A New Look at Transgender Hair Transplants

Category Archives: Women’s Hair Tansplants

A New Look at Transgender Hair Transplants

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!

Why is Ethnicity an Important Consideration for a Hair Transplant?

Performing a hair transplant that achieves the look of natural, healthy hair growth is – or should be – the goal of every hair restoration surgeon. Therefore, a skilled, experienced surgeon knows that there is no cookie-cutter, one-technique-fits-all approach. However, you might be surprised to learn that in addition to the numerous factors a conscientious surgeon such as Dr. Marco Barusco – founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – considers, the ethnicity of the patient is highly important in determining the “game plan” for the placement of hair, as well as for the implantation technique.

A native of Brazil, Dr. Barusco has been privileged to perform hair restoration surgery on patients of all ethnicities, crediting his adopted home of Florida with being a popular destination for people of every racial heritage throughout the world. Some of the information in this article is based on Dr. Barusco’s video – “Is Ethnicity Important When it Comes to Hair Transplantation?” – that Dr. Barusco produced for his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice.

“There is a lot of mixture of races here, and so I come across every type of ethnic hair that there is: Asian, African-American and Caucasian,” says Dr. Barusco. “They each require a slightly different approach.”

Common Ethnic Considerations for Planning a Successful Hair Transplant Procedure

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), there are common factors for a surgeon to consider when planning for a successful outcome:

  • Head shape – For example, a “long” head shape and a “round” head shape require different approaches to placement of transplanted hair.
  • Hair characteristics – For example, hair color, hair caliber (diameter) and hair shape (straight, wavy, curly, frizzled, etc.) all influence the appearance of transplanted hair.
  • Hair density Differences in the numbers of hairs per square centimeter of scalp – for example, about 200 hairs per square centimeter in East Asians versus about 130 hairs per square centimeter in Caucasians – influence the surgeon’s decision on where, how and how many follicles to implant in the recipient sites.
  • Skin thickness – Thickness and other genetically programmed features of skin influence technique for setting donor hair into the transplantation site, and may predispose a patient to postoperative formation of the type of scarring called keloids. African-Americans are particularly susceptible to forming keloids in response to skin injury, which must be taken into account before surgery. Dr. Barusco’s YouTube video – “What is Keloid Scarring?” – addresses this issue in detail. People of Asian background are also more prone to keloid scarring than Caucasians, although to a lesser extent than African-Americans.
  • Cultural preferences Ethnicity may influence a patient’s preferences regarding where a transplanted hairline should be placed, and how much “baldness” is acceptable.

Characteristics of Asian Hair to Consider in Hair Transplantation

In covering the characteristics of Asian hair, the ISHRS makes the distinction of people of East Asian origin (Chinese, Japanese and Korean). Noting that East Asian hair is similar in most respects to Caucasian hair, there are differences that can influence the transplant procedure.

Characteristics include the following:

  • East Asians have thicker individual hairs than Caucasians, but fewer hairs per square centimeter of scalp (lower hair density). However, the thickness of hair follicles creates the impression of greater hair density. For this reason, a larger donor area must be harvested to obtain the number of hairs necessary for a transplant.
  • The characteristic shape of the East Asian head is somewhat more rounded than the longer, more narrow head typical of Caucasians. Therefore, hair placement must be adapted accordingly to achieve a natural-looking hairline and growth pattern.

Characteristics of African-American Hair to Consider in Hair Transplantation

The curling and twisting of African-heritage hair provides the appearance of good scalp density, which is an advantage in hair transplants. Hair may emerge at a variety of angles from the scalp, which can make the harvesting of donor hair more challenging. Both the follicles and hairs have a degree of curvature in relation to the scalp that must be accommodated when harvesting. However, its curliness allows coverage of scalp areas with fewer number of follicles needed to achieve an aesthetically pleasing “full” coverage – thereby reducing the number of follicles needed for transplantation.

In his article for the ISHRS, William D. Yates, MD, writes that African-American hair transplantation involves unique factors which must be considered in the pre-op, operative and post-operative stages to ensure the best outcome. Because developing keloid scarring may be a possibility, the surgeon should ask if a prospective patient has a history of such scarring, or any other scarring scalp disorders. A conscientious surgeon will also monitor for scarring post-op, as well as watch for ingrown hairs, which can occur two to three months after surgery, when the hair begins to grow.

Characteristics of Caucasian Hair to Consider in Hair Transplantation

Caucasian hair is generally straight or wavy and is the thinnest of the three main types of hair, while its cross-section is relatively elliptic. It grows diagonally to the scalp, and has the highest density of the three ethnic profiles.

People of multi-ethnic backgrounds may have hair that better fits one particular profile – which, of course, the surgeon needs to take into consideration when planning a hair transplantation procedure.

Cultural Preferences to Consider

In addition to the technical aspects of harvesting and implanting different types of hair, a conscientious surgeon will also be aware of how the patient’s culture affects their self-image and expectations. For example, Dr. Yates writes that his male African-American patients prefer less temporal recession in the design – that is, a less-pronounced “M” shape that characterizes the mature male hairline.

Dr. Barusco sees similar preferences in his own practice. “Some ethnic groups are much more in tune with what their hairlines are, so they want a lower, more aggressive hairline; others don’t.”

What This Means to You – Choose Your Hair Restoration Surgeon Wisely

If you’ve decided to have a hair transplant procedure, be sure the surgeon you choose has experience with patients of your ethnic group, and has achieved good results. Our website’s Before & After Gallery provides examples of Dr. Barusco’s outstanding work in creating the look of healthy, natural hair growth for patients of all ethnicities. In addition, ask any surgeon you schedule a consultation with about their experience in performing hair transplant procedures on members of your group. This article should give you a basis for questions to help you determine the surgeon’s degree of knowledge and expertise.

The consultation also is the time to tell the surgeon about your own aesthetic preferences and expectations of the results you want. The surgeon may assume you want coverage in a particular area, when you actually want to see growth on a different area of your scalp. If the surgeon has a vision that differs from yours, there may be a reason – but it is the surgeon’s responsibility to explain their reason so that you understand and can make your decision based upon this information. Our blog post – “Why Do Some Hair Transplants Fail?” – covers such reasons as poor doctor-patient communication and poor technical execution of the transplant procedure – among many others – for unsatisfying results.

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!

Common Misconceptions About Hair Transplant Surgery

If you are considering hair restoration surgery, you (hopefully) are conducting careful research. For this reason, we at Tempus Hair Restoration are glad that you’ve arrived here, and are reading this article. Dr. Marco Barusco – founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and the benefits of his experience with those seeking treatment for hair loss.

Dr. Barusco addresses misconceptions about hair transplant procedures that he frequently hears from potential patients and others during consultations or conversations. This article is based on the video – “10 Common Misconceptions About Hair Transplant Surgery” – that Dr. Barusco produced for his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice.

“I see a lot of patients here in the office that have all of these wrong ideas and preconceived notions about hair transplant surgery that either they got from the internet or some other source,” says Dr. Barusco. “I want to make sure we clear the air.”

Dr. Barusco ranks the 10 most common misconceptions as follows:

Number 10: Hair Transplantation is a Treatment for Hair Loss

The reasoning behind this misconception is understandable. A person experiencing hair loss receives a transplant, which covers balding areas of the scalp with hair. However, the procedure itself isn’t a treatment.

“A treatment is really the medications that we will recommend for you, depending upon your situation, that will help you control your hair loss over time,” says Dr. Barusco. While a hair transplant procedure aesthetically turns back the clock, a regimen of ongoing treatment with medications – for male and female patients – is necessary to slow or prevent the progression of future loss. Such established medical treatments as minoxidil (brand name Rogaine) and finasteride (brand name Propecia) are typically prescribed for long-term stabilization.

Number Nine: One Hair Transplant Procedure is All That You Will Ever Need

“That is very, very wrong, and you should not expect it,” says Dr. Barusco. “When I counsel my patients, I always discuss the possibility or the likelihood of more transplants in the future because hair loss is progressive. What you see today on your scalp is not going to be the same in 10, 20 or 30 years.”

Referring to the first misconception covered, Dr. Barusco reiterates that the purpose of prescribing medications is to slow the progression of hair loss, thereby increasing the time between transplant procedures.

“But it’s safe to assume that if you are experiencing hair loss and facing a transplant, you’re probably going to be needing more as you get older.”

Number Eight: FUE Transplants Are Scarless Procedures

The popular follicular unit excision (FUE) procedure is performed by harvesting each individual follicular unit through microscopic circular incisions on the scalp. Although one main advantage of the FUE is that it allows the patient to have short hair at the back of the head because the donor area appears unaffected, it does produce some scarring.

“Every time you poke the skin with something, you’re going to leave a mark,” says Dr. Barusco. “So while FUE procedures nowadays are very advanced, and we use very, very small punch diameters so the incisions are really tiny – even in the best situations, if you look close, you may see some little dots along your donor zone. They may be very hard to spot, and you can certainly shave your hair a lot shorter with a FUE than you ever could with a strip [follicular unit transplantation, or FUT] because there is no linear scar. The eye catches a line much easier than it catches seeing little dots here and there. But FUE procedures are not scarless at all, and you should be aware of that.”

Number Seven: You Don’t Need Medications to Treat Your Hair Loss

During your consultation with a hair transplant surgeon, be wary if he or she doesn’t bring up the need for ongoing treatment with medication to prevent or postpone the progression of hair loss.

“There are situations that if you don’t need to treat it, I’ll tell you. But more often than not, I’m going to recommend that patients do medications or medical therapy so that you don’t lose more hair, so you don’t have to see me every year for more surgery. I’d love to see you, but I want to preserve your hair, too!”

Number Six: FUE Procedures Are Non-invasive

Every surgical procedure is invasive. However, Dr. Barusco has found that many of his potential patients have a different concept of the word. During consultation, some have mentioned that they want the FUE because – as they understand it – the FUT is much more invasive than the FUE, which they consider to be non-invasive.

“The FUE is still a surgical procedure, so patients will experience some discomfort and downtime, and will still have to go through the healing process.”

As for whether the FUE is a less invasive procedure than the FUT, Dr. Barusco was curious enough to do his own calculations – with results that may be surprising! He found that by comparing a thousand grafts harvested by the FUT method and the same number harvested by the FUE, the actual surface area of skin and scalp involved was 100 hundred times larger in an FUE procedure than on the FUT.

Number Five: The Strip Method is Outdated or Antiquated

Dr. Barusco is emphatic in busting this particular misconception. “I’ve been using the strip method for almost 25 years. Some patients are still much better candidates for strips than they are for the FUE. As a surgeon, I can tell you what I would recommend for your situation. If you prefer the other method, that’s fine – as long as I think you’re a good candidate. The FUT provides very good growth, so it is a well-established surgery – not antiquated whatsoever.”

Number Four: I Can Always Have Another Transplant, So Let’s Go for Broke

Dr. Barusco returns to the fact that each person has only a finite amount of donor hair available for transplantation. Add to this the likelihood that you will need more than one hair transplant procedure in your lifetime. Quoting Dr. Barusco from our blog post – “Why Do Some Hair Transplants Fail?”:

“As hair transplant surgeons, we have to paint a beautiful picture, but we only have so much ink to do it. If we don’t utilize that ink in the best way we can, you’re not going to be happy and I’m not going to be happy. So that involves some compromise. While we can treat an area really well, we can’t treat the whole entire area of hair loss with the donor hair that you have. I need to explain that to you so you understand, and can make your decision.”

An ethical hair transplant surgeon will plan for your future treatments and transplants. Otherwise, the coverage you may want today could wind up costing you in the long term with a depleted donor area from which no more follicles can be harvested, and advancing bald areas that cannot be addressed.

Number Three: All Hair Transplant Doctors Are the Same

As is true for every surgeon in every specialty, hair transplant surgeons have widely varying levels of experience and skill. Even among those in the upper echelon of each, some – like Dr. Barusco – have additional credentials and positions within the medical profession. For example, Dr. Barusco is Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Central Florida College of Medicine.

“Hair transplant surgery is a very particular type of surgery. It behooves you to look for someone who has experience. That only comes with time, and everyone has to practice. But when I trained, I didn’t start doing surgery right away. I did a fellowship program, so I was working under my training doctor until I felt comfortable to go out on my own. And that’s how it’s done for every surgical training in every specialty.”

Number Two: Every Hair Transplant Procedure is Painful

While everyone experiences pain differently – with some people having higher or lower thresholds for tolerance – Dr. Barusco says that a good hair transplant surgeon will be able to provide a comfortable experience for the patient during surgery, as well as control post-surgical discomfort. Having lectured about anesthesia techniques during the 2021 International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) 29th Annual World Congress, Dr. Barusco has developed different mixtures of anesthetics to deliver the best possible effect for his patients.

“I’ve had patients talk about pain they experienced during a previous hair transplant by other surgeons. Things can happen, and I’m not going to judge anyone, but a hair transplant should be pretty pain-free. We have good anesthetics and medications to help you relax, so it should be a good experience.”

Number One: Hair Transplant Surgery is So Simple That Anybody Can Do It

“This goes back to the misconception that every surgeon is the same,” says Dr. Barusco. “It takes a long time to master all the nuances and details of a hair transplant procedure.”

Dr. Barusco tells of the interest he receives while teaching at plastic surgery conferences from surgeons who want to learn more about performing hair transplants. A subsequent visit with Dr. Barusco in his office typically leads them to reconsider.

“I inevitably hear from them, ‘I thought this was simple, but I probably won’t start doing this because there’s a lot of detail, a lot of things that can go wrong.’ And you won’t know about it until a year later, when the results show up. [Hair in the recipient site fully grows out.]

“It is not an easy procedure. In fact, it is one of the most complex procedures because there are so many variables: Taking the hair out of the scalp and putting it in its new recipient area. You need to visualize the results a year down the road, making sure you put the hairs in the right way so that you don’t traumatize the scalp too much, and that you account for variability over time. It’s a surgery that involves a lot of detail, so it’s not simple at all.”

Unfortunately, not all surgeons in other specialties reach the same conclusion. Too many have added hair transplant procedures as a lucrative revenue stream to their primary practice, relying on robotic devices and – typically – non-medical personnel to operate the device to harvest and implant hair follicles. Dr. Barusco’s insightful article – “The Truth Behind Advertising Devices Instead of Surgeons” – describes the risks of choosing such a practice for your hair replacement procedure.

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!

Restoring Your Crowning Glory – Hair Loss Treatment for Women

The adage, “A woman’s hair is her crowning glory” perhaps holds even more true today than ever before. While male baldness is generally accepted by society (although not necessarily by the individual men affected), hair loss in women remains a condition often left undiscussed – resulting in greater feelings of isolation and poor self-image.

Fortunately, women are now learning that they’re not alone in suffering from hair loss – and, more importantly, are now learning they have options to permanently restore their hair. One such woman shares her story of a six-year struggle with hair loss that finally ended after seeking treatment from Dr. Marco Barusco, Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Tempus Hair Restoration.

 

Janis’ Journey

Describing herself as always active, Janis Gagliardi enjoys a busy life that includes her husband and two adult children. After retiring from her career in nursing, Janis enthusiastically embarked upon her new endeavor as a real estate agent – seeing the common factor that “both are people-oriented jobs.” Seeking to make positive changes in other areas of her life, Janis also became involved in body building. But what she expected to result in improved fitness and well-being coincided with a sudden loss of hair.

Janis reacted the same as most people experiencing the early stages of hair loss. She bought over-the-counter treatments and nutritional supplements that promote healthy hair, but nothing worked. Her hair continued falling out for no apparent reason. She didn’t use performance-enhancing drugs – baldness being among the many serious side-effects of anabolic steroids – or supplements containing exotic, unproven ingredients. For a woman who prided herself on successfully taking on any challenge, watching her hair become increasingly sparse and wispy was an upsetting, frustrating experience.

Wearing ball caps became Janis’ go-to solution for concealing her thinning hair and bald patches. She tried fluffing up her remaining hair, which only succeeded in making the bald areas more conspicuous. Taking the opposite approach, Janis then combed her hair flat, but the effect was similar to that of the much-ridiculed male “comb-over,” and easily undone when the wind picked up. Another cruel blow to Janis’ self-image was giving up her black hair coloring, as it only created a greater contrast against her increasingly visible scalp.

After about six years of Janis’ solo battle against hair loss, the situation was getting worse. When people started asking if she’d been on chemotherapy, she knew she needed help.

Like many women, Janis associated hair restoration with transplants – especially the old-school “plugs.” But a lunch at The Pavilion at Port Orange gave her hope for the possibility of effective treatment. An advertising poster for Tempus Hair Restoration was on display at the shopping complex, leading Janis to ask herself if this could be the solution she had long hoped for.

“I didn’t like the idea of a hair transplant, but wanted to learn my options,” Janis said.

Janis scheduled a free consultation with Dr. Barusco, and was quickly put at ease by him and everyone she met in his practice. “They anticipated my unhappiness and embarrassment,” said Janis. “I was very self-conscious about it.”

Dr. Barusco performed a biopsy to rule out an autoimmune disorder. The result was negative, and his diagnosis of androgenic alopecia opened a treatment plan combining non-surgical treatment, pills, topical medication and laser therapy utilizing the CapillusRX™ laser therapy cap.  For this, Dr. Barusco is recognized as an innovative leader.

“For hair loss, usually a combination of treatments works better than monotherapy,” Dr. Barusco said. “The combination provides the optimal environment for the hairs to be both protected against damage and stimulated to grow stronger and thicker. But the treatments must be decided based on each patient’s situation and guided by many factors, so it is important to be counseled by a physician who understands hair loss.”

 

Treatment and follow-up

Janis described her non-surgical treatment as a painless procedure performed under local anesthesia that took from two to three hours. Follow-up treatment included laser therapy, which she still receives in-office three days weekly.

As her hair gradually began to grow back, Janis felt renewed optimism for a successful outcome. No longer would she feel embarrassed by bald patches – such as the time her husband mentioned he noticed two large areas on the back of her head, which she couldn’t see.

With Dr. Barusco constantly monitoring her progress, Janis showed remarkable improvement over the course of one year.

Janis even has a new hair color of choice – a trendy icy white shade that expresses her ever-youthful outlook and joy from again having a full head of healthy hair.

 

A lift in spirits

Although Janis had maintained her characteristic upbeat attitude throughout the challenges of her hair loss, Dr. Barusco noticed a lift in her spirits with the regrowth.

“I think that she has even more of a sparkle in her eyes now,” Dr. Barusco said. “She has always been, to me, a very positive, kind and bubbly person, but I think that now she is happier.”

Dr. Barusco and Janis expect to see further improvements. Dr. Barusco stresses the importance of maintenance treatment to experience the best, most long-lasting results after any hair restoration procedure.

“Women really don’t come out and talk about hair loss,” said Janis. “A lot of women have little tricks to hide it, like hats, wigs and ball caps. Hair loss is very concerning to women, more so than men.”

 

Dr. Barusco’s perspective

Janis learned that women no longer have to suffer in silence and feel isolated over hair loss.

Dr. Barusco offered his valuable insights, gained through years of experience in treating female patients.

“Women lose hair just as men do. Certainly, for women there is more of a stigma about hair loss. A woman with thin or thinning hair may become depressed, withdrawn and may start to shy away from people. So psychologically, it can severely impact their social and professional lives, particularly when the hair loss happens when they are very young.

“In women, particularly, it is very important that a full medical history is obtained, as often their hair loss is a consequence of other problems – such as thyroid disease, rapid weight loss, stress, childbirth, etc. If the underlying cause of the hair loss is not identified and treated as well, their response to treatment may be poor. On the flipside, when we are able to improve their hair, they are the happiest, and become big advocates to other women.

“The main point to drive home is that the earlier we can start treatment, the more hair we will save, and the better the outcome, both short and long-term. So it is important that women understand that this is nothing to be ashamed of, and that there are very effective solutions for treatment. But they have to take the first step, which is a consultation.”

Taking that first step

If you are a woman experiencing hair loss, trying to diagnose and treat yourself will only delay the treatment that can prevent further loss. You are invited to learn more about the innovative surgical and non-surgical hair restoration procedures that Dr. Barusco offers at Tempus Hair Restoration – as well as schedule your free consultation. We look forward to meeting you and discussing your options.