area by a micro-punch individually, follicle by follicle, and transplanted to thinning areas.

  1. Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation (FUT):
  2. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):

Since each man’s hair loss is different, a single surgical treatment method may not be right for each transplant patient. The two gold standard methods practiced by Dr. Gaffney are detailed here, along with general guidelines for determining which one may be right for you.

Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation (FUT)

Hair follicles are typically transplanted using one of these two techniques:

  • Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation (FUT):

    • Hair units are removed from a donor strip that has been excised from the donor area.

  • Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):

    • Individual hair units are removed directly from the donor area by a micro-punch individually, follicle by follicle, and transplanted to thinning areas.

Since each man’s hair loss is different, a single surgical treatment method may not be right for each transplant patient. The two gold standard methods practiced by Dr. Gaffney are detailed here, along with general guidelines for determining which one may be right for you.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular Unit Extraction is a newer hair transplant method in which individual hair follicles are transplanted to a thinning or balding area from a donor site, an area of denser hair growth typically located on the back or side of the head using micro punches to remove individual follicles. While FUE hair restoration gives some patients permanent, natural-looking results that are not available with many other methods, the procedure has some limitations compared to FUT. FUE hair transplants typically offer the best results if you:

  • Wish to keep your hair very short. An FUE hair transplant does not leave a linear scar.
  • Healed poorly after past procedures and wish to camouflage scars or achieve different results.
  • Have a very tight scalp, which may make you a poor candidate for FUT or other common methods.

Dr. Gaffney will conduct a consultation to help you determine which method is best for you, or if a combination of both will give you the results you desire.

What to Expect:

Before Your

 

 

Procedure

Get a good night’s rest, limit smoking and alcohol, and eat a healthy breakfast. You will be asked not to take aspirin for several days prior to your hair transplant procedure. More detailed instructions will be provided by the physician, based on your specific situation.

Day of

Procedure

Hair transplantation is an outpatient procedure that typically lasts 3-8 hours. (In rare cases the procedure takes a little longer depending on the number of follicular units being transplanted.) In general, you will feel very minimal discomfort. Dr. Gaffney and his staff use mild sedatives and a local anesthetic. During the procedure, so you simply need to relax and pass the time.

Before you begin, Dr. Gaffney will review your crown density and confirm details the two of you have discussed prior to any kind of surgery for hair loss, including the specific hairline you want and expectations of the results. Next, Dr. Gaffney will review the procedural steps detailed below and answer any questions you may have.

Step 1: Donor Area
Preparation

A donor strip is taken from the back or sides of the head, where hair is genetically resistant to hair loss. The hair surrounding the donor strip is taped or secured while the hair in the donor area is trimmed. The donor area is then numbed with a local anesthetic

 

Step 2: Harvesting

The strip of donor tissue is surgically removed and the skin in the donor area is sutured together. Once healed, it will typically leave a very fine cosmetic line or scar which will be covered by your existing hair. Even immediately following the suturing of the donor area, the affected area is hardly visible.

Step 3: Separating

A team of highly-trained medical assistants, working with stereo microscopes, divide the hair from the donor strip into natural follicular groupings. (Your hair naturally grows in groupings of one, two, three and four hairs.)

 

Step 4: Create Recipient Sites

The creation of recipient sites is the most artistic part of the procedure. Dr. Gaffney will make incisions to the depth of each follicle that follow the exact direction and angle of your hair growth. There is no substitute for experience when it comes to creating the recipient sites.

Step 5: Placing

Follicular units are carefully placed into the recipient sites by the physician’s experienced medical team. The one- and two-hair follicular units are primarily used in the frontal area of the hairline while the three- and four-hair follicular units are usually placed behind them and on top of the head for more density.

 

After Your Procedure

Hair Wash & Post-Procedure Checkup

Day after procedure: During your first post-operative appointment, you will most likely meet with the medical staff to review your procedure.

Suture Removal & Post-Procedure Checkup with Healing

10 to 14 days after procedure: You may return to the doctor’s office to have the sutures removed. The area where the donor strip was removed has healed and a cosmetic line is barely visible.

Healing

7 to 10 days after procedure: Following your hair transplant procedure, you will have many tiny incisions with short hair stubble showing from the recipient sites. The tiny recipient site incisions will heal rapidly. Any redness, minor swelling and scabbing usually clear up within approximately one week. Once complete healing has occurred, there is virtually no visible scarring where the new hair will grow.

New Growth

Approximately 3 to 4 months after the procedure (results may vary): Once all the follicular units are placed, the hair will begin to go into a resting phase. It then takes about two to three months for the follicle to produce a new hair. You will normally see a cosmetic difference within the first nine to twelve months.