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What You Need to Know About Bodybuilding and Hair Loss

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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!

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!

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!

The Big Picture: Hair Replacement and Self-Confidence

Male Hair Restoration, ,

The topics of our Tempus Hair Restoration blog posts often cover specific hair transplant procedures or reasons why hair transplants are now increasingly popular. However, there is a fundamental reason that men have hair restoration surgery: to improve their self-confidence.

Society has always expected men to be emotionally strong and impervious to self-doubt, anxiety and insecurity about their ability to achieve their goals. But experiencing hair loss can have an effect that’s more demoralizing than most care to admit. Understanding that you have the right to pursue an appearance that makes you feel better about yourself and your place in the world is essential in taking the steps to improving your self-esteem and emotional health.

Does Hair Loss Really Affect Self-Esteem?

You’ve probably heard friends and family members say, “It’s only hair. It’s not that important.” Although they’re trying to be supportive, scientific data validates your feelings about your receding hairline or balding crown.

Multiple studies have linked male pattern hair loss to lowered self-esteem and decreased confidence. An article for WebMD written by journalist Marta Manning and medically reviewed by Jennifer T. Haley, MD, FAAD, cites a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Trichology. The study found that androgenic alopecia (genetic, a.k.a. male pattern baldness) lowered the quality of life for many men, with particular effects in the areas of self-perception and interpersonal relations. A 2018 research study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology identified low self-esteem in many patients with androgenic alopecia and found that confidence can improve after hair transplantation treatment.

“Hair loss in men can affect self-esteem to the extent that a man believes his appearance to be an important part of what makes him a worthwhile or valuable person,” psychologist Paul Greene, PhD, says. “For men who are very invested in their appearance and who identify as a younger-looking man, hair loss can significantly impact self-esteem.”

In the same WebMD article, general practitioner and medical advisor Nikola Djordjevic, MD, says, “Hair loss has been affecting men’s self-esteem for centuries, if not longer. Long thick hair during ancient times was a symbol of masculinity and vitality, so it makes sense that men are psychologically affected by hair loss nowadays as well. Hair loss symbolizes aging and debility, which is why I think that men start feeling more depressed as their hair starts falling out.“

Does a Negative Perception of Balding Men by Other People Affect Your Self-Confidence?

You may receive the well-intentioned pep talk that it doesn’t matter what others think about your hair loss, as long as you feel good about yourself. Yet that can be hard to do in a society that clearly favors men with a full head of hair in the job market, on the dating scene and in many other situations. Our blog post – “Does Hair Loss Hurt Your Career?” – covers the findings of formal studies and polls that confirm a societal bias against men experiencing hair loss. This blog post cites a survey by job search website Ladders, which was conducted by Dove Men+Care. The survey found that of the 2,000 men who participated, the majority tied their work identities to their hair. The article reports the following results and observations.

“In the hair census, 8 in 10 men said that their hair made them look professional, the look of it was important, and that their hair helps them feel confident. Perhaps the majority of these men are preoccupied with their hair because they recognize what science has found: that societies judge men on how much hair they have on their heads.”

In addition, a study in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery found that a few more hair follicles can make all the difference between people seeing you as a success or a lost cause. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University recruited participants to compare photos of men before and after they received a hair transplant. Although they were looking at the same men, participants rated men after they got their hair transplants as more attractive, approachable and successful.

Video Conferencing – Nowhere for Balding Men to Hide

Even though the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the trend for job interviews and meetings to be held virtually through such videoconferencing apps as Zoom shows no signs of reversing. But whether you’re interviewing or videoconferencing with coworkers and clients, that flattened-out, washed-out on-screen image is unflattering to most people. Add hair loss to the equation, and the picture looking back at you in that little square can have a very unsettling effect on your self-image and self-confidence. An increasing number of prospective hair transplant patients specifically name Zoom as the motivation that brings them to the surgeon’s office.

From Ridicule to Approval – The Changing Attitude Toward Men Who Have a Hair Transplant

Not so long ago, society judged men who had a hair transplant harshly – considering them vain or trying desperately to hold on to youth. Fortunately, public opinion has changed to approval, with the recognition that the desire to enhance one’s appearance is based in the strive toward achieving greater self-confidence.

Unfortunately, early hair restoration procedures were crude by today’s standards, producing outcomes that were obviously not the result of natural growth. Instead of achieving the youthful look they had sought, hair transplant recipients often were subjects of ridicule. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) made the following observation.

“In the old days (think 1980s), there was no mistaking who had a hair transplant. The telltale corn row, doll hair, pluggy-looking hair transplants of yesteryear were — believe it or not — once considered state-of-the-art. But that was well before the evolution of hair transplantation. Over the last 20 years, hair restoration techniques have evolved considerably. These techniques have become so refined and results so natural-looking that most people cannot tell if someone has even had a hair transplant.”

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Tempus Hair Restoration – has been at the forefront of advanced hair restoration procedures, having developed such techniques as the groundbreaking no-shave FUE. Short for follicular unit excision, the no-shave FUE completely conceals harvested donor sites immediately, allowing you to resume your regular activities with virtually no evidence of the procedure.

Going one step beyond the no-shave FUE is the long-hair FUE. It is also known as the “preview” long-hair FUE because it gives the patient a preview of what the ultimate result will be. As with any hair transplant, the hair in the newly implanted grafts soon falls out, to be replaced by new growth as the grafts establish themselves. Dr. Barusco is one of only a few doctors in the world with the experience and skill to perform this technique.

Another leading-edge, yet proven procedure is the combined FUE and FUT (follicular unit transplantation). 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 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.

Choose Your Surgeon Wisely and Reclaim Your Self-Confidence

Despite today’s advancements in hair restoration procedures, bad hair transplants are still out there. Conduct your research into hair transplant surgeons carefully. Our blog post – “Is Your Hair Transplant Surgeon Qualified? What You Need to Know” – will help you make an informed decision. When the reflection in the mirror reflects you as you see yourself, you’re ready to face the world with renewed 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!

Am I Losing My Hair? Warning Signs to Look For!

Hair Loss Procedures,

Questions about hair loss can start when you notice more hair than usual in your hair brush or shower drain trap – or the “shedding” you’ve been attributing to a change in seasons continues and/or increases. Is it just your imagination, or reason for concern? Dr. Marco Barusco – founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – notes that shedding 100 to 150 hairs per day is part of the normal hair cycling process. Losing a significant amount beyond that could indicate an issue that needs to be evaluated by a hair restoration surgeon before the condition progresses.

The most frequent concern that patients bring to Dr. Barusco is an increase in shedding hair, but without scalp symptoms, such as itching or burning.

“I see patients every day here at the office with different types of hair loss and some very common symptoms that happen to everyone,” says Dr. Barusco. “It may be happening to you or someone you know, and a lot of times they can be a little deceiving. You’re just dismissing it as, ‘Well, I know it’s going to get better,’ or ‘It’s just a simple hair loss issue.’ In reality, that could be the sign and symptom of something more serious that needs to be treated so you can preserve your hair.”

Healthy hair has growth and resting phases, which accounts for typical shedding. But there can be certain situations in which shedding occurs more rapidly. The medical term for this condition is telogen effluvium. Women are more susceptible after surgery, undergoing general anesthesia, or experiencing a stressful event or trauma – as well as the hormonal changes of menopause, or discontinuing birth control pills. Thyroid disease is another possible cause. Returning to hormone-induced causes, new mothers may experience hair loss two months after giving birth. This shedding usually peaks after four months, and is normal and temporary. Dr. Barusco’s video on the topic of pregnancy and hair loss for his YouTube channel, Hair Loss Medical Advice, provides additional helpful information.

How to Recognize Signs of Excessive Hair Shedding

Evaluating the rate of your own hair loss isn’t as easy as you may think. In his informative YouTube video, Dr. Barusco notes that the apparent amount of shedding can fool the eye. For example, a bundle of 50 hairs of thick, curly texture will look more voluminous than a bundle of 50 thin, straight texture hairs. The same holds true for long hairs versus shorter hairs. For this reason, Dr. Barusco often instructs his patients to save their shed hairs in self-sealing plastic bags.

“Sometimes, you just have to sit down and count the hairs of the patient. Many times, we are between the 100 to 150 hairs that they would shed every day. But it’s important for us to have that parameter.”  

From Hair Shedding to Noticeable Areas of Hair Loss on the Scalp

Even more alarming is when the situation shifts from excessive shedding to visible areas of hair loss on the scalp. “There are different stages of thinning,” says Dr. Barusco. “You can go very easily from a mild scalp see-through to a little bit more area, to then many areas.

“Another clinical presentation that I see many times is when the hairline and temples get thinner. This is much more common in African-American women. It’s called traction hair loss, or traction alopecia – and it happens because of tightly pulled hairstyles and weaves. This causes a good deal of trauma to the hair follicles – particularly around the frontal scalp at the temples and the hairline. Over time, these stressed-out follicles become weaker, and they’ll become thinner and thinner. Eventually, you may see balding spots. However, it is my job to evaluate each patient to rule out other causes, because there are other conditions that can mimic this.”

What You Need to Know About Alopecia

“Alopecia” is a general term for hair loss. There are many types of alopecia, each with its own pathology and set of symptoms. Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women. In men, this condition is also known as male-pattern baldness.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. Males and females of every age and ethnic group can develop alopecia areata. It often first appears during childhood and can be different for everyone who has it. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), alopecia areata can cause different types of hair loss: alopecia areata (hair loss in patches), alopecia totalis (total hair loss on the scalp) and alopecia universalis (hair loss on the entire body).

Alopecia areata is characterized as a superficial inflammation. The hair follicles – the “bulbs” below the skin surface – remain protected, so hair loss typically isn’t permanent. Our blog post – “Advanced Treatments for Non-Pattern Hair Loss” – provides additional information.

“These types of lesions are very common, characterized by a pretty much completely bald spot that can start small and grow,” says Dr. Barusco. “It can also occur in the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes and armpits – any area of the body that has hair.”

Other types of alopecia include the following:

Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) – This is a form of scarring alopecia that results in permanent hair loss in the crown region of the scalp. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network, it is the most common form of scarring hair loss in black women over age 30. However, it may be seen in men and among persons of all races and hair color – although rarely.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) – This is a form of lichen planopilaris that is characterized primarily by slowly progressive hair loss and scarring on the scalp near the forehead. In some cases, the eyebrows, eyelashes and/or other parts of the body may be involved, as well.

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) – This affects the scalp and hair. It is a form of lichen planus, an inflammatory condition affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Symptoms may include scaly skin and redness around hair follicles, and bald patches – as well as pain, burning or itching on the scalp. Tiny, red bumps (papules) may appear around hair clusters. LLP can result in scarring that leads to permanent hair loss.

A fungal infection in the scalp can also cause hair loss. For example, in the case of ringworm – which is actually a fungus – the fungus targets the hair shaft, which causes the hair to shed. The outside ring is red and inflamed, and as it expands, the center will heal. “Sometimes, the hair can start going back to the center of the lesion – so that’s how we got the name of ringworm, because there’s a circle of red, then the central areas will start to heal and look less red,” says Dr. Barusco. “This can be treated with antifungals, and the hair can be grown back. But it needs to be addressed, so don’t just look at this and let it go.”

Don’t Take a Wait-and-See Attitude Toward Shedding Hair

If you’re concerned that you’re losing more hair than usual – yet hesitant to schedule a consultation with a hair replacement specialist – you also may be losing valuable time in getting a diagnosis that can treat the cause of your hair loss and prevent or delay future loss. As you’re familiar with your hair, any changes you notice are worth investigating. Just as you shouldn’t ignore troubling symptoms regarding your overall health, paying attention to warning signs about the health of your hair and scalp is also important. Consulting a hair restoration surgeon who – like Dr. Barusco – is also a physician will give you the best opportunity for an accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment plan and good outcome.

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

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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!

Will it Help My Hair Loss? How to Recognize Fact From Fiction!

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The internet is the first place that people go to search for answers to all of their questions – so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that misinformation becomes disseminated among the helpful information from credible sources. If you’ve been looking for answers to your questions about hair loss (or hair growth), you’re likely to find information that seems trustworthy, but is based more on pseudoscience than fact. Unlike the “snake oil” pitches of years past for tonics and elixirs that promised a sure-fire cure for baldness, today’s claims are more sophisticated. To make the situation even more complicated, some contain a kernel of truth, or follow the outline of best practices but diverge at critical points.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. Tempus Hair Restoration offers surgical and non-surgical treatments. We write a monthly blog post on a wide variety of topics to educate people concerned about their hair loss – each with the intention of providing accurate, up-to-date information so that they can make knowledgeable decisions regarding treatment. Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – also posts weekly to his YouTube channel with his popular series, “The Hair Geek.”

Ensuring that Dr. Barusco’s patients are confident in their decision – and that they are appropriate candidates for the procedure or treatment they will undergo – are of foremost importance to our practice. Our motivation is not to disparage other legitimate, ethical hair restoration practices, but to prevent people who are seeking help from wasting their time and money on specious treatments, as well as putting themselves at risk.

Can Biotin Help You Grow a Beard?

This is one of the areas in which a little bit of fact gets turned into fiction. Biotin is a B vitamin (B7) involved in the production of energy. It is available in supplement form and found naturally in a number of foods – such as legumes, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, nutritional yeast, liver, egg yolks, sardines and bananas. Biotin aids in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and is essential for the formation of fatty acids and blood sugar (glucose).

Biotin stimulates keratin production in hair and can increase the rate of follicle growth. However, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “To date, there is a lack of published studies to suggest that biotin supplements are beneficial for the growth of normal, healthy hair and nails.”

Low blood levels of biotin can cause thinning of the hair and rash around the eyes, nose, and mouth. Biotin deficiencies are rare among well-nourished adults, although they can occur due to excessive long-term alcohol use, the use of certain prescription medications and hormonal changes (particularly in pregnant women).

Therefore, assuming biotin does its job within the boundaries of current scientific research, taking biotin supplements will do nothing to promote facial hair growth. However, the websites of some companies that market products for beard grooming tell a different story. Knowing what you now know can help you read between the lines of their plausible-sounding yet misleading copy. In touting biotin as effective in growing a thick, full beard, one such website states a fact – that a biotin deficiency can slow down hair growth and cause hair to become thin and brittle – but then draws the unsupported conclusion that biotin is recommended to those desiring a robust, fast-growing beard.

Other websites may temper their claims with such statements that good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are required to achieve the optimum benefits of biotin. While this is true (as it is true of any vitamin supplement), the rapid growth of thick facial hair isn’t among them. As always, buyer beware! Do your research, and rely on results from credible sources. Look for articles that have been reviewed by a licensed physician for accuracy. Avoid blog posts that include affiliate links, as the author and/or website receives a percentage of the sale of any product made through the sponsor. They are not unbiased sources.

Can Minoxidil Help Beard Growth?

Yes, it does seem we’ve entered the era of the beard! According to the American Academy of Dermatology, minoxidil (known by the brand name Rogaine) is safe to use on the beard and eyebrows, as well as on the scalp. According to Medical News Today, researchers in Thailand conducted a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a 3% minoxidil lotion for people striving to grow beards. Some 46 participants applied a minoxidil lotion twice a day. Based on doctor evaluation and the participants’ self-assessment, this treatment resulted in a noticeably thicker, fuller beard.

While this study is promising, the caution here is that hair restoration is not a DIY project. WebMD notes that minoxidil should not be used on any other part of the body unless directed by your doctor. Instead of attempting to diagnose and treat yourself, schedule an appointment with a hair restoration specialist to learn if minoxidil is the right treatment for your individual case. Minoxidil is a vasodilator, which could put those with a heart condition at risk. 

Can Biotin Help Your Thinning Hair?

Every fact that applies to biotin and beard growth also applies to scalp hair growth. Biotin doesn’t make a distinction between the two. And here is where we find more misleading marketing – in this case, to young women, who typically don’t experience hair loss, save for such situations as chemotherapy and malnutrition due to an eating disorder.

Followers of social media influencers are probably aware of one particular brand of supplements that are shaped, flavored and marketed like candy. The product’s website and social media accounts are filled with glitzy photos, glowing reviews and claims of extraordinary results. Don’t be taken in by the hype. Biotin has a place in your diet, but it doesn’t have super hair growth powers.

As for shampoos containing biotin, keep in mind that biotin must be taken internally to be absorbed by the body. A biotin shampoo may make your hair “feel” better or easier to style, but don’t expect it to do more.

Online Subscription Hair Restoration Services

It may seem the ideal solution if you’re beginning to notice hair loss. Consumers can sign up with one of several heavily advertised companies offering online-based treatments to combat thinning hair. Operating on a subscription basis, such companies may provide an online video consultation with a doctor who is a member of the company’s network. After a discussion of the patient’s concerns, the doctor prescribes a treatment program and the prescribed medication is shipped to the patient’s door on a monthly basis. Or you can bypass even that brief conversation with a doctor, with some companies asking only that you fill out a questionnaire – or just allowing you to choose your own treatment plan and medications based upon your own self-diagnosis.

So what could go wrong? As we covered in our blog post – “What to Look for in a Hair Transplant Surgeon” – finding the right doctor and treatment for your specific hair loss isn’t the same as buying shoes online.

As reported by Natasha Singer and Katie Thomas in their article for The New York Times – Drug Sites Upend Doctor-Patient Relations: ‘It’s Restaurant-Menu Medicine’ – “The sites invert the usual practice of medicine by turning the act of prescribing drugs into a service. Instead of doctors making diagnoses and then suggesting treatments, patients request drugs and physicians serve largely as gatekeepers.

“Some of these companies operate in a regulatory vacuum that could increase public health risks, according to interviews with physicians, former federal health regulators and legal experts. And federal and state health laws, written to ensure competent medical care and drug safety, have not kept pace with online services, they say.”

The first red flag is the marketing for these services. The ads for one company declare “Balding is now optional.” Although an attention-getting tagline, it isn’t true. 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.

The company the ads promote prescribes and ships finasteride (brand name Propecia) and minoxidil. Although the ad copy implies there has been a breakthrough in the science of hair loss treatment, Propecia and Rogaine are FDA-approved treatments that have been available for many years.

Ethical practices do not sensationalize their marketing, or mislead potential patients through setting exaggerated expectations of results. While this is a blatant example, these online subscription companies downplay the fact that even non-surgical treatment is still medical treatment that involves numerous factors a doctor needs to take into account and evaluate. If any type of medical practice doesn’t market itself ethically, you can assume it lacks ethics in every other area – including patient care.

Only, as The New York Times’ article points out, these companies “… argue that they are tech platforms, not health providers. The sites connect consumers – and often process their payments – to doctors who may prescribe drugs and pharmacies that can ship the medications.” Their lack of accountability and responsibility to patient health should negate any perceived convenience in ordering prescription treatments with a couple of clicks.

As for the online doctor? You may be able to choose the doctor for your video conference, but only from those who are in the company’s network. Are you able to check their qualifications? Are they hair restoration specialists? Hair transplant surgeons? According to The New York Times’ article (which names the online companies), the companies use physicians groups for their doctor consultations.

Whatever the case, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find much useful information about their experience and credentials. Dr. Barusco advocates transparency in the patient-doctor relationship, and makes his extensive educational and professional background available on the Tempus Hair Restoration website.

Bottom line: If you sign on with such a service believing you’ll have a true patient-doctor relationship, you won’t. And if something goes wrong, you’ll also have no legal recourse.

Knowledge is Power – Choose Your Surgeon Wisely

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 is a board-certified surgeon who is internationally recognized as a leader in hair restoration. His many other credentials include: Diplomate and Past President (2017) of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery; Assistant Professor of Surgery – University of Central Florida College of Medicine; Fellow of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) and Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS). Dr. Barusco conducts all consultations and performs all hair transplantation procedures.

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. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!

Does COVID-19 Cause Hair Loss?

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The COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, continues to take its devastating toll. While vaccine introductions offer hope of relief, the virus remains a threat. Many who survive report physically debilitating long-term effects that prevent them from resuming the activities of their pre-coronavirus life. Yet even many among those who do make a complete recovery are reporting a baffling effect: hair loss.

As an industry-recognized leader in hair restoration surgery, Dr. Marco Barusco, MD – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – has recently seen a marked increase in the number of patients who survived COVID-19 now experiencing a significant amount of hair loss. Almost every discipline in the medical community is searching for answers about this puzzling development. Hair loss is not on the CDC’s list of known COVID-19 symptoms.

A Medical Mystery Emerges

“We don’t know exactly how COVID-19 influences hair loss,” says Dr. Barusco in his YouTube video series, “Hair’s the Truth.” In the episode – “Hair Loss After Covid-19 Infection” – Dr. Barusco discusses what he has learned based upon his examination of patients who have sought their own answers about why they’re suffering sharp, accelerated hair loss after recovery, as well as his ongoing research and review of medical literature covering this rapidly developing condition.

“It is not yet known if the virus damages hair follicles, or if the hair loss is secondary to the body’s reaction to the viral infection and the healing process. We are getting more and more questions about that.”

Based upon reports from other specialists as well as Dr. Barusco’s observations, hair loss typically begins two to four months post-COVID. However “hair loss” is a general term that covers several specific types. Telogen effluvium (TE) is a common form of hair loss characterized by diffuse hair shedding caused by an abnormal shift in follicular cycling. These early indications tend to implicate telogen effluvium in post-COVID hair loss.

In plain language, there are three phases in the hair follicle growth cycle: anagen (growth), catagen (resting) and telogen (shedding). At any given time, about 90% of hairs are in anagen, with 5% in catagen and 5% in telogen. In telogen effluvium, the proportion of hair follicles in the telogen phase significantly increases as much as 50%, leading to mass shedding. Most people shed between 50 to 100 hairs each day.

Unlike male pattern baldness, telogen effluvium involves shedding all over the head. With this condition, the scalp appears normal, with no rash or other symptoms, such as itching, burning, pain or flaking.

The afore-mentioned abnormal cycling shift has several common trigger events, such as the following:

  • Infection or high fever
  • Major physical or psychological trauma
  • Surgery
  • Extreme weight loss/change in diet
  • Drugs
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Hormonal changes

Considering that COVID-19 is a viral infection and high fever is among its symptoms – and that many patients experience significant weight loss – telogen effluvium has the optimum opportunity to occur.

Shilpi Khetarpal, MD – a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic – reports that there may also be a genetic component in determining who experiences post-COVID telogen effluvium.

“Experts say it is hard to know why some patients recovering from COVID lose hair and others do not,” she said in an interview with Healio. “It may be related to genetics. We know that hair loss happens to people who are predisposed, but we do not know who or why. There are specifics about one’s hair cycle and genetics that make them prone or predisposed to developing TE.”

Pandemic Stress May Also Trigger Telogen Effluvium

As Dr. Barusco and other medical experts note, telogen effluvium is affecting people who have not had COVID-19. He has seen patients who cared for a family member with COVID-19 who also experienced hair loss, noting that stress is a common trigger event.

Says Dr. Khetarpal, “We are also seeing people dealing with TE who did not have COVID. There is immense stress around the pandemic itself. People are stressed regarding finances, child care, homeschooling and fears about contracting COVID, along with everyday life stressors. In my practice, I have seen a rise in patients with TE since early June and continue to see new patients every week complaining about excessive hair shedding.”

Can Hair Loss Related to COVID-19 Be Treated?

Dermatologist Sara Hogan, MD, tells WebMD that she is seeing an increasing number of coronavirus patients who have hair loss for the first time.

“Hair loss can occupy a large amount of someone’s mind share because our hair is something we see. It’s often part of our identity and how others perceive us. So when patients start losing hair, especially for the first time, they often come to me very upset.”

Based upon his examination of patients seeking treatment, Dr. Barusco says that as frightening as it is to have hair come out in handfuls – as was the case with an anonymous patient he features in his video – the hair follicles remain intact, meaning that regrowth can occur. This agrees with what is known about telogen effluvium, in which hair typically starts growing back in four to nine months. Initial regrowth may occur in patchy areas of the scalp, rather than evenly.

As for treatment, each person – whether a COVID-19 survivor or one who is experiencing the stress of COVID’s impact on their family or other areas of life – is different. Your individual case involves numerous factors, such as genetic predisposition. For this reason, it is very important to not try to diagnose and treat yourself. Making an appointment with a licensed medical specialist is essential to determine your state of health and its relationship to your hair loss. Based upon an examination, a specialist can recommend and/or prescribe the appropriate actions and/or medications required to promote hair growth.

Dr. Barusco is a board-certified hair transplant surgeon, trichologist and hair loss specialist with more than 20 years of experience. He is Assistant Professor of Surgery at University of Central Florida School of Medicine, and has dedicated his career to helping thousands of patients worldwide overcome their hair loss challenges using the latest medical and surgical procedures.

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.

As a COVID-19 survivor or one who is experiencing long-term stress from additional responsibilities and hardships resulting from the pandemic, you deserve to return to feeling whole and healthy, with the tools you need to promote your own sense of well-being. We would be honored to help you achieve your hair restoration goals. It may now sound clichéd, but we truly are all in this together – and we are here for you.

Early Signs of Hair Loss – What Hairstylists Can Look For

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Hairstylists serve many roles in their client relationships. From style expert to confidant, you are the one your clients trust to make them look and feel their best. You also are the professional who can first detect early signs of hair loss in your long-term clients. In some cases, the client notices such symptoms as decreasing hair volume and turns to you for confirmation that they aren’t just “imagining things” – as well as advice on the next step to take. On other occasions, you may notice thinning or patchy areas of the scalp before your client does.

In either case, knowing how to talk to your clients about this initial stage of hair loss and how to advise them to seek an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment gives you greater value as a beauty industry professional. Obviously, if you can alert a client about his or her hair loss in a timely manner and provide a knowledgeable referral to the right medical professional, you will keep that client longer! In addition, you will enhance your own reputation as a leading hairstylist who provides a higher level of service.

What amount of hair loss is normal?

According to Mayo Clinic, people typically lose about 100 hairs a day. As Salon Today notes, this amount doesn’t cause noticeable thinning because new hair is growing in at the same time. Hair loss occurs when the cycle of hair growth and shedding is disrupted or when the hair follicle is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue.

Knowing what to look for and providing the right advice

Dr. Marco Barusco – Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration – conducts a class on this important topic during the annual Premiere Orlando International Beauty Event. Although canceled this year due to COVID-19, this major industry show is scheduled to return to the Orange County Convention Center in October 2021.

This class is one way in which Dr. Barusco expresses his strong commitment to sharing his knowledge. In 2014, he was invited to be a part of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine faculty as Assistant Professor of Surgery. He also serves as a mentor for research projects in the areas of wound healing and surgery. Additionally, Dr. Barusco has written chapters in the most authoritative textbooks in the hair transplantation discipline. Some chapter examples include a description of the No-Shave FUE procedure developed by Dr. Barusco, and a description of the Tempus Crown-Hatching technique, which is used to improve coverage of the crown area of the scalp.

Dr. Barusco’s other credentials include the following:

As a generous authority in medicine and hair restoration, Dr. Barusco enthusiastically conducts his annual classes held exclusively for hairstylists. He knows that you are often your clients’ first defense in the battle against hair loss, and wants you to have the knowledge to help them prevent further loss. Dr. Barusco has provided the following text, taken from his class lessons.

Lessons from Dr. Barusco’s acclaimed class

“Stylists see hair loss all the time, multiple times a day, in both men and women. Unfortunately, not all of them are prepared to give their clients the correct advice, and often a patient will delay treatment for their hair loss because their hairstylist did not discuss it with them and/or did not refer them for medical treatment early enough.

“Many times, hair loss is present in areas of the scalp that are not accessible to the patient, such as the crown area and the back of the head, so clients sometimes don’t even know that they have an issue. Hairstylists are in a good position to detect potential hair problems and advise their clients, but in order to do it, they need to have the knowledge and be always on the lookout for problem areas.

“Hair loss can take many forms, and not all hair loss is genetic or “stress-related.” Many times a client’s hair loss can be triggered by medications, hormonal imbalances, anemia, thyroid disease, and other health issues that, unless treated, will continue to affect their hair.

Many of these health conditions are insidious and will not necessarily cause symptoms, so it is important to advise a client to look for a doctor with experience in hair loss so that these factors can be adequately investigated and treated. “Patchy” hair loss is easier to spot, and they can mean more serious problems, so if noticed, a referral to a specialist like us is paramount. Symptoms like itching, burning, and pain in the scalp are all red flags of inflammation, which can cause hair loss as well.

 “The bottom line is: any new onset hair loss (increased shedding, areas of thinning, patches of hair loss, irritated scalp, etc.) should be referred to a doctor for investigation, and not simply treated with the products that are sold at the salon. By working in conjunction with us, clients will have better hair for longer and will be happy that the stylist knew and cared enough to refer them. Worst case scenario, the client will have a simple type of hair loss and will benefit from treatment, along with their hairstylist’s advice on how to better make use of their hair.”

Open communication is key

Fortunately, most people feel comfortable talking with their hairstylist. If you are the one who notices early signs of hair loss, you can start the conversation by asking if the client has seen any changes in their hair recently. If the client brings the subject up, acknowledge that you see the change, as well, and take it from there. Losing hair is unsettling and frightening to most people, as so much of our self-esteem is based upon maintaining a certain image of ourselves. Having the support and informed advice of a trusted professional can make a significant difference in the progression of hair loss – and, in turn, the emotional well-being of your clients who face this challenge.

Make your referrals wisely

With Dr. Barusco’s extensive experience in medicine and hair restoration, you can be assured that your clients will receive an accurate diagnosis and the best treatment plan for their individual situation. In addition to his innovative surgical techniques, Dr. Barusco is a leader in such non-surgical treatments as subcutaneous adipose (fat) tissue, and growth factors therapy – which permits earlier intervention with a positive outcome, as stronger hair returns in the areas that are thinning, improving volume and scalp coverage.

We make it easy for your clients to contact us to schedule a free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving your clients the opportunity to learn their options in the comfort of their home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

As we are always interested in building professional relationships, we invite you to reach out if you see the value in referring your clients to us for their hair restoration journey. We look forward to learning about you and your goals!