All posts by Tempus Hair Restoration

A New Look at Transgender Hair Transplants

Women's Hair Tansplants, ,

Transgender females and males now have a wide range of resources to help complete the process of aligning their physical appearance with their gender identity. Hair transplantation to create the correct feminine hairline for transgender women and facial hair transplants to further masculinize the appearance of transgender men have gone mainstream, and are heavily promoted – making the caution to choose your surgeon wisely more relevant than ever.

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – has been honored to help our transgender patients fulfill their challenging journey. As one of the first hair restoration surgeons in the United States to welcome transgender patients with respect and support, Dr. Barusco continues to serve members of this diverse community through his experience, skill and strong sense of aesthetics.

“We have many patients who come to us for help during their transition period,” says Dr. Barusco. “Of course, that involves a lot of medical therapy, hormone replacement and commitment on the patient’s part. I greatly admire the courage of people who are going through these transitions, as they are not easy from a psychological or social standpoint.”

If you’re ready to take this next step in your transition, you may already be knowledgeable about your hair transplantation options. However, there is always something new to learn. Because you want to achieve the best possible result, we will look at the many factors involved, and the elements that can affect the process.

We also invite you to watch Dr. Barusco’s video – “Hair Restoration Surgery for Transgenders” – on his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice. In this informative video, Dr. Barusco discusses the process in greater detail, and describes the procedure he performed for Ronie, a transgender woman who wanted a feminine hairline and correction of balding scalp areas so she could feel complete as a female and confident going out in public without a wig.

The Art and Technique of Creating a Feminine Hairline for Transgender Females

For those transitioning from male to female, the male hairline presents an aesthetic obstacle, as the hairline and growth patterns for males and females are noticeably different. As our blog post – “Transgender Hair Transplants – Becoming Your True Self, Beautifully” – notes, the male hairline has the following characteristics:

  • A lower overall position.
  • M-shape – temporal corners are further back.
  • Forward flow pattern frontal hairs – angles project straight forward.

Conversely, the female hairline is characterized by the following:

  • A higher overall position.
  • Inverted U-shape – creates an oval effect.
  • Frontal hairs in a backward-facing whorl flow pattern – also known as a “cowlick” growth pattern.

For this reason, we introduce our first note of caution. If the hair restoration surgeon you consult recommends a hairline lowering procedure, know that this technique won’t produce a good result, as it was designed to address issues with a cis female hairline. The objective here is to create a female hairline, rather than to correct one. Lowering the hairline alone does nothing to fill in the outer temple areas, which are critical to crafting the new feminine hairline.

Here is where the skill and artistry of the hair transplant surgeon is of particular importance. There is more to creating a feminine hairline than simply making an oval shape around the face. Just as a cosmetic surgeon specializing in rhinoplasty carefully considers the unique facial characteristics of each patient to reshape the nose in perfect, attractive proportion to the face itself, so does an advanced hair restoration surgeon in performing hairline feminization. There is no one-shape-fits-all approach. The surgeon must be able to correctly place each hair graft so that the hair grows and falls around the face in a natural, pleasing manner. The ideal outcome is the achievement of feminine beauty, not just an appropriate hairline.

Addressing Male Pattern Baldness in Transgender Females and Males

Depending upon when you began your journey transitioning to female, you may have been experiencing hair loss as the result of androgenetic alopecia. This is popularly known as male pattern hair loss (although it also occurs in women), and is genetically predetermined. Undergoing hormone therapy will help to slow or stop further loss as estrogen levels increase, but it can’t reverse existing hair loss. Only a hair transplant procedure can address bald areas of the scalp.

In the case of balding at the crown (vortex), a transplant can be successful and achieve the look of natural growth. Our blog post – “Crowning Glory – The Art of Hair Transplantation to the Crown Area” – covers the challenges involved, as well as the cross-hatching technique developed by Dr. Barusco, which he has written about for medical textbooks and reference publications.

Those transitioning from female to male may begin experiencing androgenetic alopecia as testosterone therapy replaces estrogen. For either situation, the same types of hair transplantation procedures apply:

Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) – In this procedure developed by Dr. Barusco, follicular units in groupings of one, two or three hairs are individually extracted from the back of the head using small circular punch blades instead of a scalpel. The grafts are then transplanted to the thinning or balding areas of the scalp. Once the desired number of grafts are obtained, the donor sites are left to heal without suturing. The resulting scars are not readily visible and are easily concealed even by very short hair.

No-Shave FUE – Also developed by Dr. Barusco, the no-shave FUE completely conceals harvested donor sites immediately, allowing you to resume your regular activities with virtually no evidence of the procedure.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) – Also known as the “strip” method, the FUT procedure has undergone refinements over the years so that the only evidence is a pencil-line linear scar easily concealed by hair – even at a shorter length.

Combination FUE and FUT – This technique covers large areas of baldness in a single surgery. Patients with advanced hair loss are typically required to undergo multiple hair transplant procedures to obtain coverage – having to wait one year or more between procedures. This allows patients to achieve their ultimate goal sooner, with one procedure versus many. The combination FUE and FUT could be an appropriate procedure for those who began their male-to-female transition later in life, when hair loss from androgenetic alopecia was already well under way.

Facial Hair Transplants for Transgender Males

Facial hair transplant surgery is popular among transgender men to further masculinize their appearance so they can confidently be at ease in the world. Hormone therapy promotes facial hair growth, yet is often not dense enough to grow a full beard, mustache or sideburns. An eyebrow transplant may also be needed to provide the fullness typical of male eyebrows.

Techniques used for facial hair transplants differ from those used for the scalp, because the length, texture, characteristics and growth patterns of the hair differ. An experienced surgeon such as Dr. Barusco knows how hairs from different areas of the body behave, and has the skill and artistry to harvest those that are the best match, thereby ensuring the hair follicles are angled correctly when transplanted. Be aware that not all hair restoration surgeons are equal in their ability to create the appearance of natural facial hair growth.

Choose Your Surgeon Wisely, and Live Your Best Life as Your True Self!

You already have valuable experience in choosing the team of physicians and surgeons who have brought you this far. Knowing who to trust to make your new life a reality is important, and making the right hair restoration surgeon part of your team to provide the finishing touches is vital.

Ultimately, choose your surgeon based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you live your authentic best life!

What You Need to Know About Bodybuilding and Hair Loss

Male Hair Restoration,

Competitive bodybuilders have a laser-like focus and fierce determination to achieve their goals. If you are among those dedicated to chiseling yourself to perfection, that moment on the competition stage in front of the judges is the most important. During this critical time, showing your confidence is the direct result of your success in all aspects of your training – as well as your attitude about yourself during your daily life.

If you’ve been experiencing hair loss, your self-image could be negatively impacted. Let’s face the truth – in our society, the progression of hair loss signals the loss of youth and vitality, no matter how sculpted you are. Some men embrace their baldness, but not everyone has the shape of head that looks good completely bereft of hair. Although judges don’t award points for hair, they do take into account the amount of self-confidence you project.

You also might be wondering if all that’s involved in striving to be the best in this demanding sport that’s actually a way of life is causing your hairline to recede. It’s time to learn what you need to know about this complex issue so you can make informed decisions.

Does Bodybuilding Cause Hair Loss?

Hair loss is a common issue among bodybuilders, but is the process itself the cause? As you probably already know, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) – otherwise known as male pattern hair loss (although it also occurs in women) – is in the genetic hand you’ve been dealt. However, as our blog post – “How Lifestyle Affects Hair Loss” – covers, lifestyle can trigger hair loss, or accelerate it in those genetically predisposed.

But first, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. Those looking to increase muscle mass and athletic performance have long turned to anabolic steroids, despite their dangerous side effects. Add hair loss to the list. Although not life-threatening, it’s indicative of the other negative conditions steroid use triggers. Those who are genetically predisposed to AGA can quickly accelerate its progression. This is because the Type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme transforms testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT clings to receptors on hair follicles and causes them to weaken. Hair loss accelerated by steroid use is permanent.

Assuming you avoid anabolic steroids use, other factors can account for hair loss. Look at it this way. As a competitive bodybuilder, you push your body to the extreme for prolonged periods – far beyond what most others are willing or able to do. According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, intense resistance exercise itself can cause increases in androgenic hormones (testosterone for males). Our next section will cover the findings of this important study in further detail.

How Diet and Nutrition Can Affect Hair Loss for Bodybuilders – Facts and Myths

You may have read some conflicting reports on the effects of workout supplements and hair loss. Here is what we know for certain. Following a strict diet to maintain your physique may mean you’re not getting enough nutrients – such as vitamins and minerals – which are essential for healthy hair growth. Hair is sensitive to nutritional imbalances. An inadequate intake of essential vitamins or minerals can impact the hair growth (anagen phase) / rest cycle (telogen phase), leading to hair loss. However, such hair loss is temporary, and (in healthy individuals) hair resumes normal growth when nutritional balance is restored.

Creatine supplements have gained popularity as a means of enhancing stamina, developing strength and increasing muscle mass. However, creatine has a reputation for hair loss as a side effect. Although creatine may indirectly increase the level of DHT, no definitive link between creatine and balding has been established. According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition study cited earlier, this belief is based upon a single study in which college-aged male rugby players who supplemented with creatine experienced an increase in DHT concentrations over time.

“Given that changes in these hormones, particularly DHT, have been linked to some (but not all) occurrences of hair loss/baldness, the theory that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss / baldness gained some momentum and this potential link continues to be a common question / myth today. It is important to note that the results of [the study] have not been replicated, and that intense resistance exercise itself can cause increases in these androgenic hormones.”

So while creatine may not cause hair loss, keep in mind that maintaining a balance of nutrients is imperative in giving your body what it needs to be healthy, as well as to achieve optimum performance.

Making the Decision to Get a Hair Transplant

As a competitive bodybuilder, you know that appearances count! While most say they believe that people shouldn’t be judged on the basis of their appearance, you actually are, in every competition! For whatever reason you’re experiencing hair loss, a hair transplant procedure can help you get the psychological boost that gives you that all-important competitive edge. When you take the stage looking and feeling your very best, the judges will take notice!

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – counts many competitive bodybuilders among his patients, achieving the desirable look of healthy natural growth. He understands their concerns and recommends the most appropriate procedure for each individual’s situation.

In addition to the popular Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) procedures, Dr. Barusco offers two advanced – yet proven – procedures that can help those who are in the public eye and need to present a particular image to their audience. He developed the groundbreaking No-Shave FUE, which completely conceals harvested donor sites of the scalp immediately, allowing the patient to resume regular activities with virtually no evidence of the procedure.

The Combination FUE and FUT covers large areas of baldness in a single surgery. Patients with advanced hair loss are typically required to undergo multiple hair transplant procedures to obtain coverage of their entire bald scalp – having to wait one year or more between procedures. This allows patients to achieve their ultimate goal sooner, with one procedure versus many.

While each procedure provides an advantage to bodybuilders in regard to a reduction in aesthetic downtime that could affect your ability to compete, Dr. Barusco will base his recommendation on his determination as to whether you’re an appropriate candidate.

Regardless of which procedure is right for you, post-surgery care is crucial. You may have had a procedure that doesn’t look as if you’ve just received a hair transplant, but the surgical site needs sufficient time to heal. To give your hair grafts the best possible opportunity to heal and establish themselves, you should wait at least one month after a hair transplant before going to the gym, lifting weights or doing other strenuous exercise. This also will decrease the possibility of bleeding or trauma, which could affect the grafts. Your surgeon should take your lifestyle into account when giving post-op care instructions.

Choose Your Surgeon Wisely to Be Your Best

The path you’ve chosen as a competitive bodybuilder is demanding. As high as your standards of physical excellence are, you’re always striving to meet those of the judges. Your standards of a hair restoration surgeon should be just as high.

Choose your surgeon based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Questions to Ask a Hair Transplant Surgeon

Male Hair Restoration,

Have you made the big decision to undergo a hair transplant procedure? If so, you’ve most likely been paying attention to advertising by national brand clinics and other practices that position hair restoration somewhat as a consumer purchase. However, no matter what the procedure, hair transplant surgery is surgery. This takes it from the realm of a consumer purchase to a medical procedure. Once you see it from this lens, you understand how important it is to not only ask questions of the hair restoration surgeon who may be performing your procedure, but to ask the right questions. 

Heavily advertised clinics and practices depend upon consumers’ familiarity with their brand name, expecting you to assume that you’ll be treated well and get the outcome you want. However, as our blog post – “What to Look for in a Hair Transplant Surgeon” – states, choosing a hair transplant surgeon based solely upon the amount of advertising the doctor or practice does is no guarantee of good results. 

There are also those who “shop” by price only, looking for the practice offering the lowest cost and assuming that all hair restoration surgeons are equally skilled. This assumption is greatly mistaken. As our blog post – “Is Your Hair Transplant Surgeon Qualified? What You Need to Know!” – covers, the field of surgical hair restoration is not regulated by either the United States government or the medical community. According to the American Hair Loss Association, any licensed physician can legally perform hair transplant surgery without prior surgical training or accreditation of any kind. And as we frequently note, some clinics assign the harvesting and implantation of hair grafts to non-medical technicians, which has resulted in serious complications and outcomes ranging from poor to irreversible due to overharvesting of the donor site.

How to Find a Reputable Hair Restoration Practice

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – believes that knowledge is power – and therefore consumers need a base knowledge about the hair restoration field in order to make an informed decision. For this reason, we’ll start with how to find a reputable practice, which isn’t as easy as you may think. Advertising can be misleading, and websites that seem to be of an informative nature can have affiliate links, which means that the owner of the website is paid a percentage of the revenue of products sold on the site.

A valuable online resource for anyone considering a hair restoration procedure is the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS). This is a global non-profit medical association, and the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration. The ISHRS offers objective, unbiased information, and does not accept advertising or affiliate links. Its website provides free resources for consumers – such as its Find a Doctor database. This is maintained and updated with the name, location, contact information and link to the ISHRS member page of each doctor. Dr. Barusco is a Fellow of the ISHRS. This is a distinction that is only given to those who achieve certain landmarks on teaching and leadership. Currently, fewer than 10% of the ISHRS members are Fellows.

Questions to Ask the Surgeon During Your Consultation

Whether your consultation will be virtual or in-person, first make sure that you will be talking to the surgeon who will be performing your procedure – not a salesperson or medical technician. As our blog post – “The Importance of Consultation Before Hair Restoration Treatment” – cautions, if you’re told the doctor cannot or will not meet with you, leave – or don’t schedule the consultation in the first place. This is a red flag that should not be ignored!

For additional information on this topic, Dr. Barusco’s informative YouTube video – “The Importance of Consultation” – is a comprehensive discussion of what you should expect during your hair loss consultation. Running at just over 24 minutes, this video covers every aspect in detail – including Dr. Barusco’s observations about how less-than-conscientious practitioners fail their patients.

The following questions are courtesy of the ISHRS so that you can make an informed decision about the surgeon who will perform your hair restoration procedure.

The Physician’s Training and Credentials

Questions about the physician’s training include:

  • From what medical school did the physician receive his/her M.D. (Doctor of medicine, allopathic medical), D.O. (Doctor of osteopathic medicine) or M.B.B.S. (Bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery, also abbreviated as, M.B.Ch.B.) degree?
  • What year did he/she receive the medical degree?
  • When was the physician licensed to practice medicine? Is he/she licensed to practice medicine in your state/province or the state/province in which the treatment will take place?
  • Where (hospital or medical center) did the physician complete his/her internship and residency training?
  • Did the physician have additional training in a medical or surgical specialty after completing residency?
  • Is the physician board certified or a diplomate of a legitimate certifying board? Learn more about what this means.
  • Does the physician hold membership in their related specialty professional society? For hair restoration surgery, this is the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Do they attend scientific conferences and workshops? Membership and attendance in such societies is not essential, but it is an additional indication of commitment and advanced training.

The Physician’s Experience

If you are considering surgical hair restoration (hair transplantation, scalp reduction, flap grafting) you should want to know:

  • How long has the physician been doing surgical hair restoration procedures?
  • How many hair restoration procedures has the physician done? How many of the specific type you may consider having done?
  • How many hair restoration procedures does the physician currently do per month? A busy practice can be one indication that a surgeon is skilled and well respected by patients.
  • Is hair restoration surgery the physician’s only practice, or does the physician perform other types of cosmetic surgery? This question may be important to ask for two reasons: (1) if hair restoration is only part of an overall treatment you think you may need-for example, hair restoration and treatment to remove facial wrinkles and sun-damaged skin-a dermatologic or plastic surgeon will be able to consult with you regarding the overall treatment, and (2) to determine whether the surgeon performs enough hair restoration surgery to maintain his/her skills.
  • Will the physician, on request, provide names of patients who are willing to be references for the physician?

Other Relevant Questions 

  • Who will evaluate my hair loss and recommend a course of treatment? What is their education, training, licensure, and experience in treating hair loss? Only physicians, Physician’s Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are legally allowed to diagnose a patient and to recommend medical treatments. Otherwise, the person recommending procedures and/or treatments is practicing medicine without a license, a Felony crime in Florida and many other states.
  • Who will be involved in performing my surgery, what role will they play, and what is their education, training, licensure, and experience performing hair restoration surgery?
  • Will anyone not allowed by the State Medical Board be making incisions or harvesting grafts during my surgery? If so, please identify this person, explain their specific role and why they are legally permitted to perform it.
  • Is everyone involved in my surgery covered by malpractice insurance?

What is the Most Important Aspect of Choosing a Hair Restoration Surgeon?

As you’ve learned, a well-known brand name or cost should not be the basis of choosing a hair restoration surgeon. Being an informed patient and asking the right questions will help you achieve the outcome that allows you to face the world and live your best life with renewed self-confidence.

Ultimately, choose your surgeon based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

More Hair Restoration Scams

General, ,

Have you heard about the latest cure for hair loss? If you spend any amount of time online, you’ve probably watched an ad on YouTube or other social media platform touting a breakthrough new product that will stop hair loss and grow back what you’ve already lost – all within one month! Of course, this treatment is so advanced and revolutionary that it’s available exclusively on the brand’s website – doctors don’t prescribe it and drugstores don’t carry it.

Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is. It’s one of too many fraudulent hair loss remedies targeted at men who are noticing their hair thinning and hairline receding, and want to stop nature from taking its course.

It seems that new scams emerge every year, each with a new twist. While you may laugh at the wild claims made by yesteryear’s fake baldness cures, their marketing language was geared toward what consumers of the day considered the latest in medical knowledge. Nothing has changed. Today’s fraudulent remedies also latch on to pseudoscientific terms to lend legitimacy to their claims. Knowing what to look for in telling true from false will help you avoid wasting your money and valuable time. Unlike what most of these products promise, the fact is that once a hair follicle stops producing hair, it has shut down permanently.

First, however, let’s look at the all-too human reason behind the ongoing popularity of these products. Projecting a strong image is important to many men, but experiencing hair loss is unsettling on a very personal level, signaling the loss of youth and desirability as a partner. It also triggers anxiety about one’s employability, as our blog post – “Does Hair Loss Hurt Your Career?” – covers. With the right sales pitch, a product or treatment claiming to prevent or reverse hair loss can override the healthy skepticism that might otherwise lead you to research its claims for yourself. You place your order with hope and high expectations of the promised results. While you wait for the miraculous growth that never occurs, you’re going without proven treatment that could actually achieve what you want. Instead, hair loss will progress.

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – is dedicated to educating consumers about fraudulent hair restoration products, as well as those based on half-truths about their efficacy (effectiveness). For example, our blog post – “Will it Help My Hair Loss? How to Separate Fact From Fiction!” – covers biotin’s promotion as a hair growth supplement. While biotin (vitamin B7) has a role in good nutrition, it does not produce the thick, rapid hair growth that many products claim. Biotin itself isn’t bogus, but claims for its results are significantly exaggerated by those marketing it as a hair growth super-charger.

The worst offenders don’t contain even this kernel of truth, making claims that are completely fraudulent. There are three main categories of hair restoration scams:

  1. Products that claim blocked follicles cause hair loss.
  2. Products that claim a lack of vitamins/nutrients reaching the scalp cause hair loss.
  3. Products that claim poor scalp circulation causes hair loss.

Products That Claim Blocked Hair Follicles Cause Hair Loss

This is a popular claim among products marketed to “unblock” hair follicles. Details may vary, but the basic story goes as follows. Sebum forms deep within hair follicles, clogging the follicle. This prevents hair growth. Using the product being sold will deep-clean the follicles, once again allowing hair to grow.

Products of this type are so common that Dr. Barusco devoted a video to disproving the “blocked follicles” scenario on his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice.

“If you’ve ever had an ingrown hair on your scalp, your face or your body, you know that the hairs keep on growing no matter what,” says Dr. Barusco. “This claim is just ridiculous.”

How did the blocked follicle scam get started? Follicles do sometimes fill with sebum, which is a soft, waxy product of the sebaceous gland from within the follicle. It’s a natural lubricant for skin and hair. However, sebum does not block hair follicles. Ignore the animations in advertisements showing follicles clogging with sebum, suppressing the hair beneath, until their product cleans out the sebum so the hair is finally free to grow. In this case, seeing is not believing.

Products That Claim a Lack of Vitamins/Nutrients Reaching the Scalp Cause Hair Loss

Much like weight loss products that claim to target specific areas of the body to fight “fat cells,” these products make the false claim that hair loss is caused by vitamins or nutrients failing to reach the scalp to nourish hair follicles. For healthy people with no medical conditions that affect blood circulation, hair follicles are reached along with all other tissues and organs as the blood circulates.

In addition, vitamin deficiencies are rare among well-nourished adults, although they can occur due to excessive long-term alcohol use, or an eating disorder. Hair vitamins or supplements do not stop or reverse hair loss.

Products That Claim Poor Scalp Circulation Causes Hair Loss

Poor scalp circulation is another popular culprit for hair loss that scammers exploit, and just as bogus as the previous two. According to Johns Hopkins, hair loss is not caused by poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff (those blocked follicles again) or excessive hat-wearing. Of course, there is an abundance of products to massage or stimulate the scalp to promote hair growth – each with a scientific-sounding explanation as to how and why they work. While they may feel good, they’re of no actual benefit.

So how can you tell when a product that claims to treat or prevent hair loss is bogus? Look (or listen) past the marketing language in its ads and on its website. You don’t need a medical degree to see through them!

Red Flags to Look for in Ads for Hair Restoration Products

  1. They undermine the credibility of medications proven to treat hair loss, such as finasteride (Rogaine) and minoxidil (Propecia). Finasteride and minoxidil are the only two medications for hair growth approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The voiceover narrator for an online ad stated that he’d tried both, but they didn’t work – strongly implying that consumers would be throwing their money away. Of course, the shampoo he was promoting was effective in treating the “real” cause of hair loss – blocked follicles! Oddly enough, a visit to this product’s website lists minoxidil at a 5% concentration among its ingredients. Assuming the shampoo has any effect at all, minoxidil would be the reason.
  2. They guarantee results, as well as guarantee fast results. Hair restoration practices that follow the industry’s ethical guidelines don’t make claims guaranteeing results, much less claiming that hair loss can be prevented or reversed across the board. Those who market fraudulent products have no such restraints. Moreover, as our blog post – “Hair Restoration Scams: Beware of 21st Century Snake Oil” – covers, “One big red flag signaling a scam product is overselling and/or guaranteeing hair growth. If it promises “amazing” and “quick” results, be suspicious. Legitimate non-surgical treatments produce gradual results, depending upon the individual. Again, consulting with a hair restoration specialist should set realistic expectations about the results that a particular treatment can achieve for you.”
  3. Over-the-top testimonials. Customer testimonials are a popular way for brands to earn the confidence of potential new customers. But if the product endorsements are written in the same over-the-top manner as the manufacturer’s claims, they’re probably fake. Watch for testimonials claiming results in a very short amount of time, as in, “My hair started growing back in two weeks,” etc. Such testimonials are likely also to be confined to the brand’s website, rather than on well-known review websites.

Don’t Waste Time and Money on Bogus Hair Growth Products

When hair loss begins, time is not on your side. The longer that hair loss goes untreated, the chances for success diminish. Buying fraudulent products not only wastes your money, but the time you could have spent in the care of a hair restoration surgeon with legitimate treatments to stabilize hair loss, and monitored until you’re a good candidate for a hair transplant procedure. If your hairline has already receded substantially, believing that using such products is an economical alternative to a hair transplant is misplaced faith.

As we always say, knowledge is power. Being an informed consumer will allow you to tell the difference between science and pseudoscience, and seek legitimate treatment for your hair loss before it’s too late to reverse or restore. Choose your surgeon carefully based on experience, results and professional integrity.

Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. We understand that the main concern you may have is cost, which is why we offer financing options that can place this important goal within reach.

Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device.

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Hair Transplantation to Conceal Scars

Male Hair Restoration

Whether caused by injury or surgery, scars on the head leave a constant reminder of either a trauma that the individual is trying to emotionally move on from, or a procedure intended to improve one’s appearance – but left unwanted evidence. In both cases, a hair transplant designed to conceal such scars can provide a major step to restoring the self-confidence needed to make the recipient feel like a whole, healthy person again, or the last mile to complete the aesthetic goal of a brow lift or facelift.

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – has extensive experience in performing hair transplants to cover scalp scars of every type. Although each patient has their own story about the journey that led them to his practice, the particular problem that scars on the scalp pose is fundamental.

Why Doesn’t Hair Grow on Scars?

Hair typically doesn’t grow on its own in scar tissue because it lacks the dermal structures to support hair growth, as exist in normal skin. Regular readers of our blog may be familiar with our blog post – “An Up-close Look at Hair Grafts” – which describes a hair follicle and its related structure.

A follicular unit is a cylinder of skin and hair that encompasses the hair follicle, the sebaceous gland (which secretes sebum – a lubricating oily matter – into the hair follicles to lubricate the skin and hair), the arrector pili muscle (a microscopic band of muscle tissue which connects a hair follicle to the dermis), and the papilla – or bulb – of the hair, which is an important stem cell reservoir.

In undamaged skin, blood vessels under the follicles help them grow and regenerate. But when skin is damaged, a scar consisting of thick fibrous tissue forms, which doesn’t allow hair follicles to grow back. Because scar tissue tends to be thicker than undamaged skin, scars on and around the scalp are conspicuous. Scars caused by injury are also irregularly shaped, while those from surgical procedures show the path of the sutures.

Surgical scars on most locations of the body can be concealed under clothing, but scalp scarring has nowhere to hide. Depending upon the location and/or size of the scar – as well as the amount of hair one has – it typically isn’t possible to grow hair long enough to comb or style over the scar. Even so, no matter how carefully styled one’s hair may be, wind and the numerous movements you make throughout the day are likely to shift its position, falling away from the scar to leave it visible.

What are the Challenges of Hair Transplants to Conceal Scalp Scars?

This type of hair restoration surgery involves implanting hair grafts into the scar tissue itself. Because the original hair follicles are gone, the surgeon must determine the correct angle and direction in which to place the individual grafts to fill in the areas of lost hair. Also, the thick, stiff nature of scar tissue makes precise placement of hair grafts more challenging.

Another major challenge is ensuring the hair grafts have an adequate blood supply. They must take root, so to speak, and connect with surrounding capillaries before hair can start to grow. Scar tissue is prone to poor blood supply, so it’s more difficult for transplanted follicles to get the nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth. If the blood supply is inadequate, the transplanted hair follicles will die or be unable to function adequately.

Hair Transplants to Conceal Scars from Trauma and Neurosurgery

As the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) notes, the head is particularly vulnerable to injury. Major causes of head/scalp trauma are motor vehicle accidents, childhood accidents, sports injuries, industrial accidents and physical violence. Neurosurgery performed to treat brain injury will result in additional scaring.

Regardless of the severity of such injuries, performing restorative surgery requires the highest level of experience, medical knowledge, strategic planning, skill and sense of aesthetics. In this field, Dr. Barusco is renowned for the complex procedure he performed for “K.J.” – a man whose near-fatal motorcycle accident resulted in multiple skull surgeries. A few years after making a remarkable recovery, K.J. decided he was ready to make the most of his second chance at life, without the scars that he felt self-conscious about. His inspiring story is the subject of our blog post – “See Me, Not My Scar – Restoring Hair to a Head Trauma Patient Other Doctors Turned Away” – which we invite you to read in its entirety. K.J. also provided this testimonial video, which can be seen on Dr. Barusco’s YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice.

“(The patient’s) case was difficult, and posed a higher risk of serious complications due to the surgeries he had for his head trauma,” said Dr. Barusco. “Particularly the reconstruction of his skull with a synthetic material, which was placed under the area to be transplanted. This made the procedure of transplanting hair more challenging and risky. Most other doctors don’t have the experience or the facilities to perform this procedure under sterile conditions, and with the pre- and post-operative preparations that were needed to do it safely.”

Dr. Barusco chose the Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) procedure on K.J., which he determined would achieve the best result. “Due to his various scalp scars, the safe area for donor hair harvesting was limited to the back and right areas of his scalp. An FUT was recommended in order to move more hair in one procedure.”

Although Dr. Barusco decided that the FUT was the appropriate procedure for K.J., the Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) may also be used. Typically done as a shaved procedure (where the donor area is shaven), Dr. Barusco created an improved technique known as the “no-shave” procedure. This technique allows clients to have the benefits of an FUE procedure without having the downtime of waiting for the hairs of the donor site to grow in. Advantages include complete concealment of harvested donor sites immediately, and a quicker return to normal activities, as no suture removal is required.

In addition, Dr. Barusco created a pre- and post-operative protocol designed to increase safety in these types of procedures. This protocol was published in a scientific journal and in a medical textbook, and today is used by many doctors in the field.

Hair Transplants to Conceal Cosmetic Surgery Scars

Ironically, the surgical procedures that many seek to achieve a more youthful appearance – such as facelifts and brow (forehead) lifts – result in scarring along the hairline, and sometimes complete loss of hair in some areas, such as the sideburns. Depending upon the experience and skill of the surgeon, cosmetic surgery scars may be discrete and not readily visible, or more obvious.

In his YouTube video – “Hair Transplants Into Scars from Plastic Surgery” – Dr. Barusco makes the following observations:

“Many patients come to me because they’ve had a cosmetic procedure – like a facelift or forehead lift – or skin cancer or an accident or burns, and now the scars are hard to hide. So a lot of times the incisions from a facelift are going to go either in front of the hairline. They start around the temples, depending if you have a lower lift, they’re going to be tucked in usually behind the ear. So this can affect your hairline around the ears – sometimes behind the ears … It depends on what you need and what your doctor is going to do for you. Sometimes, the doctor will make an incision in front of the hairline – sometimes behind the hairline – and it wraps around the ears. So when you go for your consultation for your facelift, ask your physician to tell you which technique he or she is going to use, because that can affect your hair in different ways.”

Visible scarring, hairline distortion and sideburn distortion are complications that occasionally follow facelift and brow lift surgery. Camouflage is possible whether these facelift and brow lift scars are located around the ears, in front of the hairline or within the hairline. Grafts are implanted directly into and around the scar so as to create a seamless transition between the facial skin and the scarred area. Our blog post – “Hair Transplants to Conceal Facelift Scars – What You May Not Know” – explains this topic in greater detail.

A hairline that is higher or farther back than desirable – as well as the loss of sideburns – can also be repaired. Again, meticulous care is taken to match the angle and direction of the hair in the reconstruction zones so as to produce a completely natural-appearing result. Dr. Barusco’s YouTube video – “Hair Transplantation to Cover Facelift and Eyebrow Lift Scars” – provides case studies and before-and-after photos of patients for whom he performed such restorations.

While we always emphasize the importance of making sure the surgeon you choose for your hair restoration has the experience, qualifications and skill to provide the best possible result, it is even more essential to do so when your goal is to conceal scalp scarring. This is not a procedure to be performed by a surgeon whose practice depends upon one or two types of procedures performed in a rather standard manner for all patients. As with our determined patient K.J., those living with scars want their appearance restored to the point where they can feel comfortable and confident facing the world – either as a fully integrated healthy individual, or as a younger, more refreshed version of themselves!

Keep in mind that the success of any hair transplant procedure ultimately depends upon the experience, skill and integrity of the surgeon. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device.

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Is the Combined FUE and FUT Right for You?

Male Hair Restoration, ,

Men experiencing advanced hair loss may feel that they are beyond the help that hair restoration surgery can provide – or feel discouraged over the length of time and number of surgeries required to achieve results. With the breakthrough combined FUE and FUT procedure gaining prominence, however, those who believed that they had to resign themselves to baldness are wondering if this is the ideal solution for their situation.

For those just learning about hair transplant procedures, Tempus Hair Restoration provides the following definitions:

Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) – In this procedure, follicular units (hair grafts) in groupings of one, two or three hairs are individually extracted from the back of the head (donor area) using small circular punch blades instead of a scalpel. The grafts are then transplanted to the thinning or balding areas of the scalp. Once the desired number of grafts are obtained, the donor sites are left to heal without suturing. The resulting scars are not readily visible and are easily concealed even by very short hair.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) – Also known as the “strip” method, the FUT procedure involves harvesting a very small strip of hair and skin from the donor area, then placing it under a microscope to be prepared for implantation as hair grafts. The FUT has undergone refinements over the years so that the only evidence is a pencil-line linear scar easily concealed by hair – even at a shorter length.

Our blog post – “An Up-close Look at Hair Grafts” – covers the anatomy, harvesting, treatment, preparation and implantation of grafts in greater detail.

What is the Combined FUE and FUT Hair Transplant Procedure?

Although the FUE and FUT are different procedures, they can be used in tandem. Among his many contributions to the hair transplantation field, Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – is known for pioneering the combined FUE and FUT technique, which covers large areas of baldness in a single surgery. Patients with advanced hair loss are typically required to undergo multiple hair transplant procedures to obtain coverage of their entire bald scalp – having to wait one year or more between procedures. The reason is that most practices – particularly those solely offering FUE treatments – can move only a certain amount of grafts in one procedure, due to limitations of the surgeon’s experience and/or surgical staff. The combined FUE and FUT allows patients to reach their ultimate goal sooner, with one procedure versus many.

Performed during the same surgery, each type of procedure makes it possible to harvest grafts from different donor areas in order to attain the optimum number for transplantation – without the risk of overharvesting. This is important, as once a graft is harvested from a donor site, hair will never grow there again. An inexperienced surgeon – such as one who specializes in another area, such as cosmetic surgery – or allows non-medical personnel to harvest grafts using a robotic device – can deplete the donor area and/or leave visible scars.

Dr. Barusco has found that a common misconception he encounters among his patients is that the FUE procedure is “non-invasive.” In fact, all surgical procedures are invasive, as they involve making an incision in the skin. When performed correctly, an FUE will appear to leave no scars. As mentioned earlier, the tiny dot-like scars are hidden by the hair – thereby seeming to be invisible to the patient and casual observers.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Combined FUE and FUT Procedure?

While only a hair restoration surgeon with extensive experience in this procedure can determine if your type of hair loss positions you as an appropriate candidate based upon an in-depth consultation, there are two main parameters:

  • Men diagnosed with genetic hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) whose hair loss has stabilized, and have a stable hair loss pattern.
  • Men who have a reduced amount of donor hair available because of previous hair restoration surgery or an overall sparse donor area.

As exciting as the combined FUE and FUT procedure is, be aware that this is an advanced procedure and should be performed only by surgeons and teams with a large amount of experience. To determine if the surgeon you’re consulting is qualified to perform the combined FUE and FUT, ask the following questions – which we highly recommend you ask during a consultation for any type of hair restoration procedure:

  • How often have you performed this procedure?
  • Who will evaluate my hair loss and recommend a course of treatment? What is their education, training, licensure, and experience in treating hair loss? Only physicians, Physician’s Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are legally allowed to diagnose a patient and to recommend medical treatments. Otherwise, the person recommending procedures and/or treatments is practicing medicine without a license, a Felony crime in Florida and many other states.
  • Who will be involved in performing my surgery, what role will they play, and what is their education, training, licensure, and experience performing hair restoration surgery?
  • Will anyone not allowed by the State Medical Board be making incisions or harvesting grafts during my surgery? If so, please identify this person, explain their specific role and why they are legally permitted to perform it.
  • Is everyone involved in my surgery covered by malpractice insurance?

Choose Your Surgeon Wisely for Your Hair Restoration Journey

Keep in mind that the success of any hair transplant procedure ultimately depends upon the experience, skill and integrity of the surgeon. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device.

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

How Lifestyle Affects Hair Loss

General,

Although many people assume that the cause of male hair loss is entirely genetic, lifestyle and health play an important role. No element of the human body exists or functions independently of the others – including hair follicles. Whether you’re making choices that are good for your health or undermine it, the results will be evident in the quality and quantity of your hair. This is not to claim that clean, healthy living will prevent hair loss if, indeed, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) – otherwise known as male or female pattern hair loss – is in the genetic hand you’ve been dealt. But it will make conditions more favorable for successful growth should you decide to get a hair restoration procedure, as well as possibly prevent other types of hair loss.

Conversely, certain choices can accelerate the progression of AGA, and make restoration challenging, if not impossible in some cases. We’ll look at the lifestyle choices that impact hair loss, and why they have an effect.

How Smoking Affects Hair Loss

The devastating effects that smoking has on health are well-known. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor – which makes blood vessels contract. This restricts the delivery of oxygen to every cell of the body, including the skin and hair follicles. Over time, this makes hair regrowth harder, so when strands fall out, they aren’t replaced as readily – or at all.

As published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (JCD), a research study was conducted on 1,000 healthy males ages 20 to 35 to assess the demographic and clinical features of early-onset AGA among smokers and nonsmokers and to evaluate whether prevalence of AGA was affected by smoking. The study found that the prevalence of AGA among smokers was statistically higher than among nonsmokers, while severity of AGA was not associated with the intensity of smoking. The study concluded that nicotine and its derivative cotinine might be responsible for accelerating AGA progress.

In addition to nicotine starving cells of oxygen, the numerous toxic substances in cigarettes have been implicated in causing damage to the DNA of hair follicles. 

It is typical practice for surgeons to tell their patients who smoke to abstain for at least two days prior to surgery. Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Tempus Hair Restoration – is no exception.

“Smoking makes the blood vessels in your scalp and all over your body contract. And that can actually impair your healing and impair the growth of the transplant.”

How Diet Can Affect Hair Loss

The old adage, “You are what you eat” is true. Unfortunately, many people lack the information they need to achieve a balanced diet, or go to extremes – either making high-fat, high-calorie fast food the mainstay of their diet, or following every quick weight loss fad that comes along. Neither are good for your long-term general health, or the health of your hair.

Hair is sensitive to nutritional imbalances. An inadequate intake of essential vitamins or minerals can impact the hair growth (anagen phase)/rest cycle (telogen phase). For this reason, a junk food diet high in saturated fat, salt and sugar – and low in essential vitamins and nutrients –not only leads to hair follicles being poorly nourished, but increases the risk for type 2 diabetes.

For those with type 2 diabetes, persistently high uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to damage in various tissues, organs and blood vessels. Damage to blood vessels can restrict blood flow, resulting in certain cells receiving less oxygen and nutrients than they need. This deficiency can negatively impact the normal growth cycle of hair follicles, which can lead to hair loss.

In addition, according to a study published in the Texas Heart Journal Institute, obesity is the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes. However, any weight loss program needs to be based on the fundamentals of healthy nutrition and physical activity. So called “crash” diets are harmful, as well – to both hair and overall health.

A WebMD article points out the following: “Dramatically restricting your calorie intake means that you likely are not ingesting enough essential nutrients, like protein, fatty acids and zinc. These deficiencies, especially if maintained over a period of time, can lead to a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. The good news is that this condition is generally reversible, so adopting healthier, less restrictive eating habits will allow your hair to grow back.”

Fad diets likewise tend to be imbalanced in food varieties and essential nutrients, and therefore also should be avoided. Any healthy weight loss program will be based upon gradual results – rather than a dramatic drop – and not be considered a “diet,” but a true long-term modification that becomes a way of life.

As for the question as to whether alcohol use causes hair loss, the answer is yes in the case of excessive alcohol use and alcohol addiction. Two of the main reasons are:

  • Poor nutrition, or not eating the right nutrients.
  • Inability to absorb the proper nutrients because of alcohol consumption.

How Steroid Use Affects Hair Loss

Bodybuilders and others looking to increase muscle mass and athletic performance have long turned to anabolic steroids, despite their dangerous side effects and risk of addiction being widely known. Add hair loss to the list. Although not life-threatening in and of itself, it’s an indication of the other negative conditions steroid use triggers. Those who are genetically predisposed to AGA can quickly accelerate its progression. Why? Because the Type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme transforms testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT clings to receptors on hair follicles and causes them to weaken. Hair loss accelerated by steroid use is permanent.

Good Health is the Foundation for Healthy Hair – and a Successful Hair Transplant Procedure

No matter how much of your hair you keep by living a healthy lifestyle, good health and the ability to enjoy life to its fullest are their own rewards! As mentioned earlier, being in good overall health will help set the stage for success should you decide to have a hair restoration procedure. Your scalp and hair follicles will receive an optimum supply of blood and oxygen so that the implanted grafts can take hold and thrive. Our blog post – “An Up-close Look at Hair Grafts” – explains the anatomy of a hair graft, as well as how grafts are harvested and implanted.

Of course, in order to achieve the best result possible from your hair transplant, choose your surgeon wisely – based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Principles of Male Hairline Design

Male Hair Restoration,

Every man experiencing hair loss wants to restore his hairline to its youthful fullness. However, turning back the clock through hair transplant surgery involves much more than replacing what’s been receding. Designing a hairline with the look of natural growth isn’t as easy as you may think. It requires a hair restoration surgeon with the experience, technical skill, artistry – and the ability to visualize how your hair loss will progress over time – to achieve a hairline that appears as natural 20 years from now as it does today.

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Tempus Hair Restoration – is dedicated to educating all who are considering hair transplant surgery about the fundamentals of the process – including how he approaches hairline design. This blog post is based on his video – “Principles of Male Hairline Design” – which is on his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice.

Why is the Male Hairline So Important?

“Hairlines are extremely important,” says Dr. Barusco. “When you see yourself in the mirror and your hairline is receding, you look a little older, and it’s bothering you. But imagine if you go in for a transplant and the hairline isn’t done correctly. It’s very hard to conceal. If you have liposuction and it doesn’t turn out great, you can at least hide it under clothes. You don’t have that option with a bad hairline.”

For this reason, understanding the aesthetics of a natural male hairline is essential in understanding why a good hair restoration surgeon will plan your hairline in a certain way. The male hairline is characterized by a lower overall position on the forehead, an “M” shape, and a forward flow pattern of the frontal hairs. This differs from the female hairline, which sits higher on the forehead, has an inverted “U” shape, and frontal hairs in a backward-facing whorl flow pattern.

In the case of teenagers and young men, the hairline is in a more forward position and has slightly rounded edges. This “juvenile” hairline gradually becomes a mature hairline – which many men initially mistake for hair loss. This is a natural process – mainly among Caucasian males – and does not necessarily indicate the beginning of androgenic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness.

However, men who are experiencing genetic hair loss may want to recreate their youthful hairline through a hair transplant procedure. Dr. Barusco educates his potential patients who express this goal as to why this will not create a good result over the long term.

“If you’re in your 30s or 40s right now, the hairline that appeals to you may be a little too aggressive. It may look good for maybe the next 10 years or so, but when you’re getting into your 50s and beyond, that hairline may look pretty weird. Because when we age, our hair ages, and if the hairline is too aggressive, it will not age with you – meaning it won’t change. Our hairline aging process normally involves a little bit of recession, a little bit of moving back on the forehead. Once you do a transplant, that will no longer happen – so you have to make sure that what you do today is going to look natural when you’re older. Otherwise, who wants that?”

The Art of Designing the Ideal Male Hairline

In your mind’s eye, you may have an idea of where your restored hairline should be. But a hair transplant surgeon’s technical skill should be informed by a strong aesthetic sensibility. Dr. Barusco follows the classic “rule of thirds” as put forth by Leonardo da Vinci in determining each patient’s ideal hairline position.

“When I look at a hairline, the first thing I look for is where I should put it in relation to the eyebrows, and how high or how low on the forehead. That’s what we call height – the main parameters as far as the position of the hairline that should be considered. When you look at Leonardo da Vinci’s works, you will see that he divided the face of the subject he was trying to sculpt or draw into thirds, so that the distance between the chin and the tip of the nose, the tip of the nose to the eyebrows and the eyebrows to the hairline were all in proportion. The tip of your nose should be about the same distance as your eyebrows to your hairline. If you do it on yourself, you’ll see that it’s pretty close. Some people have naturally low hairlines, and they are the exceptions. But most of us follow that proportion.”

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration (ISHRS), a good hair restoration surgeon will make recommendations based upon your individual situation.

“The surgical placement of a hairline by transplantation or other technique is an esthetic decision that you must make in consultation with your physician hair restoration specialist. The physician can be of great assistance in this decision because the physician’s perspective is professional and three-dimensional. The physician sees you, and assesses your hair restoration need, in global perspective. Your view is primarily what you see in the mirror. While you may wish to recreate the hairline you are accustomed to seeing in the mirror, the physician may have other recommendations based upon such considerations as the likelihood of need for future procedures as your hair loss continues. It may be necessary to consider the need for future revisions in the hairline to accommodate progressive hair loss.”

Dr. Barusco is a Fellow of the ISHRS. This is a distinction that is only given to those who achieve certain landmarks on teaching and leadership. Currently, fewer than 10% of the ISHRS members are Fellows.

In addition to properly positioning the hairline restoration to your facial features, implanting each follicular unit to create the look of natural growth is essential to preventing the result from looking like a hairpiece. Our blog post – “An Up-close Look at Hair Grafts” – describes hair grafts (also known as follicular units) in detail.

“There are no straight lines on the human body. You don’t want to put anything in a straight line because it doesn’t look natural. It will catch peoples’ eyes for the wrong reason. You want to create variability.”

Throughout the process, Dr. Barusco implants hair grafts to build macro and micro irregularities into the hairline. Each follicular unit graft can contain one to three (or even four) hair follicles, which Dr. Barusco varies to further create a natural appearance.

Dr. Barusco also takes great care in creating a frontal temporal transition to achieve this visual variability. “If I just design a hairline and go straight into the hair without creating that soft transition to the temples, it’s going to look artificial. The effect will be so obvious that people will either know you’ve had a transplant, or think you’re wearing a hairpiece. Neither is a desirable outcome.”

The Importance of Having Realistic Expectations for Your New Hairline – and What You Should Look Out For

Dr. Barusco reports patients of other hair transplant surgeons coming to him seeking help for a botched hairline. Such results as a blunt hairline angle, a perfectly straight hairline and a heart-shaped hairline are among the examples of poor hairline design that he has remedied through corrective surgery. Photographs of each patient (with their identity concealed) can be seen on Dr. Barusco’s video referenced earlier in this blog post.

As we always emphasize, knowledge is power. Knowing the principles of good male hairline design will help you have an informed consultation with a hair restoration surgeon – as well as recognize red flags that may be raised. For example, be wary of a surgeon who recommends an aggressively low hairline, as it will not age well over the years. Also, as Dr. Barusco observes, the customer – or the patient – isn’t always right. If such a hairline is your idea, setting realistic expectations instead will make you happier in the long run than if the surgeon you choose agrees to do what you want rather than make their case as to why it’s ultimately not in your best interest.

“Some people may want some modification here and there when we discuss their hairline. As long as I think it’s safe and it’s going to look great, I may agree. But I will give you my advice if I don’t think you should have that done. I have had many patients walk out on me and say that if you can’t do that, I’ll find someone who will. I may not be able to change their mind, but I tell them to be careful, because it isn’t a matter of if it can be done, but if it should be done. My goal is for you to have a natural result so you don’t have to fix it later.”

As we also always emphasize, be sure to choose your surgeon wisely – based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Can Body Hair Be Used For Hair Transplants?

Male Hair Restoration,

Do you think nature has played a cruel trick on you because you have plenty of hair everywhere on your body except your scalp? Why can’t some of that hair grow on your head? Perhaps it can! Transplanting hair from the chest, abdomen or beard to the scalp may be an option under certain circumstances to address hair loss when there is not enough hair in the donor areas of the scalp to be harvested for a hair restoration procedure.

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Tempus Hair Restoration – is a pioneer in utilizing hair grafts from other areas of the body to fill in thinning areas of scalp in order to achieve an aesthetically pleasing look of full growth. As can be expected, the technique for harvesting body hair is more time consuming than harvesting follicles from the scalp, and requires a high degree of skill. Dr. Barusco discusses the details of this approach, which is based on the video – “Transplanting Body Hair to the Scalp” – on his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice.

The Limitations of Scalp Donor Areas

Traditionally, hair transplant surgery relies on the supply of scalp donor hairs. These are permanent hairs that are not susceptible to the action of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) hormone, which – in very fundamental terms – is a factor in male pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia). Temporal areas (sides of the scalp) and the occipital area (back of the scalp) are typically those from which hair grafts are harvested for transplantation into bald or balding areas of the scalp.

However, the amount of available hair in donor areas is finite. As our blog post – “An Up-close Look at Hair Grafts” – states, “Once a graft is taken from the donor site, hair will never grow there again.” Hair restoration surgeons who are experienced, skilled and conscientious avoid overharvesting, which depletes donor sites, leaving the patient with patchy growth and/or visible scarring.

“Sometimes, we see patients who don’t have enough donor hair, or have already had multiple hair transplants, and the supply has been depleted,” says Dr. Barusco. “So what do we do then? We can use other areas as donor zones.”

Where is Body Hair Harvested for a Hair Transplant?

Body hair can be harvested from several locations. Dr. Barusco considers the chest and abdomen to be the optimum areas because the amount of hair tends to be abundant, and the quality of hair is good. Although people typically think about hair only in terms of what is visible above the skin, Dr. Barusco considers the entire anatomy of the hair graft. Also known as a hair implant or follicular unit, a hair graft is a cylinder of skin and hair that encompasses the hair follicle, the sebaceous gland (which secretes sebum – a lubricating oily matter – into the hair follicles to lubricate the skin and hair), the arrector pili muscle (a microscopic band of muscle tissue which connects a hair follicle to the dermis), and the papilla – or bulb – of the hair, which is an important stem cell reservoir. A hair graft includes all of these structures. Each follicular unit graft can contain one to three (or even four) hair follicles.

“In harvesting chest or abdominal hair for transplantation, we sometimes can get grafts with two follicles, although the majority will be singles. If you have enough hair, we can harvest enough for a few thousand grafts.”

Chest hair is short, making it suitable for filling in certain areas of the scalp. But Dr. Barusco has noticed an interesting phenomenon about post-transplant chest hair.

“The chest hair only grows about an inch or two, but over time, we noticed that once the hair is implanted in the scalp, it starts to grow longer and longer. For some reason, the location changes the hair growth cycle phases so the growth phase starts to increase – so sometimes, a patient can get long hair.”

The submental (under chin) area of the face is another suitable location for harvesting. While many people seek Dr. Barusco’s services for a beard transplant, those who already enjoy healthy beard growth may be an appropriate candidate for harvesting these hairs for transplantation to the scalp.

“The nice thing about beard hair is that it’s usually a little coarser, and it tends to grow long. If you have a beard, you know that if you don’t shave or trim it, it will keep growing long. So when you transfer it to the scalp, the hair will continue to grow, which can allow you more flexibility in styling.”

In harvesting beard hair – as well as hair from the chest and abdomen – Dr. Barusco takes great care to select grafts so as not to be noticeable. For both body hair and beard hair harvesting, Dr. Barusco uses the Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) method, which involves harvesting follicular units from the scalp individually with a small diameter round punch. This results in tiny circular dot-like scars that are easily concealed by surrounding hair and for all practical circumstances are not visible. In addition, the under chin area itself is inconspicuous when one is facing forward.

Areas of the beard that Dr. Barusco will not harvest from include the neck, cheeks and goatee. “Sometimes, patients who have hair all the way into the neck ask me if I can harvest follicles from that area. I don’t, because the skin is different. Scarring will be more visible, and if you shave there, it’s going to show. The same is true of the cheeks and goatee. But as long as we stay in the safe zone under the chin, you should heal very well.”

As for the surgery itself, local anesthesia is used to numb the areas of the scalp involved in the procedure. For harvesting of body hair, Dr. Barusco administers a special anesthetic technique he developed to numb the appropriate surface area, ensuring a safe, comfortable experience for the patient.

Are You a Good Candidate for a Body Hair to Scalp Transplant?

Regardless of the procedure, a one-on-one consultation with a hair transplant surgeon is necessary to ensure that you are an appropriate candidate.

“During the consultation, I will tell you what I can do safely and realistically. Everybody’s hair is different. There are different types of hair loss, and different hair loss possibilities in the future. But if you’ve had a few transplant surgeries, or you have had a couple of big ones and there’s not enough hair in the traditional donor areas anymore to remove without overharvesting, hair from the body can be a good option for filling in some areas. In the consultation, I will discuss all of these factors and circumstances with you so you will have realistic expectations of the outcome.”

If you are wondering if a body hair transplant can help address your hair loss, be sure that the surgeons you consider have extensive experience, rather than having performed it sporadically. Also, ask to see before-and-after photographs. The results should look like healthy, natural growth, with no detectable difference between body and scalp hair.

Ultimately, choose your best hair transplant surgeon based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Fighting the FIGHT Against Illicit Hair Transplants: Dr. Barusco Participates in World Hair Transplant Repair Day

Male Hair Restoration,

Are you the victim of a hair transplant performed at a clinic you thought was a legitimate facility, but actually wasn’t – and are now living with the results of a seriously botched procedure? Or do you know of someone who is? You have the opportunity to be selected for pro bono (free) corrective surgery by Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – on November 11, 2022.

On that date, Dr. Barusco will be among 65 hair transplant surgeons worldwide participating in World Hair Transplant Repair Day. This is the second year that the International Society of Hair Restoration (ISHRS) is holding this event as part of its Fight the FIGHT (Fraudulent, Illicit and Global Hair Transplants) global consumer awareness campaign.

With more than 1,000 members throughout 70 countries, the ISHRS is dedicated to achieving excellence in patient outcomes by promoting the highest standards of medical practice, medical ethics and research in the medical hair restoration industry. Dr. Barusco is a Fellow of the ISHRS. This is a distinction that is only given to those who achieve certain landmarks on teaching and leadership. Currently, fewer than 10% of the ISHRS members are Fellows.

Toward increasing consumer awareness of this problem and his involvement with World Hair Transplant Repair Day, Dr. Barusco has produced this video for his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice. The video – “The Dark Side of the Hair Restoration Industry” – provides an overview of the prevalence of black market clinics, substandard operating room conditions, disastrous results and how to recognize and avoid such clinics.

Learn about this important campaign and how you can submit yourself as a candidate for a pro bono corrective procedure performed by Dr. Barusco on November 11. If you know someone who is the victim of an illicit black market hair transplant, share this information and encourage them to register. Dr. Barusco will select the recipient in October, so please act now to be sure that you – or a friend or family member – will be considered.

The Story Behind the Fight the FIGHT Campaign

ISHRS launched Fight the FIGHT in 2019 in response to the ever-increasing incidents of disfiguring hair transplants performed by unlicensed, non-medical technicians in illicit clinics. The use of unlicensed technicians to perform aspects of hair restoration surgery – which should only be performed by a properly trained and licensed physician – places patients at the following risks, all of which jeopardize patient safety and outcomes:

  • Misdiagnosis of the cause of hair loss.
  • Failure to diagnose hair disorders and related systemic diseases.
  • Performance of unnecessary or ill-advised surgery.
  • Unlicensed technicians may not be covered by malpractice insurance.

As the ISHRS states, “Vulnerable patients are lured by cheap prices and false advertising presented with misleading information alongside attractive medical tourism packages to visit clinics that use non-medical persons with very little training in aesthetic hair transplantation. This type of surgery is unsafe. It is a serious health risk often leading to tragic side effects such as permanent scarring, infection that leads to disfiguring results with very little to no recourse for correction.”

The lure of foreign clinics to consumers unfamiliar with ethical standards and practices in the field of hair transplantation is understandable. As our blog post – “Consumer Beware – The Risks of Medical Tourism for Hair Transplants” – covers, such clinics offer transplants at bargain rates, included as a package deal with airfare, luxury hotel accommodations and transportation. Combining an exotic vacation with a hair transplant procedure at a total cost lower than a comparable procedure alone by a reputable surgeon in the U.S. seems like an attractive deal. Slick clinic websites look professional and position the facility as trustworthy. But it’s all a sophisticated deception. False claims about their legitimacy, staff experience and positive patient outcomes do effective groundwork in misleading potential patients.

What do patients actually get for their hair transplant package? Poor growth, improper graft preparation (which means a higher number of grafts become non-viable), misangled graft placement, unnatural hairlines, a pluggy doll’s hair appearance and complete donor decimation are often reported. Severe scarring and disfigurement are also common. Add to that the risk for such infections as hepatitis or HIV. This is because the emphasis for the clinic is volume – performing as many hair transplants as possible each day for maximum profit.

Hair Transplant Surgery Performed by Non-medical Technicians – an Ongoing Problem

However, this disturbing trend is not limited to foreign clinics. Over the past several years, Dr. Barusco has dedicated himself to educating consumers about the risks of hair transplant surgeries performed by non-medical technicians using robotic devices to harvest and implant hair follicles. Our blog post – “Don’t Let a Technician Perform Your Transplant Surgery” – covers this important topic in detail. We also frequently reference Dr. Barusco’s article – “The Truth Behind Advertising Devices Instead of Surgeons” – which provides his insights on the marketing of such devices to cosmetic surgeons, plastic surgeons, family practitioners and others who have no training or experience in hair restoration surgery. In the article, Dr. Barusco relates his own experience in correcting the damage done to patients who had placed their trust (and money) in doctors who depend on these machines to perform the delicate procedures that only a highly skilled surgeon can.

The practice is becoming so prevalent that consumers have come to accept this as a typical, legitimate situation – which it is definitely not. These clinics gear their marketing and advertising to mislead the public into believing that technicians have a high degree of training and are just as capable as a surgeon to perform most – if not all – of the procedure. And that doing so allows them to offer hair restoration surgeries at a discount.

As the ISHRS states, “In fact, this is a common occurrence in many cosmetic surgery offices in the United States, where a surgeon will buy a heavily marketed device to assist with donor harvesting, then advertise their own credentials to attract patients, and in a ‘bait and switch’ type operation, bring in technicians to perform most if not the entire procedure.”

According to ISHRS policy, hair restoration surgery should only be performed by qualified physicians who possess education, training, and current competency in the field of hair restoration surgery or other licensed health care professionals who are properly trained, performing the procedure within their scope of practice, and supervised by a qualified and experienced physician.

“The cons of some of the heavily advertised, new technology available for hair transplantation (suction-assisted, easy-profit devices and robotic technology) are rarely discussed,” says Dr. Barusco. “Marketing campaigns make the unaware consumer think that unless a doctor has one of these devices, he or she is not up to par with the science. Even worse, they lead the consumer to think that if a practice or doctor owns one or more of them, he or she automatically knows what they are doing and will provide good results. Neither could be farther from the truth.”

The truth is, hair transplant surgery is surgery – and as such, requires a surgeon to perform. The position of the ISHRS is that “ . . . any procedure involving a skin incision for the purpose of tissue removal from the scalp or body, or to prepare the scalp or body to receive tissue, (e.g., incising the FUE graft, excising the donor strip, creating recipient sites) by any means, including robotics, is a surgical procedure. Such procedures must be performed by a properly trained and licensed physician. All FUE harvesting tools, including robotic devices, are considered extensions of the hand of the operator, and as such, all operators of these devices must be physicians. Physicians who perform hair restoration surgery must possess the education, training, and current competency in the field of hair restoration surgery.”

To help ensure you have the information to make informed decisions about who performs your hair restoration surgery, the ISHRS urges you to ask the following questions – as well as questions regarding costs, risks, and short and long-term benefits and planning:

  • Who will evaluate my hair loss and recommend a course of treatment? What is their education, training, licensure, and experience in treating hair loss? (Otherwise, the person recommending procedures and/or treatments is practicing medicine without a license, a Felony crime in Florida and many other states.)
  • Who will be involved in performing my surgery, what role will they play, and what is their education, training, licensure, and experience performing hair restoration surgery?
  • Will anyone not licensed by the state be making incisions or harvesting grafts during my surgery? If so, please identify this person, explain their specific role and why they are legally permitted to perform it.
  • Is everyone involved in my surgery covered by malpractice insurance?

Has Your Hair Transplant Been Botched by a Non-medical Technician?

As much as Dr. Barusco and the ISHRS strive to educate consumers about the risks of illicit clinics and non-medical technicians performing hair restoration procedures, far too many people aren’t reached. If your hair transplant was botched under the circumstances this blog post covers, you have the opportunity for Dr. Barusco to perform corrective surgery free of charge if you are selected as his patient for World Hair Transplant Repair Day. To submit yourself as a candidate for surgery on World Hair Transplant Repair Day, please click here to access the contact form.

Note: According to the ISHRS rules for this event, contact with the physician does not guarantee participation and pro bono procedures are limited. Local laws and regulations may apply.

For those who are not selected, we invite you to schedule your free virtual consultation with Dr. Barusco to learn your options for a corrective procedure. Dr. Barusco has helped numerous patients achieve the look they had originally anticipated. Our blog post – “Undoing the Damage of a Bad Hair Transplant” – provides examples of how Dr. Barusco was able to mitigate the poor aesthetic effect of an ineptly performed procedure.

We understand that the main concern you may have is cost. Tempus Hair Restoration offers 12-month interest-free financing, or up to 60-month terms with low interest. Your hair restoration journey should take you where you want to be, with a result that improves your self-image and self-confidence. Dr. Barusco and our Tempus Hair Restoration team are here to help.