13.22Examples of Applications for Hair Transplants

13.22.1 Male Pattern Baldness

Hair transplants can be used in young patients to thicken deepening recessions or in the older male with extensive baldness. As has been discussed, principles in planning need to be applied carefully so as to select the appropriate patient based on age, family history, hair type, and expectations. Figure 13.33 illustrates the growth of one session of 2,200 follicular unit grafts in a male in his 20s. Care must be taken to limit the grafting to the frontal area and to stress that further sessions will likely be required as he ages.

Figure 13.34 shows a male that started transplantation in his 70s. He had worn a hair piece for most of his life and finally decided he “just wanted hair.” In this type of patient, one can be more aggressive with the size of area to be treated since the thinning pattern is very well established and the patient has excellent hair characteristics.

a

b

13.22.3 Transplants After Rhytidectomy

Scarring and hair loss can occur after rhytidectomy at the temples with loss of side burn hair, anteriorsuperior to the ear, behind the anterior hairline, as well as behind the ear in the lower/lateral occipital region. Figure 13.36 shows a female that had a face lift in her late 20s that resulted in an extensive unnatural lift to her anterior hairline and scarring behind.

Fig. 13.33 (a) A male in his 20s has a hairline drawn on to show conservative placement. Transplanting will be limited to frontal scalp only. (b) After one session of 2,200 FUs. A second and potentially a third session are planned. (c) Hair combed forward to show light coverage. This patient has minimal contrast of hair to scalp. If the patient had black, course hair, the scalp would show through even more, necessitating even more the need for another session