Rahal Hair Transplant

@lastfolliculestanding, Because follicles are taken from the sides and back of the scalp one by one and in different areas of the scalp from where the strip is taken in conjunction with the fact that hair will be transplanted in different regions of the scalp then the FUT procedure, technically, you could actually undergo FUE sooner than later. However, there are certain advantages to waiting in my opinion. for example, you don’t know exactly how the results will look in the frontal region and while complications are rare, it may be better to see how the results from him before deciding where the next procedure will be targeted. Secondly, there is the issue of donor shock loss. Some individuals experience moderate to significant shock loss in a donor area meaning that some of the grafts surrounding the strip could be affected and fall out. Because they are potentially already vulnerable due to the previous surgery, extracting some of them while vulnerable may not be prudent. Knowing this ahead of time, this may limit the number of graphs a doctor would be willing to take via FUE during the time they are vulnerable, thus limiting what could be accomplished during your first FUE procedure. Now, keep in mind that this is my opinion and not necessarily that of Dr. Rahal. Calling my opinion, I would suggest waiting for a while based on the reasons I mentioned above. I hope this helps. Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@Jlee While the only nonsurgical solutions truly proven to slow down, stop, or even reverse the effects of male pattern baldness or finasteride and minoxidil,, I have no doubt that there are natural supplements and other products that can potentially improve one’s hair. My opinion is, continue with whats working. And as others have said, you may also be a good responder to proven treatments that you could consider trying at any point. Just be sure to speak to a physician as there are possible side effects associated with both, more so finasteride. Best wishes, Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

In November 2022, our patient embarked on a hair transformation journey with Dr. Rahal, opting for a single FUE hair transplant. The procedure involved transplanting 2880 grafts and 6440 hairs, strategically concentrated in zones 1 to 4. Key Details Recipient Area Size: 47cm2 Grafts: 1-Hair FUs: 445 2-Hair FUs: 1414 3-Hair FUs: 917 4-Hair FUs: 104 Total Grafts: 2880 | Total Hairs: 6440 Average Hairs Per Graft: 2.24 Recipient Graft Density: 38.9 Recipient Hair Density: 87 At 29 years old, this patient had been using finasteride and minoxidil before the surgery, with no knowledge of any familial hair loss patterns. When we caught up with him at the 12-month mark, his joy with the results was insatiable. Even earlier, at 8 months post-surgery, he couldn't contain his satisfaction and expressed it via email. Take a peek at his remarkable before-and-after images below and don't hesitate to share your thoughts! Collages Individual All the Best, Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@Bucky O Hair, Everybody grows at different rates so yes, this is very possible. Keep in mind Also that not all hairs will start growing at the same time. For example, you could easily start seeing signs of early new hair growth around 11 weeks. And you’d likely get excited thinking that because you’re an early grower, you’re going to see in the end result sooner than whats typical. However, months could go by without seeing any significant cosmetic improvement because many of transplanted follicles still haven’t started growing hair. Or perhaps they have but they’re taking a lot longer to thicken, darken and mature. Personally, I’ve seen some patients blossom pretty suddenly from what seemed like one month to the next while others seem to grow in so gradually that they hardly notice any changes from month to month. The latter only really notice a substantial change when they compare their before pictures to what they look like at 12 months. So long story short, pretty much anything goes in terms of growth. I hope this helps Rahal Hair Transplant

@nevo, The truth is, everybody is different and medication works differently for everybody. While some are exceptional responders to finasteride anime even see a significant reversal in their genetic hair loss, others may continue to lose hair. The truth is, everybody is different and medication works differently for everybody. While some are exceptional responders to finasteride anime even see a significant reversal in their genetic hair loss, others may continue to lose hair. Most however, fall in between and typically maintain the existing hair they have. similarly, the amount of medication that works for each individual will vary. The recommended dosage is 1 mg. In my opinion, speak to a doctor about dosage before taking the medication or changing it. That said, it’s important to work for a doctor to find those that works for you. If you are experiencing side effects at the recommended 1 mg dose, you may want to talk to your doctor about reducing it to see if that works. But to address your original point, yes, some men will respond well to a lower dose of finasteride and some will likely need a higher dose or even have to switch to Dutasteride. I hope this helps Rahal Hair Transplant

@Woody1000, The truth is, the vast majority of men who take finasteride and even minoxidil in conjunction with it are maintaining their existing hair rather than actually regrowing any. Now, a smaller percentage of men may be experiencing what appears to be a good bit of regrowth and while I certainly don’t want to discount the miracle that this is… it’s because 1) they are a good responder to the medication and 2) the many miniaturizing hairs still on their head begin to thicken, darken and become terminal (aka normal healthy hair). This reversal process is cosmetically significant for these individuals in which is a miracle. But do understand that these medication‘s did not regrow hair from a completely bald area but instead, simply reversed the effects of male pattern baldness that were still in place. The bottom line is, men have a much better chance of experiencing what seems like significant regrowth from medication if they catch their hair loss early enough. I hope this helps Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@secondtryuser, At 21 days postop, the newly transplanted hairs are fully secured and it would literally take surgery to remove them. Grafts are typically secured between 7 to 10 days after surgery so unless you’re concerned about something that happened in the first seven days, you’re very likely worrying yourself for nothing. All that to say, you are still in the healing phase which can take some time. In fact, depending on many variables and factors, it could take up to a year or even longer for certain aspects of the procedure to stabilize and become what you would consider normal. For example, the fact that your scalp seems sensitive to the touch as if there’s some kind of sensation loss can occur for many months and even longer in some casesFor example, the fact that your scalp seems sensitive to the touch as if there’s some kind of sensation loss can occur for many months and even longer in some cases. Now, I’m not sure exactly what your girlfriend did but it essentially sounds like she touch yourself in a certain way such as by cupping her hand. I don’t know the kind of pressure she used but I imagine it wasn’t hard. But the tingling you felt is very likely because of the severed nerves during hair transplant surgery. As previously stated, any abnormal sensations such as these may take a bit of time before they go away. Some, have the potential to never fully go away but they certainly will improve over time. I hope this helps. Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@LaNada, In my opinion, temporal points are a personal preference. But at the end of the day, the most important issue is naturalness. Allow me to explain. Creating a natural looking hairline includes framing the face. This may or may not include the creation of temple points. For those who are candidates and have previously possessed and lost their natural temple points, re-creating them makes a lot of sense. On the other hand, even if someone is a candidate, temple points may not look natural on them or even if they do, creating temple points on someone who never naturally possessed them may draw more attention to the fact that they’ve had work done. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing if the individual is OK with that. Besides, the attention will very likely be positive if everything was done right. Before surgery begins, Dr. Rahal will sit down with the patient and together, they will decide on the hairline. This may or may not include temple points based on discussion of the above factors. Now, in regards to your case specifically, since I’m not seeing any photos of the top of the head (to see the degree of hair loss you are experiencing) or the donor (to get an idea of how much donor you have available), I can’t really provide any real opinion regarding lowering your hairline substantially or creating tempo points would be appropriate. Keep in mind also that using grafts to create tempo points will take some grafts away from other areas of the scalp. with all the above to say, what did your natural hair line look like prior to any hair loss? Did you possess temple points naturally? If so, did you like them and would you like to re-create them if possible? If not, how do you think you would look with temple points? The above points are certainly ones to think about and ones to discuss with the surgeons you are considering. I hope this helps. Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

In March 2021, our patient underwent a single FUE hair transplant with Dr. Rahal, receiving 2435 grafts and 5345 hairs concentrated in zones 1 to 3. Key Details Recipient Area Size: 47cm2 Grafts: 1-Hair FUs: 281 2-Hair FUs: 1398 3-Hair FUs: 715 4-Hair FUs: 41 Total Grafts: 2435 | Total Hairs: 5345 Average Hairs Per Graft: 2.2 Recipient Graft Density: 51 Recipient Hair Density: 113 Starting finasteride 10 months pre-procedure and adopting Rogaine post-surgery, the patient also underwent PRP during and after his hair transplant. His family history, limited to his maternal side, reflects a Norwood class 5A hair loss. Thrilled with the outcome, the patient shared his satisfaction with us firsthand. View his before-and-after results below and share your thoughts. Collages Individual Warmly, Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@wprevil, Personally, I don’t like to use the word pain. I prefer the word discomfort. But the truth is, everybody has a different tolerance to pain/discomfort so without knowing exactly how you’re feeling, it’s difficult to suggest whether what you’re feeling is normal. I will say this though. It is perfectly normal to experience some level of discomfort several weeks after hair transplant surgery. After all, many incisions have been made all over your scalp and while the procedure is considered minimally invasive, incisions made were still deep enough to insert hair follicles so that they will grow. The pain/discomfort people typically feel several weeks postop is the actual healing process taking place so that sense, it is perfectly normal. on the other hand, if The pain you are feeling is substantial, hard to bear and:or doesn’t seem normal compared to what I am described above… I would suggest contacting your surgeon/clinic immediately to discuss your concerns. At the very least, your doctor may prescribe something to help you deal with the pain while healing. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@Cory, This is a good question. And I can’t speak for other clinics but Dr. Rahal does reject patients but only if he genuinely feels that the procedure is not in their best interest. But as you said, this is very subjective. So let me explain. Hair transplant surgery is a matter of supply and demand. And the sad reality is, some patients just can’t get what they want because they simply have a much greater demand for hair than they do donor supply. When this happens, a surgeon has to make a very careful decision. Do they operate and risk the patient not being happy even if the patient claims to understand what can be expected? Or does he turn the patient down because he recognizes that the patient will never actually be happy with the results that can be achieved given their state. Then there is the reality that many patients with advanced hair loss also have substantial thinning in the donor area. These Individuals typically are just not candidates because even if they would be satisfied with a sprinkling of hair on top, their donor would look even more exceptionally thin and a natural if any donor hair is moved. Hair loss can be very emotional for men. Many men who aren’t the best candidates for hair transplant surgery may claim they have realistic expectations simply because they’re so desperate to have any additional hair on top of their head at that time. But once the results actually grow in, they’re left dissatisfied and frankly, the results aren’t going to appear top-notch compared to all the results the surgeon is capable of simply because the individual didn’t have the characteristics to make it happen. At the end of the day, Dr. Rahal makes decisions on a case by case basis depending on a number of factors which includes, the patient’s age, whether or not they are currently on or willing to get on non-surgical treatments such as finasteride and or minoxidil, family history of hair loss, current hair loss pattern, projected future hair loss, donor hair availability over the course of a patient’s lifetime which Dr. Rahal has a scientific formula to calculate (this includes donor hair density), caliber of hair, scalp to hair color ratio which can make a difference in the overall appearance of density, patient’s expectations and more. I hope this helps. Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@SaulGood, It’s considered normal to lose between 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of the normal hair growth cycle. This doesn’t mean you’re necessarily losing hair but that your terminal, healthy hair is in the process of cycling and will return. That said, if you feel that your overall hair seems to be on the thinner side and continuing to thin out, you may still be experiencing ongoing male pattern, baldness which continues despite surgical hair restoration. Now, finasteride and other nonsurgical solutions such as minoxidil typically do a pretty good job for most men in slowing down or stopping the progression of genetic hair loss. In some cases, it might even thicken thinning hair. That said, it doesn’t work for everybody, and in some cases, it’s difficult to tell if it’s working. This is because even if your hair is continuing to thin, it might fall out even faster if you weren’t using finasteride. That’s the conundrum. I don’t know how long ago you had your hair transplant, but in my opinion, I will continue doing what you’re doing nonsurgically as long as your doctor approves it and if you need to go in for a second pass to thicken your hair, you always have that option assuming do you have a donor for it. A rectal surgeon will always leave donor hair and reserve in the event of the possibility of future loss. I hope this helps. Patient advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@Cocop., To clarify, the photos you presented… are they yours? Because you said that you experienced pimples like the ones in the photos which seems to imply that the photos you presented are not your own. If that’s the case, it would be very difficult to provide you with any real opinion especially since you said you started experiencing pimples around 3 months and you’re now 17 months postop. So, I have there been any changes betweenw three months and 17 months? Or are you saying that you still seem to have these pimple-like bumps/marks on your scalp? I should just posting some photos of your scalp/hair prior to surgery, then at three months when you started experiencing these bumps and finally, showing your hair and scalp today in the area of the transplant. Without those photos, it will be difficult to provide any real assessment or opinion. But in general, I would say if you are still experiencing some kind of bumps pimples and 17 months postop, you should speak with your surgeon because this is not normal. Best wishes, Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@baldiee, Every surgeon and clinic has their own set of postoperative instructions and in my opinion, it’s always best to follow what your surgeon/clinic has given you. This is especially true for scab/crust removal in my opinion because there are so many variables in terms of how the graphs are transplanted, the size and depth of the incisions, patient healing characteristics, etc. The reason I mention the above is because some clinics will suggest that it’s OK to start working on the scams as early as 3 to 4 days after surgery and others will advise you to wait the full 7 to 10 days which is when grafts are typically fully secured in the scalp. I have seen some advised waiting even longer although personally, I think waiting longer than 7 to 10 days to begin gently working off the scabs in the shower is a little overly cautious. Long story short, I strongly recommend that you ask your surgeon/clinic what they advise for your specific case. But generally speaking, typically hair transplant patients begin gently working the scabs off in the shower with their fingertips between 5 to 7 days postop. I hope this helps. Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@honey21790, to be honest, the photos are not ideal but when I look at the pictures, in particular, the photo showing the side of the head… there definitely seems to be some thinner or thinning areas. The question is, what are they and why? Typically, thinner looking donors are not ideal to proceed with hair transplant surgery because it limits how much hair can be safely moved. Also, if the thinner donor is indicative of an ongoing hair loss issue such as retrograde alopecia, diffused unpatterned alopecia, etc. then there essentially is no safe area to harvest hair from for transplanting. Ultimately, if that hair was programmed to fall out due to either of these hair loss conditions, transplanting it into another area of the scalp won’t prevent this from happening. If you possess either of these hair loss conditions, there’s really no way to know for sure which hairs in the donor are programmed to fall out and which ones aren’t. Now, in the first picture… Is that the same as the other two but with longer hair? Because the first picture makes it look like the donor could be acceptable for transplanting. But, if this is the same scalp, it goes to show that a picture can’t necessarily determine with 100% certainty if somebody is a candidate for surgery or not. Sometimes what appears true in a picture is later debunked in person during an evaluation. I hope this helps, Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@TheManeMan, The transplanted hair shed you are talking about typically occurs between 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure. This is before new growth even begins which is between 3 to 5 months after the procedure. That said, hair can shed for a number of other reasons. For example, if you just recently started hearing loss medication such as finasteride or minoxidil, hair can begin to shed as a sign that the medication is working. People also often refer to a seasonal shed where more than an average amount of hair will enter into the telogen phase than usual. Of course, it’s also considered normal to lose between 50 to 100 hairs daily due to the normal hair growth cycle. in all of the cases mentioned above, these hairs will return/grow back. The other case may be that you are experiencing the continued progression of male pattern baldness. Wild hair transplant surgery is great and is the only way to grow hair in completely bald areas… It does nothing to stop the progression of androgenetic alopecia a.k.a. genetic hair loss. I suspect that what you are experiencing is one of the above scenarios. I do suggest speaking to your hair transplant surgeon if you suspect you’re losing transplant and hair (other than some temporary shedding) because this is not typical i hope this helps Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@son2, Don’t worry, people get sick all the time and it doesn’t affect their hair transplant result. So whether it be the flu, a common cold or even Covid… just take good care of yourself like you normally would and you’re transplanted hair will grow normally as it should. Newly transplanted hair typically starts to grow between three and five months after your procedure and will take up to 12 to 18 months to fully mature. I hope this helps Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@Optimistic1, when I read the title of this topic, I automatically was thinking that you were experiencing post operative Telogen effluvium known as shock loss. However, you are already seven months in and by your description, you’ve already seen some pretty substantial growth by six months. By the sounds of it, you were starting to really like the way your hair was looking and since there is more growth and maturation to come over the next several months, it sounds like you should be happy with your results. But shock loss is clearly not the issue here. Are you currently taking anything like finasteride or minoxidil in order to slow down or stop the progression of male pattern baldness? In my opinion, it simply sounds like your genetic hair loss is getting worse. And while you may have only just noticed this within the last month, it’s likely been going on this whole time. It’s just that all the last several months, you were likely experiencing a lot of newly transplanted hair growth so you were noticing the net gain while this past month… Your new growth may have slowed down giving you a chance to see that your natural hair is still thinning. if you’re not already, I do suggest considering getting on finasteride and possibly minoxidil in conjunction which may help slow down, stop or even reverse some of your naturally thinning hair due to genetic hair loss. Just be sure to speak with the doctor before getting on any prescription medication such as finasteride. I hope this helps Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

@foursquare, In my personal opinion, it’s a good idea to wash your hair and scalp every day for at least the first 10 days even if the scabs are gone before that. However, if the scabs persist longer than 10 days, I would continue to wash your scalp and hair daily for at least until the scabs are gone. That said, in general, it’s a good idea to keep your hair and scalp clean especially while your scalp is healing and your newly transplanted hair is in the process of growing. So even if you don’t wash your hair every day after a while, I would at least wash your hair and scalp every other day. In general, the principle is to keep your hair and scalp clean so that the environment is optimal for your transplanted hair to grow. If you happen to be one of those individuals where your hair and scalp become too dry with daily washing, then you can either try switching to a less harsh product like baby shampoo or wash less frequently after your scalp heals. I hope this helps. Patient Advocate for Rahal Hair Transplant

Dr. Rahal performs exclusive FUE hair transplantation at his clinics in both Ottawa and Toronto. In April of 2021, the following patient had a life-changing FUE hair transplant. Dr. Rahal worked his magic, transplanting a total of 3080 grafts and 7471 hairs in just one session. They were all about the frontal area, zones 1 to 4, aiming for that perfect, age-appropriate hairline and coverage behind it. Here are the details: &&& Zone 1,2,3,4 &&& Recipient Area Size - 85cm2 1 Haired FUs - 368 2 Haired FUs - 1266 3 Haired FUs - 1213 4 Haired FUs - 233 Total Grafts - 3080 Total Hairs - 7471 Average Hairs Per Graft - 2.4 Recipient Graft Density - 36 Recipient Hair Density - 87 At 43, the patient decided to begin his hair restoration journey even though his hair loss began back in his mid-20s. He gave minoxidil a shot for 5 to 6 years before taking the plunge for a hair transplant. However, he never attempted finasteride. To his knowledge, he has no family history of hair woes! Bright eyes and all smiles, the patient is thrilled with his results. His brief but bold email gushing about his new look is below. Testimonial Take a peek at his before-and-after shots and share your thoughts with us below. Collages Individual Photos Best wishes, Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@mojones, Shock loss or surgical telogen effluvium can occur at various times and stages of the hair Transplant healing process depending on the patient. But on average, patients typically experience shock loss between 6 to 8 weeks after surgery and can take up to 6 to 12 months for the shocked hair to fully return. So to answer your question directly, yes, what you are seeing at 4 months postop is likely shock loss and early stages of growth of the transplanted hair. I hope this helps Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@duchaine, you’re right… templle point reconstruction can be a vital component in refining or rebuilding a natural looking hairline. Firstly, it’s important to note whether or not a particular patient previously possessed temple points to be restored. Now, in some cases, even if the patient never had any real defining temple points, it may look natural to create them. This obviously would be a discussion with the patient when designing the hairline, prior to undergoing surgery. In other cases, natural looking or not, creating temple points where there weren’t any previously may draw more attention to their hair. So that is something that every patient must be aware of. On the other hand, restoring temple points that were once present may make the most sense depending on the patient and three of hair loss and how many grafts can be used for hairline reconstruction. at the end of the day, it really depends on the patient and what ultimately looks natural. Best wishes, Patient advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@eshda, First off, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I’m sure this will be a wonderful day and one that you will remember for the rest of your life. I certainly understand why you want to attend your upcoming wedding with a nice, full head of hair that you can show off to everyone you know. that said, new Transplant hair growth typically only starts between 3 to 5 months and this varies from patient to patient. The truth is, some patients do start seeing a nice amount of growth at only five months but others may only just be starting to experience the first signs of growth at that time. So all that to say, there is absolutely no way to guarantee that you’re going to see a lot of hair growth by the time of your wedding if you have a hair transplant in December. In fact, I Think it would be safer to assume that you probably won’t so before you decide to undergo The procedure, please keep the hair transplant growth timeline in mind. I hope this helps Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

@supremegod, As others have already indicated, Weed and tobacco can restrict the blood vessels and as a result, it’s a good idea to stop smoking 10 to 14 days prior to surgery and you can resume again 10 to 14 days after surgery. Now, this is strictly my opinion and it is not coming directly from Dr. Rahal. Just be sure to check with your surgeon as what they advised recommend since every surgeon/clinic has their own preoperative and postoperative instructions. I hope this helps Patient Advocate - Rahal Hair Transplant

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