Question 1

Are hair transplants obvious and unnatural looking?

Accepted Answer

With poor artistic or surgical techniques, this can be true.  Modern hair transplant techniques in the hands of an expert like Dr. Shyam produce results that are undetectable to others, even the person cutting your hair.

Question 2

I’ve heard that medical treatments don’t work for hair loss and have many side effects. Is this true?

Accepted Answer

Medical treatment works so well that it is considered the foundation of hair loss treatments even if you are a candidate for hair transplant surgery. Dr. Shyam has treated thousands of men and women since 2015, and he sees the benefits daily. He has been on these same treatments since then, and it has saved his hair. Talk to him about the real chances of side effects. He sees them only rarely.

Question 3

How much does a hair transplant cost?

Accepted Answer

Hair transplant costs vary from state to state and provider to provider. The costs can vary by up to 400% across the country. In general, a hair transplant costs between $6,000-$18,000. Many practices charge per graft but this can lead to many unethical practices such as chopping grafts and over-harvesting which can result in significant scarring. We believe that quality matters over quantity and the cost is based on the area of the scalp required to be filled. For smaller areas, the cost is around $9000 while larger areas will range around $18000. Our pricing is very transparent and you will receive your estimate after your personalized consultation with Dr. Shyam.

Question 4

What is the Recovery Following Hair Transplants?

Accepted Answer

It generally takes less than 24 hours to recover from hair transplant surgery. By the day after your surgery, you should be able to resume most daily activities, although it is recommended that you hold off on strenuous activities for a week to prevent any accidental injury and reduce the risk of bleeding. You can return to work on the day following surgery, although many people choose to take a few days off following the procedure. Since we offer transplants on Saturday, patients have the weekend to recover and be at work the next week. You can expect to have some tiny scabbing in the transplanted area for up to a week, will have no bandages, and can wash your hair on the day following surgery. You can wear a hat or cap immediately after surgery if you wish to conceal any scabs.

Question 5

Is it safe to color my hair?

Accepted Answer

Yes, so long as you are using a familiar product and have not developed any irritation or allergic reaction to it. Some hair or beard dyes containing paraphenylenediamene (PPD) can cause an itching on the scalp or other remote areas of the body. A safe approach is to color your hair at least a week before surgery and wait 2-3 weeks after surgery for your next treatment.

Question 6

How soon can I wash my hair after surgery?

Accepted Answer

You will be able to wash the hair with regular shampoo on the 3rd day after surgery. For the first two days we encourage patients to spray the area gently with saline (provided on the day of surgery) and gently pour warm water over the grafts. Patients may also lay a washcloth on the scalp to soften the spray from the shower head.

Question 7

Should I take my other medication before surgery?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is very important that you continue the rest of your medications prior to surgery. This is especially true for blood pressure medications which will help minimize bleeding during surgery. If you are taking blood thinners electively (such as a baby aspirin) and your primary doctor is comfortable with you stopping it then these are the only drugs you would stop. We also urge patients to stop all supplements, especially vitamin E, fish oil, krill oil, garlic, gingko, or ginseng which may thin the blood. Even if your supplement is not on this list, it is not worth taking the chance that it may have unknown effects on the success of your surgery.

Question 8

Am I too young for hair surgery?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Shyam occasionally transplants men in their twenties. Candidacy depends on the existing pattern of hair loss, patient expectations, and family history. Medications are generally a good starting point for men this age. If the area that can be transplanted will look good in both the long and the short run, regardless of future hair loss, you may be a candidate.

Women can undergo hair transplantation at nearly any age. This is because for most women the frontal hairline stays intact. It does not usually move backwards as a male hairline can.

Question 9

Can I smoke before surgery?

Accepted Answer

Patients who smoke are encouraged to discontinue cigarettes preferably for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery. Nicotine can reduce local blood supply that is crucial for normal healing after surgery.

Question 10

What is a hair transplant megasession and do I need one?

Accepted Answer

The definition of a megasession varies, anywhere from 2000-6000 follicular unit grafts performed in a single session. This term is frequently used for marketing purposes to attract patients who want to achieve dramatic results in a single session. It is important to be aware that graft survival drops off dramatically once they have been harvested for 8 or more hours. For this reason, Dr. Shyam suggests that those patients requiring a large number of grafts should consider multiple procedures rather than one lengthy procedure. The limitations of these procedures is that with prolonged time out of the body (8 or more hours) the survival of the grafts can dramatically drop off.

Patients who are in need of more than 2000 grafts should consider having staged procedures over 1-2 years, or plan for a two-day procedure, in which half the grafts are harvested and transplanted each day. This way, the other follicular units can remain in the body with normal blood supply and survival until they are ready to be placed.

ARTAS represents a robotic technology used to perform FUE (follicular unit extraction) technique. It represents an interesting and exciting technology that allows a computer to angle and harvest each follicular unit individually from the donor scalp. Manual extraction is still required to remove the grafts. Also, there is considerable risk of transection (damage to the grafts) if the robot is not aligned properly. It is unclear how widely this machine will be adopted. Presently its size, expense, and technical limitations are factors being considered by many hair transplant surgeons.

Question 11

Are Platelet Rich Plasma treatments safe?

Accepted Answer

Since PRP is collected from a patient’s own blood, the treatment is extremely safe. Unlike hair loss treatments that require medication, PRP does not produce unwanted side effects.

Question 12

How many PRP treatments are required?

Accepted Answer

To maintain the full benefits of the PRP treatments, our protocol includes three treatment sessions spaced 4-6 weeks apart and a maintenance regimen of 1-2 treatments per year.

Question 13

Are PRP treatments painful?

Accepted Answer

Although patients may experience slight discomfort during the injection process, ice and vibratory stimuli are applied to help make the process as comfortable as possible.

Question 14

How long is the PRP recovery time?

Accepted Answer

One of the many benefits of PRP treatment is that there is no downtime or recovery process.

Question 15

Is all PRP the same?

Accepted Answer

Platelet Rich Plasma is not a uniform product since each person’s blood composition and medical history are different. In addition, there is wide variability in the collection process and injection technique. This variability can affect treatment response. Therefore, it is extremely important that you see a board-certified dermatologist specializing in hair loss and with experience in PRP.

Question 16

Is PRP right for you?

Accepted Answer

When you meet with Dr. Shyam for your hair loss consultation, he will work with you to determine if PRP may be a good option as part of your personalized hair loss treatment regimen.

Question 17

What is involved in a PRP treatment session?

Accepted Answer

PRP is a process that involves a blood draw (similar to getting blood work). The collection tube is then placed in a centrifuge to separate the platelets which are then concentrated. This platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into the treatment areas of the scalp at the precise level of the hair follicles. The entire process takes about 15 minutes.

Question 18

Are there any side effects to the treatment?

Accepted Answer

Since PRP is collected from your own blood, the treatment is extremely safe. Patients may experience slight discomfort during the injection process but we use ice and vibratory stimuli to make the process as comfortable as possible. Dr. Shyam has never had a patient who could not tolerate the treatments. There is no downtime or recovery process.

Question 19

How many treatments are required and what is the effectiveness of PRP?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Shyam is a leading researcher in the use of PRP and helped to develop the treatment regimen for hair loss. The protocol includes 3 treatment sessions spaced 4-6 weeks apart and a maintenance regimen of 1-2 treatments per year is usually required to maintain the full benefits of the PRP treatment. In Dr. Shyam’s experience and based on the evidence in the literature, PRP has a success rate of ~80% (Success is defined by decreasing hair loss, increasing thickness of existing hairs and prolonging the hair growth phase). Most importantly, the best results are seen when PRP is combined with other treatment options such as minoxidil, finasteride or low level light therapy.

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