Hair length prior to consultation

[sillymusic]

Hello all

 

First post and possibly a daft question, whats your thoughts on ideal hair length to get the most out of a consultation? Would short or longer hair provide the best indication to evaluate donor availability and to ascertain hair characteristics.

 

I need to decide whether to get a hair cut prior to the consultation, im currently roughly a 5/6 grade back and sides. Frankly, getting the barnet done is always torture but needs must

 

Cheers

[Cant decide]

Definitely your hair should be as long as possible (Within reason). I would say 3-4 inches long would be ideal. Very short hair for the purposes of a consultation is not good.

[sillymusic]

Thanks Cant Decide, I was hoping that would be feedback lol

 

I was wondering if there is an industry recognised standard technique on how donor availability is calculated, is there a small section removed and placed under a microscope for instance or a high resolution picture taken etc

 

Cheers

[Cant decide]

Depends on the doc. Some do it with a densometer (Like a microscope) and some just estimate visually. No hair is removed to determine donor density. Laxity of course is also checked by moving the scalp up and down.

[sillymusic]

Thanks, should say I had a (so far) disappointing FUE op in January, now understanding how important using the donor hair wisely is I was curious what the docs recommended here do.

The first was a visual only, as presumably I was a virgin scalp. I’m doing those laxity exercises at the moment in preparation.

[gillenator]

Hair length is not a big issue for most doctors in the consultation. Shorter hair is of some benefit because the surgeon can see the donor FUs better.

 

Some docs use a densitometer as can't decide pointed out, and some use a digital scope which they can put on a monitor so the patient can see their own scalp under magnification. I wish all docs did this whether its a virgin scalp or not. IMHO, it's the best means to determine and calculate donor density but it also affords both the patient and doctor where miniaturization is impeding the scalp.

 

Basically the doctor counts the number of FUs and individual hair shafts within a defined surface area throughout the donor zone. Donor density can and will vary throughout the occipital zone. When using a densitometer, the instrument already has a 1cm2 viewing lens incorporated and there is also a light switch to brighten the view. So again the doctor counts the hair shafts and FUs within that confined surface area, charts the numbers and then moves to a different area of the donor zone and calculates again.

 

This information gives the surgeon a good idea on how long and wide to excise the strip specimen. When considering FUE, this microscopic evaluation also allows the surgeon to evaluate donor density and where best to begin extractions. If the surgeon finds that one area of the occipital zone is higher, they may choose to harvest that area first. They can explain this all to the patient as they view their respective donor densities on a monitor during the consultation.

 

Then after the procedure, the digital scope once again allows the surgeon to document the regrowth and respective yields for each patient and even download the images to the patients' charts. The instrument allows the recipient area to be greatly magnified and see the newly transplanted FUs sprouting in regrowth. Of course it would also confirm little growth or poor yields as well. This is why a series of photos should be saved and downloaded starting with the patients' pre-op photos and then through all of the follow-up visits all the way to maturity.

 

This is a very easy system to incorporate and maintain once the digital scope and monitor is purchased. The files can be transferred to external hard drives, etc.

[Slickers]

RE hair length for consultations, what Gillenator said.

 

Who was your FUE with?

[gillenator]

RE hair length for consultations, what Gillenator said.

 

Who was your FUE with?

 

Not sure if you were asking me if I had FUE. I had all strip if you were.

[sillymusic]

Interesting, nice one Gillenator. I'd like to wait until the 12 month mark and see the final outcome but the doc's not part of the coalition. Intend to go into this one much better educated, this forum's a great help

[gillenator]

I commend you for doing your research!

[Slickers]

Not sure if you were asking me if I had FUE. I had all strip if you were.

 

No sorry the OP...

 

SM sorry to hear that. I had a similar experience (a good few years ago now I should add). Best of luck with your next decision.

[Cant decide]

For what its worth, I consulted with the same doc twice in 3 months (He did not remember me the second time and I did not remind him). The first time my hair was buzzed to 1/2 inch and the second, it was about 2 inches long. He gave me 2 totally different opinions

[sillymusic]

Thanks all

[MAGNUMpi]

Hair length is not a big issue for most doctors in the consultation. Shorter hair is of some benefit because the surgeon can see the donor FUs better.

 

Some docs use a densitometer as can't decide pointed out, and some use a digital scope which they can put on a monitor so the patient can see their own scalp under magnification. I wish all docs did this whether its a virgin scalp or not. IMHO, it's the best means to determine and calculate donor density but it also affords both the patient and doctor where miniaturization is impeding the scalp.

 

Basically the doctor counts the number of FUs and individual hair shafts within a defined surface area throughout the donor zone. Donor density can and will vary throughout the occipital zone. When using a densitometer, the instrument already has a 1cm2 viewing lens incorporated and there is also a light switch to brighten the view. So again the doctor counts the hair shafts and FUs within that confined surface area, charts the numbers and then moves to a different area of the donor zone and calculates again.

 

This information gives the surgeon a good idea on how long and wide to excise the strip specimen. When considering FUE, this microscopic evaluation also allows the surgeon to evaluate donor density and where best to begin extractions. If the surgeon finds that one area of the occipital zone is higher, they may choose to harvest that area first. They can explain this all to the patient as they view their respective donor densities on a monitor during the consultation.

 

Then after the procedure, the digital scope once again allows the surgeon to document the regrowth and respective yields for each patient and even download the images to the patients' charts. The instrument allows the recipient area to be greatly magnified and see the newly transplanted FUs sprouting in regrowth. Of course it would also confirm little growth or poor yields as well. This is why a series of photos should be saved and downloaded starting with the patients' pre-op photos and then through all of the follow-up visits all the way to maturity.

 

This is a very easy system to incorporate and maintain once the digital scope and monitor is purchased. The files can be transferred to external hard drives, etc.

Interesting. Thanks Gillenator.