Tag Archives: amir yazdan

Female Success Story: Extreme Scalp Damage and Trauma [Update: 3/19/21]

August 10, 2020 admin Leave a comment

An incredible new entry has been added to Modena’s female hair loss success stories!

This success story has been a long and involved reconstruction project that continues to be a work-in-progress, but one that deserves to make hair restoration headlines around the world.

In the following presentation, Dr. Amir Yazdan treats a woman involved in a terrible car accident who was left with very little scalp tissue and hair, as well as major cosmetic deformities to her forehead and eyebrow. Traumatic head injuries often include injury to the scalp and eyebrows, with resulting destruction to the hair follicles in those areas.

Initial Reconstruction Work

When the patient first entered our clinic, her scalp was severely damaged and traumatized, as can be seen in the photos below. We began reconstruction work on the patient with extensive skin grafting over the scalp and forehead to both cover the wounds and allow for easier healing of scar tissue. The patient then underwent tissue expanders in the front and back of the scalp for a 6-month period to stretch the skin and allow for better coverage over the scalp.

Skin grafting and tissue expanding was done in order to enable the scalp to grow extra skin for use in upcoming reconstructive procedures. The damaged areas required a newer and stronger layer of skin to act as the base of operation for hair restoration work to unfold.

Hair Restoration Treatment

Traumatic scalp injury and scarring destroy a person’s naturally growing hair follicles. Hair will stop growing where scarred skin grows. This is why hair restoration in the scarred areas of the scalp cannot be undertaken lightly. It requires careful examination of the scalp and consideration of numerous factors that can influence the feasibility and outcome of surgical hair restoration.

After careful analysis of the patient’s scar tissue, scalp morphology and blood supply, Dr. Yazdan chose to begin treatment with PRP to stimulate scar tissue before fat grafting to add healthier fat padding under the skin. This was done in order to provide better vascularity to the scar tissue and to help increase the survival rate of transplanted grafts.

The patient then underwent an FUT/strip surgery to advance the hairline forward, as well as to fill in the scarring and repair her left eyebrow. To achieve a natural look, Dr. Yazdan paid extreme care and attention to the positioning of the incisions and distribution of follicular units in order to ensure a proper aesthetic reconstruction of the damaged site.

Skilled FUT surgery demands a highly artistic eye in order for the new follicular units to blend seamlessly with the patient’s native hair.

Concurrently with the hair transplant procedure Dr. Yazdan performed strategic scalp micro pigmentation to help cover the extensive scarring the patient had suffered from the trauma and surgeries.

Work-in-Progress

In 4-6 months’ time, Dr. Yazdan will perform a second hair transplant surgery in order to:

Increase density in previously transplanted areas
Further refine the hairline
Account for additional scarring and hair loss
Add coverage in weakly supplied areas

As the most recent photos reveal – many months after the skin grafting and first FUT surgery – the patient’s extensive scarring, trauma, redness and crusting have severely subsided as the newly designed hairline and transplanted hair follicles begin to restore the natural look of the face.

[Update 3/19/21]: It’s been six months now since the patient’s initial reconstruction work and we can see the original natural hairline coming to fruition in a beautiful way. We are extremely happy with the graft survival rate on the scar tissue. The regrown hair on and around the trauma site is flattering and has surpassed all expectations – the excision sites have all healed incredibly well.

Finally, Dr. Yazdan’s eyebrow reconstruction work has restored the patient’s natural eyebrow line. Eyebrow reconstruction is a very delicate procedure, requiring perfect placement of the hairs into tiny incisions that are angled at just the right direction and positioned to mimic natural growth.

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Hair Transplants for a Thinning Crown

February 12, 2020 admin Leave a comment

The crown region – sometimes referred to as the ‘bald spot’ – is located on the back portion of the scalp and is an area commonly affected by male pattern baldness. In fact, most men begin looking into hair transplants for the first time after noticing balding in this region. First time clients often tell us: “I hate the bald spot on the back of my head, it makes me look so much older than I am!”
So, what’s the matter? Aren’t all types of male pattern baldness equally treatable? Here at Modena Hair Institute we are experts in every type of hair transplant procedure, so is a hair transplant for the crown any different?
Simply put: yes. There are a number of things a patient with a balding crown must consider and talk to with their doctor, such as:
Prioritizing Frontal Hairlines First

While the crown features prominently on the scalp, it’s usually less cosmetically significant than more visible regions like the hairline and frontal scalp. Balding in the crown, because it’s at the back of the head, can be hidden more easily. Most men find it less discomforting than frontal hair loss, which is why we advise working from the front to the back when it comes to hair restoration.
If you’re experiencing hair thinning on the frontal area of the scalp, it’s highly advisable to tackle this area first, before attempting to restore the crown.
Even if you’re seeking to tackle both areas of thinning at once, it’s still usually better to start in the front and work back to the crown. That way if you do run out of grafts, the hairline, frontal scalp, and mid-scalp regions – which are more visible – are restored first. But why does this matter? Is running out of grafts an actual concern? Yes, you and your doctor will need to discuss:
Considering the Health and Strength of the Donor Area

The donor region – the area on the sides and back of the scalp where follicles are harvested for use in a hair transplantation – is limited. This means that a patient may not have enough life-time grafts available to cover the entire scalp if progressive hair loss occurs.
Both FUE and FUT/Strip methods of hair transplant surgery rely on a healthy and sufficient donor area to extract grafts for transplantation. If your donor area does not contain enough healthy, strong follicles to extract, it might result in a limited number of possible hair transplant operations.
When considering a hair transplant for the crown region, you must assess whether there is enough viable donor hairs to cover the frontal hairline in the future. If you fill out the crown area and begin to thin in the front, what will the result look like?
In most cases, the result would look unnatural. No man would like to have a full and thick crown, accompanied by a thin and empty frontal hairline. The opposite, however – men with fuller fronts and thinner crowns – is more natural and therefore more aesthetically desirable. So if you are faced with a limited donor supply, it is better to consider first what can be transplanted to the frontal hairline. An experienced hair transplant specialist should know how to approach splitting up the grafts, and will guide you through the process during the consultation phase.
Now, there are situations where men only thin in the crown and not the front. In this case, donor regions should be assessed differently and strategically. Certainty about how the hair loss will progress is impossible, but the closest approximation should be made. It is always wise to make sure there is adequate donor hair for the front first, as addressing the front first is almost always the safest and most strategic move.
So, should you have a hair transplant in the crown? Well, review your answers to the questions above and see how you feel. If you understand the need for a long-term approach and the idiosyncrasies of crown transplantation, you may be a good candidate. Consult with a clinic experienced with transplants in this region (make sure they can show you multiple examples of crown transplants) and make an informed decision with the above in mind.
Here is an example of a patient who met the criteria above and was able to restore his crown. Maybe you will be next!

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Hair Transplant Specialist or Non-Specialist Cosmetic Surgeon? How to Spot the Difference

February 6, 2020 admin Leave a comment

With more and more self-proclaimed hair transplant ‘experts’ joining the industry, the process of weeding out the bad from the good is getting tougher. Selecting an experienced and reputable hair transplant specialist is becoming harder to do based on internet research alone.
As such, we highly advise a more thorough and in-depth investigation of your doctor’s resume, experience and skill. The only guarantee of achieving effective and permanent results is to go with a doctor whose entire career is devoted to hair restoration. The following are a few factors to look for in finding a real expert and specialist in the field of hair transplantation:
They DO NOT Offer Various Cosmetic Services
If a doctor offers rhinoplasty, face-lifts, liposuction and hair restoration, then they are not a hair restoration specialist. He or she is merely seeking to capitalize on marketplace demand and pick up extra business on the side. Go elsewhere and search for a hair specialist whose sole practice is based on hair restoration.
Doctor’s Resume
If you read through your surgeon’s resume, and he or she doesn’t have a great deal of training, industry associations or years of experience exclusively in the hair restoration industry, then chances are they are not a specialist.
Before and After Pictures
If you’re considering going with a certain hair transplant doctor and they don’t have an extensive catalogue of previous patient before/after photos, it’s a bad sign and highly unlikely they exclusively specialize in hair. One thing to look for are pictures that are loaned out to doctors using a specific Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) equipment. If you read the small writing under the picture, it will say it actually belongs to that company instead of the results being of patients from the doctor you’re considering.
Ask Difficult Questions
During your consultation, ask the hard questions and study your doctor’s responses. Who will be harvesting my donor area? Who makes the recipient sites for my grafts? Dr. Yazdan of Modena Hair Institute performs every major part of the hair transplant procedure, employing assistants only for very peripheral tasks.
Is your doctor an actual attending member of ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery)? The ISHRS is a global non-profit medical association where the world’s leading experts in treating hair loss gather to share their most up to date research, techniques, and diagnostic approaches. Dr. Yazdan is a long-standing ISHRS member with deep academic and experimental ties to the organization.
Many doctors pay for membership but never actually attend meetings and lose out on continued education in hair restoration.
If you use the above guideline in your decision-making process, you will assure yourself of choosing the right hair restoration surgeon and assuring yourself of great results.

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Southern California Hair Transplant Clinics – Feat. Spencer Kobren

January 17, 2020 admin Leave a comment

Last year Dr. Yazdan was listed as one of the top 20 hair transplant surgeons in the world. At Modena Hair Institute, quality of care, rigorous technical finesse and patient advocacy are the foundation of our work. Our Southern California clinic specializes in state-of-the-art medical and surgical treatments of hair loss for men and women including, but not limited to: receding temples, crowns, overall thinning, balding, sideburns, beards, mustaches and eyebrows.
Hair transplantation is an immensely exacting and technically demanding operation where thousands of microscopic incisions are created and thousands of hair grafts – full of sensitive tissue – are extracted, dissected and transplanted.
We believe that an FUE procedure from a skilled hair surgeon is the most effective, safe and aesthetically mature hair restoration option for patients suffering from pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss. The great caveat to this statement, however, is that the surgeon’s skill, expertise and clinical team must be operating at the highest technical and artistic level to achieve the right outcome. When it works, it results in stunningly beautiful hair growth and is one of the only methods to permanently combat baldness. When an operation is performed badly, the hair will grow in an unnatural direction and there’s a high risk for skin infection and scarring.
An aesthetically and technically successful hair transplant requires extreme hand-eye coordination, artistic finesse, calculated endurance and years of specialized experience.
At Modena Hair Institute in Southern California, Dr. Yazdan utilizes an extremely fine 0.7mm punch for all extractions. This not only reduces the risk for scarring, but reduces the risk of shock loss in surrounding follicles. Once the follicular units have been isolated and the incision made, the extracted hair is inspected closely and prepared for placement, utilizing only the healthiest and most optimal hairs.

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Botched Hair Transplant Repair – Featuring Spex

January 16, 2020 admin Leave a comment

For the past few weeks, we’ve had the privilege of enjoying the company of Spencer ‘Spex’ Stevenson, who is visiting Southern California to consult with current and potential hair transplant patients on their hair loss experiences.
During one of his many visits to our Newport Beach hair transplant clinic, Spex and his team filmed Dr. Yazdan repairing and revising a patient’s poorly executed hair transplant, clearly performed at a non-specialist practice. The patient under consideration came into our office with a very dispersed and pluggy looking hairline, as a result of excessively large grafts being placed too far apart. The patient’s transplanted area showed gaps and little hair volume.
The patient also displayed numerous instances of ‘pitting’ in the frontal region of the scalp – resulting from grafts which were planted too deep.
Dr. Yazdan’s job was threefold:

Add density to the front of the scalp all the way through to the crown
Add volume through careful and artistic donor extraction
Mask the instances of ‘pitting’ on the frontal region of the scalp

Importance of Choosing the Right Hair Surgeon
The root cause of bad hair transplants is almost always inexperience and non-specialization on the part of the hair transplant surgeon. Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is an extremely delicate procedure that requires a tremendous amount of finesse, dexterity, experience and skill. It is imperative to research and choose a surgeon who only specializes in hair transplantation, and someone who is verified by and affiliated with prestigious hair transplant organizations like the IAHRS and AHLA.
Dr. Yazdan is a member of the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS) and is the only such member practicing in the Orange County and Las Vegas areas.
Remember that repairing and revising a botched hair transplant is a far more difficult process to undergo than a first-time hair transplant.

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Hair Transplant Surgery Guide: FUE and FUT

December 16, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Information	FUT	FUE
Type of extraction	A small strip of hair is extracted. No trimming of the donor hair region.	Hair at the donor site is trimmed to approximately 1mm and individual hair follicles are finely and carefully extracted directly from the hair extraction zone with a special instrument.
How long does the extraction last?	Around 30 – 45 minutes.	Several hours.
What level of hair density is possible?	A high level of density is possible because the extracted follicles are of high enough quality to ensure a high growth rate.	A high level of density is possible because the extracted follicles are of high enough quality to ensure a high growth rate.
How does the preparation work?	The groupings of hair follicles are individually extracted from the hair strip and prepared and organized with the use of specially designed microscopes.	Each individual hair follicle removed by Dr. Yazdan’s advanced specialty instrument is examined and prepared under a high-resolution microscope. Depending on the scope of the procedure, this process can take several hours.
When will you be ready to go out into the world again?	After a few days. Since the hair doesn’t need to be shaved down, the treatment is barely noticeable after around 3 days.	After a few days. By that point the trimmed hair on the back of your head will have grown back.
When will you be able to partake in sport again?	Approximately 3 weeks after a treatment.	Approximately 2 weeks after a treatment.
How long does a procedure with approximately 2,000 FUs last?	Approximately 4 – 5 hours	Around 6 – 8 hours, although in larger procedures the time-intensive procedure can take more than one day. Viz. more than one session.
Do you need to shave the back of your head?	No	Yes
What scars will be present in the donor-hair area?	One long and thin scar that is cosmetically sutured and usually not visible over time.	Thousands of extremely fine, round scars that close after a brief period of time. Barely visible, if at all.
How long does it take for the donor-hair area to heal? How?	The suture is removed after a week or so.	It heals on its own after a few days. Small raised red bumps will disappear on their own after 1 – 2 weeks.

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Achieving the Right Density During your Hair Transplant

August 21, 2019 admin Leave a comment

hair density modena hair institute — Modena Hair Transplant Before/After

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), of men who’ve had hair transplants, 64% were disappointed with their hair density after their procedure.
Bad hair transplant results can stem from a number of things – lackluster expertise being at the top of the list. A hair transplant surgeon should not be a cosmetic jack-of-all-trades, rather he or she ought to own many years of refined and artistic specialized mastery.
Hair loss can be a frightening experience, taking a toll on one’s confidence and pubic presentation. A board-certified hair transplant surgeon will be able to determine the sufficient density according to the type of hair that is being transplanted. Many lesser trained cosmetic surgeons will simply offer the potential patient more grafts without regard for follicle survival rate or natural growth patterns, resulting in poor growth rates.
The follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure – the gold standard of hair transplantation – involves the extraction of hair follicles one by one from genetically resistant donor areas (back and sides of the scalp). These extracted follicles are then transplanted onto the bald areas of the scalp where they will resume growing into natural looking hair.
When discussing hair density and FUE with you surgeon, it is important to understand that the level of hair density you will receive from the surgery depends on a number of factors such as your age, severity of hair loss, and the reason for hair loss.
As noted above, during the formal consultation the surgeon will determine the extent of your baldness as well as the number of hair follicles that will be required to cover the bald areas of your scalp. That is why it is important to undergo any procedure only at the best hair transplant clinic in order to get the maximum hair density without compromising quality control.
As the only IAHRS member in the Orange County and Las Vegas area, Dr. Yazdan of Modena Hair Institute has practiced hair transplantation with exceptional artistic and surgical prowess for over a decade. Potential hair transplant patients are entitled to a provider who is experienced, ethical and knowledgeable – someone who makes them feel safe and comfortable. The search for such a qualified surgeon, however, can be both challenging and time-consuming. The hair transplant marketplace is notoriously riddled with hair restoration generalists (i.e. non-specialists) and unqualified technicians seeking to exploit consumer ignorance and insecurity.

While many patients feel that transplanting excess hair onto the bald areas can help them get a head full of hair, it is important to remember that transplanting excess hair follicles can affect the blood supply to the surrounding hair, resulting in shock. Therefore, the number of hair follicles transplanted by the best hair transplant surgeons will always be less than a patient’s natural hair density.
At the end of the day, every person’s hair is different. Therefore, the hair density after an FUE hair transplant of one patient can be different from another.

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Dr. Yazdan Named One of the Top Hair Transplant Surgeons in the World

August 5, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Spencer ‘Spex’ Stevenson, one of the most prolific and well-known hair loss mentors in the world, has recently authored a list of the top 20 hair restoration surgeons in the world. We are happy to announce that Modena’s own Dr. Amir Yazdan has been featured on that list.
“I am incredibly grateful to be named a top hair restoration doctor by Spencer Stevenson,” said Dr. Yazdan. “Spencer is someone the entire hair restoration community admires and is indebted to. It is humbling to receive this remarkable honor for nearly a decade of rewarding and fulfilling work with my patients and colleagues.”

Here at Modena Hair Institute we’ve doubled down on our efforts to expose hair loss practitioners posing as experts or hair restoration clinics which grossly misinform and mistreat their patients. We’ve covered many botched hair loss stories and the tragic psychological impact it can have on patients’ wellbeing, as well as the undermining effect it can have on the entire hair restoration industry.
It’s with great enthusiasm and rejoice then, that we are today witnessing an unprecedented level of patient advocacy.
In his article, Spencer highlights the importance of distinguished and high-caliber hair restoration forums and associations in providing trustworthy information and guidance to patients. Associations like the IAHRS (International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeon) provides unparalleled professional vetting and seeks to represent only the best in the discipline – the true leaders in the field of hair transplant surgery.
Spencer explains that “a crucial element of my recommendations is that all the doctors listed support the message conveyed by the relevant standards and authorities in the field. These guys care about the industry and its ethics, integrity and quality of treatment…”
As the only IAHRS member in the Orange County and Las Vegas area, Dr. Yazdan’s acceptance into the society means that he has consistently upheld the highest ethical standards, carries exceptional surgical prowess and a visceral commitment to the art and science of hair transplantation.

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World Renowned Hair Transplant Advisor – Spex – Joins Modena as Patient Advisor

August 4, 2019 admin Leave a comment

The hair transplant industry has a guardian angel and his name is Spencer ‘Spex’ Stevenson.

As a dedicated hair transplant advisor known for his extraordinary patient care, Spex has spent his life helping clinics and practitioners, and educating the public about hair loss.

Potential hair transplant patients are entitled to a provider who is experienced, ethical and knowledgeable – someone who makes them feel safe and comfortable.

The search for such a qualified surgeon, however, can be both challenging and time-consuming. The hair transplant marketplace is notoriously riddled with hair restoration generalists (i.e. non-specialists) and unqualified technicians seeking to exploit consumer ignorance and insecurity.

Spex himself cautions: “Be warned, the hair loss industry preys on your vulnerability and isolation. I fell prey to the hands of this brutal place and my own journey was unfortunately very long, emotional and tremendously tiresome.”

Both Spex and Modena Hair Institute have been at the forefront of patient advocacy and hair transplant excellency. That is why we are grateful and enthusiastic to have Spex join our team as a patient advisor.

“Spencer is a true pioneer – a talented and tireless advisor, a dedicated and inspiring educator, and a friend and mentor to everyone he meets. He never sought to be a leader, but became one naturally through his brilliance, compassion, patience and selflessness,” said Dr. Amir Yazdan, director at Modena Hair Institute.

Guiding potential patients to the very best practitioners in the hair transplant industry, Spex only partners with the most distinguished surgeons and hair loss specialists. As the only IAHRS member in the Orange County and Las Vegas regions, Dr. Yazdan has consistently upheld the highest ethical and technical standards. Dr. Yazdan is committed to the continual advancement of the art and science of hair transplantation, and has pioneered sophisticated hair transplant instruments and methods, specifically with regard to the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) procedure.

We look forward to a very bright and fruitful companionship with Spex.

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Is Hair Transplant Surgery Safe and Effective?

July 23, 2019 admin Leave a comment

In short, yes. Hair transplant surgeries are generally safe as long as you select the right clinic and doctor to perform your surgery. The safety of hair transplant surgery comes down to experience, specialization and artistic ability.

Many clinics sell clients on grandiose expertise and then have assistant technicians perform most or all of the surgery, instead of the head surgeon. Their pseudo-rationale is that because they are overbooked and the surgeon doesn’t have the time to give each patient his or her full undivided attention, that medical mediocrity is somehow acceptable. Worse still, some doctors are non-hair restoration specialists but advertise total surgical competence in the field.

At Modena Hair Institute in Newport Beach, Dr. Yazdan does all of his own surgeries. He is involved in every step of the process from pre-op diagnosis to post-op maintenance and care. He only books one surgery per day so that he can make sure every single patient gets the best result possible.

An FUE surgery, or follicular unit extraction, involves grafts being punched out of a donor site and transplanted into the recipient site. Dr. Yazdan commands each punch for an FUE procedure and the punch size is a great deal smaller than most clinics. He uses a razor thin 0.7 or 0.8 mm punch size, whereas other practices generally use a 1.2 mm punch size. Larger punches create more scarring and sometimes damage the surrounding healthy hair.

Hair growth is not always in a straight line and the follicles are not always found growing straight back in the scalp. An experienced doctor will be able to look at the hair and tell the direction and the angle in which the hair is growing. This is paramount when doing the punches for an FUE surgery. Instead of punching a straight hole and cutting right through an angled follicle, they can identify and adjust to the hair growth. Thus, there are lower transection rates and higher yields.

Creating a recipient site for the new follicle to be inserted entails selecting an area where hair needs to be placed and then outlining that area. The doctor makes small incisions in the recipient site, where the grafts will be placed. The graft size must match the incision size perfectly. If the recipient sites are too large the grafts will easily fall out. Conversely, if the recipient sites are too small, the grafts will not fit inside.

Dr. Yazdan also does not cut or split grafts to increase graft number, thereby reducing the total cost of the procedure. Cutting and splitting grafts is needlessly expensive and can lead to decreased survival of the transplanted hair. A follicle could easily be cut during this process as well as dried out. Follicles are extremely sensitive, so the less they are manipulated the better.

A strong medical team is always needed and the surgical team selected by Dr. Yazdan has been with him for nine years. Yazdan and his team continually refine their method and optimize safety and effectiveness

The safety of FUE transplant procedures, therefore, heavily depends on the experience and expertise of the guiding physician, their operating method, and the nature of their instrumentation. Don’t risk your scalp – do thorough research and stick with masters in the field of hair transplantation.

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Dr. Yazdan Attends FUE Conference in Manchester, UK

June 10, 2019 admin Leave a comment

FUE Europe hosts 8^th Annual Congress in the UK, June 6-8, 2019
Long standing ISHRS member and board-certified physician, Dr. Amir Yazdan of Modena Hair Institute, attended this year’s conference both to share his innovations in follicular unit extraction (FUE) and to keep up with all important advancements in the field.

The goal of the prestigious FUE Europe Congress is to contribute to the education and improvement of each and every medical professional that desires to be active in field of hair transplant, as well as non-invasive techniques.

The conference included many internationally recognized keynote speakers covering an array of topics including hair biology, innovative diagnostic approaches, novel surgical techniques, body hair transplantation, and more.

This conference demonstrates that the FUE surgical community has tirelessly fought to develop effective methods to both restore and improve the appearance of male pattern baldness. With the assistance of medical technology developments and cutting-edge techniques, there is now no longer a need to keep struggling with hair loss. Both short-term and long-term options are available depending on your needs and desired results.

The Bald Truth with Spencer Kobren
Alongside the many lectures, activities, and experimental modules hosted at the FUE Europe Congress, Dr. Yazdan made a guest appearance on The Bald Truth with Spencer Kobren. The two discussed the history, present state and future of ethical hair transplantation. Most importantly, they talked about running a hair transplant clinic the right way and making consumer advocacy the top priority, as poor transplants by greedy practices have besmirched the good name of the industry.

Consumers experiencing hair loss or pattern baldness will tragically rush into whatever hair restoration clinic sounds most appealing or which drives the best bargain. Unbeknownst to them, these so-called hair restoration ‘specialists’ either have little experience or use automated machines that lack precision and artistic execution. This effectively means that patients act as guinea pigs for trainees who are operating machines that can barely execute a decent job. Operations of the aforementioned kind often result in gross, botched, or unnatural-looking hairlines.

GroMD Sponsorship
We are proud to mention that Dr. Yazdan’s own hair restoration formula brand, GroMD, helped to fund the 8^th annual conference and support many of the learning modules on site. We hope that GroMD will continue to support the building of an ethical and intellectually rigorous hair transplant culture.

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Why You Should Visit a Hair Restoration Clinic

May 23, 2019 admin Leave a comment

If you’ve thought about or are experiencing hair loss, perhaps you’ve wondered how best to proceed. The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS) is a perfect place to begin your search to find the most qualified hair restoration doctors in your area. The IAHRS does not offer open membership, rather the organization selectively screens skilled and ethical hair transplant surgeons.
But you may be wondering, what can a specialist in hair restoration really help with?
Locate the Source of the Problem
While going to your local hair transplant surgeon to combat your hair loss is a good way to begin treating your symptoms, it may take a while to truly pinpoint what is causing the problem. At Modena Hair Institute, for example, we know which tests can best help show the cause of your hair loss and can personalize your care more quickly.
A Variety of Treatment Options
Another big benefit of going to a hair restoration clinic – instead of a regular dermatologist – is that there are more effective treatment options to choose from. Many suppose that they have to go straight to a surgical option when choosing hair loss restoration treatment. Our Modena offices in Orange County, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas offer a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatment options to provide the best outcomes possible for our patients. We will discuss every option in detail – will you need medical management, PRP therapy, laser therapy, hair transplantation, or something else?
A Small Team of Skilled Specialists
Our clinic is made up of highly skilled and technically savvy hair restoration practitioners. Many larger hair restoration clinics outsource for medical technicians, which usually results in higher turnover rates. At Modena, we limit our staff size in order to maximize skill and technique.
Dr. Amir Yazdan is certified by the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons, which is one of the only institutions that carefully screens and qualifies surgeons in the field. Call Modena Hair Institute today to schedule a consultation. During your visit, we will discuss your symptoms, any family history of hair loss, and suggest next steps for treatment. Call us today and learn how we can help you achieve results!

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Differences in Male & Female Baldness and Ways to Combat It Effectively

May 21, 2019 admin Leave a comment

It’s commonly known that baldness affects men, but there are also many women who experience baldness as well. What is the difference between male and female pattern baldness? What are the treatment options for the sexes? Men and women may experience it in different ways.
Pattern baldness
Women can lose their hair in a different pattern than men do. In men, hair loss starts in the front of the head and recedes to the back until they are bald. Women are not as likely to go completely bald, but could have a lot of thinning throughout.
Causes
Like male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness is hereditary, but the cause is different. It is most common after menopause, so hormones are likely responsible for pattern baldness in women. In women, baldness can also be caused by an underlying endocrine condition or a hormone-secreting tumor.
Progression and Onset
Males tend to lose their hair at a faster rate and have an earlier average age of onset than women do. For both men and women, however, the best way to treat and counteract pattern baldness is early detection and treatment.
Pattern Baldness Prevention and Treatment
Women
Based on a woman’s medical diagnosis and consultation with a hair restoration specialist, medical management of hair loss or transplant surgery will be the solution, yet sometimes both are advised. We may recommend over-the-counter minoxidil (Rogaine) to be applied in tandem with groMD shampoo and conditioner to patients experiencing thinning of hair.
More drastic hair loss cases where women exhibit balding or a gap widening on the topmost part of their scalp may require more advanced hair restoration treatments such as an FUE or FUT hair transplant.
Another hair restoration treatment that has been achieving excellent results for women suffering from temple recession and other hair loss conditions for years is called Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy. The PRP procedure involves drawing a small amount of blood from the patient’s body and processing it in a centrifuge in order to extract a rich plasma serum.
This serum is then injected into the recipient site on the top of the scalp of the patient. PRP is loaded with growth factors that promote rapid angiogenesis, localized cell growth, decrease inflammation and decrease healing time. Quick healing time is important because it allows patients to return to work and their daily activities in a very short period of time.
Dr. Yazdan explains that “with the employment of PRP and added nutrients like Acell, I have seen accelerated healing, reduced swelling and stimulation of thinning hair. I like to use this in every hair restoration surgery because it often gives patients the absolute best results.”
Men
We recommend sitting down with a (board certified) hair restoration specialist who can properly evaluate your hair shedding or hair loss situation, based on factors like your medical profile, hair loss condition, and stage of shedding.
The initial consultation will be to see how your hairline and hair density has changed and will change in the next few years. Forecasting how your receding hairline or shedding patterns change will grant you and the physician a better understanding of the effectiveness of different hair restoration treatments, be they surgical or otherwise. The key to slowing hair loss is early intervention.
Dr. Yazdan may recommend PRP injections mixed with stem cells, alongside a multifaceted program to treat hair thinning and loss.
If the diagnosis is early genetic hair loss, then the best treatment may be the drug finasteride which is highly effective in men of younger age. It may not only stop the hair loss but possibly reverse it.

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‘Hair Transplantation Has Changed, and It’s Going Down a Bad Path’: Dr. Yazdan talks with Spencer Kobren

March 19, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Hair Clinics and Greed

It is no secret that doctors and medical practices across the United States must look after their marketing and sales with studious diligence. We wish that good work and word-of-mouth were enough to get new patients to come in for world-class diagnoses and hair restoration surgery, but sadly it’s not. In our internet age, digital marketing and sprawling sales campaigns are vital mechanisms in spreading the word about one’s practice and expertise.

Here at Modena Hair Institute in Orange County, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas, we are vocal proponents of quality professionalism in medical marketing, branding and sales. But as you can already guess, medical practices lacking the proper experience and expertise have found that they can portray themselves as industry leaders using sly marketing ploys and digital sleights of hand. Platforms like Instagram, YouTube and Facebook are rife with amateur clinics exaggerating their skill and pedigree. Tempted by the prospect of immediate financial gain, they will hire expensive media and sales teams that exaggerate their results, instead of putting in the years of hard work to actually achieve results.

But as Dr. Amir Yazdan explains Spencer Kobren’s show, The Bald Truth, the temptations of greed can also infect highly reputable hair restoration clinics, who will begin to sacrifice quality for quantity. World-class hair transplant doctors who are highly skilled in follicular unit extraction (or FUE), follicular unit transplant (or FUT), scalp micropigmentation and other procedures, are tempted to book more and more appointments, only to sacrifice their attention to detail and careful oversight.

Once a hair restoration practice has reached a certain level of industry popularity, they can leverage that celebrity to promote procedures and programs that are not in the best interest of their clients. A big-name surgeon may start to outsource and hire technicians to perform most of the surgery for them, which results in poorer patient care.

As such, Dr. Amir Yazdan limits himself to one surgery per day so as to have total oversight and command of the hair transplant. He is committed to manual extractions using the smallest possible punch, which allows for maximum versatility, adjustment and natural-looking design.

How do you compete with this greed? You don’t. What ethical and honest businesses need to do is rise above the temptation, knowing that those operating sleazy businesses are really in the minority and that they stand a very good chance of being caught and punished; they are not likely to be happy with themselves and their lives, and are not respected members of the medical community.

Honest and hard-working hair transplant clinics need to cling tightly to their ethics, values and good character. The business model that is based on patient safety and long-term satisfaction – one that sacrifices profit for real and impactful results – is one that will inspire and lead others in the industry.

It’s our job and our duty to earn the trust and admiration of patients and show them how hair transplantation and hair restoration ought to be. At our hair restoration clinics in Orange County, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas, we prioritize long term hair restoration results over quick fix procedures. We develop life-long relationships with our patients, many of whom return for advice and friendly consultation once a year, because we care about real life-changing results.

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Eyebrow Enhancement and Restoration

February 25, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Eyebrows are perhaps the most defining feature on a person’s face. The shape of an eyebrow conveys emotion, feeling and attitude. If you have eyebrows that aren’t as thick or defined as you’d like, then eyebrow restoration may be the perfect option to consider.
At Modena Hair Institute, Dr. Amir Yazdan implements state-of-the-art surgical techniques to restore and enhance not just hair and beard imperfections, but eyebrow flaws as well. Surgical eyebrow restoration is a simple, minimally invasive procedure in which Dr. Yazdan harvests healthy, balding resistant hair follicles from the back of the scalp, chest or back area and plants them in the eyebrows, in the areas of need. The surgery can be used for enhancing existing sparse eyebrow or for recreating eyebrows in individuals who have lost their brows due to trauma, burn or accident.

Eyebrow hair loss is rare, but eyebrows with lackluster volume and faulty shape are all too common. There are many factors which can contribute to eyebrow imperfections. Over-plucking, medication, eczema, alopecia areata, and lupus are some common triggers of eyebrow hair loss. Excessive plucking is probably the most common cause of eyebrow hair loss and this is why most of the eyebrow hair transplant candidates are females. But many men over the last few years have turned to Modena Hair Institute for eyebrow restoration as well.
Many hair restoration clinics, even many good ones, are concerned only with selling hair transplants; we are about the person behind the hair transplant. At Modena we take just as much care considering the person’s aesthetics and proportion as we do the actual hair surgery itself.

If you would like to schedule a complimentary eyebrow restoration consultation, please contact our office today.

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A Cautionary Hair Loss Testimonial

February 7, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Hello all. This is Stephen, one of Dr. Amir Yazdan’s former patients. I write this letter to anyone who is considering getting a hair transplant – whether you’re hesitant, somewhat sure, or absolutely sure.
If you have stumbled upon my letter you are lucky because when I was in your position, I wish that such a testimonial had been written. One which describes all the errors and mistakes one can run into when trying to recover your sense of confidence. I urge you to read this letter and avoid the mistakes I made. I’m writing this letter because I need to. I know what hair loss can do to people. How it can affect every aspect of their life. How it can make them suffer at work, at home or in their social lives. How it can engender fear and insecurity. How it can change one’s whole attitude and approach to life. I’m here to say you should not spend one more minute letting hair loss rule your emotions and govern your feelings.
Secondly, and more importantly, if reading this letter helps even one person to avoid what I went through then my efforts will be successful. I was defrauded, I was mutilated and I was humiliated. I’m too scared to go public and confront the culprits so this is my way of dealing with what happened to me. I will carry the scars associated with my mistakes for the rest of my life.
In my early 20s I started to lose my hair and felt an agonizing insecurity around my peer group. The problems with my hair dominated my life. I studied all the options online and through people who suffered hair loss, there was not many and I went with what I thought was the best option. This is where my nightmare years began. It’s difficult still to admit but I was fooled by sales campaigns and sweet sounding rhetoric.
My ‘treatments’ spanned nearly ten years and I will just say that I also wasted large amounts of money. I started out by putting artificial hairs into my head. What a bad decision that was. They did not work, they caused regular infections, broke, fell out and looked totally unnatural. Even though I have since had them removed, these procedures have caused permanent damage to my skin.
The next thing I was sold was a bad hair transplant overseas. Although the initial results of my hair transplant looked promising, after almost a year it was clear that my appearance looks pluggy, unnatural and botched. Even more than this, this unnamed hair clinic overseas has left the back and sides of my head in permanent damaged scarring form. Whereas before I only suffered hair loss, now I was sporting a botched front hairline with visible scars on the back and sides of my head.
My story finally gets better when I discover Dr. Yazdan and his excellent hair restoration team. Miraculously he has slowly and artfully restored much of the damage done to my hairline over the past decade. My hairline has been improved on and the damage and the scarring at the back of my head has also been attended to as best as it can be. Dr. Yazdan was honest with me from day one and I appreciated when he told me that he could not do miracles, but assured me that he would do his best. He did not fail me on that promise. What also heartens me is that while there is not much more that can be done, the intimate contact and personal checkups will always be there.
I urge any readers, don’t let yourself be fooled like I was. Hair restoration is an expert’s business and only the absolute experts, like Amir at Modena Hair Institute, should be trusted to work on your hairline.

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Getting Past Taboos – Simple Hair Restoration Options for the Modern Worker

January 27, 2019 admin Leave a comment

In a recent nationwide poll on aesthetic surgery, close to 20,000 American respondents named hair loss as one of the most feared aspects of aging. This comes as no surprise that men and women perceive hair loss as an embarrassing and frustrating occurrence. Yet, while there are less social and psychological barriers to going in for lip, hip or butt treatments, for example, many feel uncomfortable going in for a hair restoration procedure.
Yet many are not in need of hair transplant surgery or something similarly invasive but are only looking to curb further hair loss and shedding, and slow or reverse hair follicle shrinkage. Luckily there are a host of excellent, scientifically backed and proven non-surgical hair restoration therapies to profit from.
The first FDA approved medication for hair loss was Minoxidil, better known as Rogaine. Rogaine is a topical treatment now available without a prescription and can be found over the counter. Rogaine combats the dreaded DHT, which is found in both male and females and happens to be the number one culprit in hair loss. DHT shrinks hair follicles, dries out natural proteins and basically chokes hair to death. With Minoxidil’s excellent vasodilation properties, Rogaine combats DHT by swelling the follicles tiny microvascular structures.
Another strong hair restoration treatment, this time in an easy to use prescription medicine form is Propecia, or its generic name, Finasteride. Propecia is probably known as the world’s most effective hair growth product that’s approved by the FDA in treating hair loss. A clinical study showed 66% of men who took Propecia grew thicker or denser hair on the back of the head and 42% of men had a significant increase in the frontal hairline region. Remarkably, nearly all of the respondents announced that they had stopped losing or shedding hair altogether.
How does it work? Propecia inhibits the enzyme 5 alpha reductase in order to decrease DHT production. You may have heard of the not so pleasing side effect of a lowered libido, don’t worry men – this is a rare side effect that’s often exaggerated with only 1.8% of men being affected. At Modena Hair Institute, only about 1 out of every 100 patients report their sexual drive was slightly lowered.
Next, an option much more congenial and easier to mix into one’s routine: hair restoration shampoos such as Nizoral and GroMD – two high quality and high performing products on the market. Their active ingredients and proprietary blend of DHT blockers stop hair loss in its tracks, all while producing thicker, longer and healthier hair.
Finally, there is PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma treatments, which restores hair loss by converting hair follicles in the Telogen (resting) phase back into the Anagen (active growth) phase. ACell can also be added to PRP treatments to boost the effectiveness of the procedure by adding additional growth factors to jump start the healing, repair, and rejuvenating process of hair growth.
The National Institutes of Health have described incredible preliminary results from PRP, reporting that a “significant reduction in hair loss was observed between first and fourth injection. Hair count increased from average number of 71 hair follicular units to 93 hair follicular units.” PRP makes a great alternative for women suffering from hair thinning – as this is generally the first sign of their hair loss process. The New York Times also reports of one practitioner that the PRP procedure “gets results in 80 percent of patients, more than half of whom are female.”

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Who is Qualified to Perform Hair Transplantion?

January 21, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Due to a lack of sufficient regulation in the hair transplant industry, clients must be very careful. When talking with different clinics, look at the doctors experience, make sure you look at before and after pictures, talk with actual patients and find out about the experience of the technicians that will be assisting the doctor. In fact, on this last point, the importance of an experienced and technically masterful clinical team cannot be understated.
An Expert Hair Transplant Needs an Expert Team
Hair restoration requires a high level of specialized skill on the part of both the surgeon and the assistant team. Recipient-site problems can manifest from either surgeon or assistant error. The surgeon can create an unnatural hairline due to lack of knowledge of natural hair-loss patterns or badly executed recipient sites. He must also be cognizant of how hairs naturally are angled on the scalp to re-create a pattern that appears natural when making recipient sites. Assistants can also greatly contribute to the success or failure of surgery in their task of graft dissection and graft placement.
As hair restoration procedures grow in popularity and accessibility, there has sprung up a dangerous class of doctors and clinics who have no business even approaching a patient’s scalp. These clinics simply hire poorly trained or unlicensed technicians to perform substantial aspects of hair restoration surgery – this is both unethical and dangerous.
Unlike almost any other cosmetic procedure, an excellent hair transplant requires an excellent team. The surgeon is part of the equation, but he or she is not the sole player in the game. The surgeon is part of a dedicated and specialized team. At Modena Hair Institute in Newport Beach, Dr. Amir Yazdan is responsible for hairline design, donor harvesting and closure, and recipient site creation; Dr. Yazdan’s team, however, is responsible for graft dissection and placement. Having an excellent team is mandatory.
Almost any surgeon or physician can claim to do hair restoration, but very few do it well. An expert hair transplant surgeon will know if the client is a proper candidate for such a transplant, he or she will be very discerning about how to do the surgery, what will suit the natural structure of the face, and more. Knowing as much about safety regarding when to transplant and when not to is very important. We believe that good judgment must involve both understanding the medical aspects of hair loss (types of hair loss that you can’t operate on, medical management, etc.) as well as surgical expertise (artistry and technical skills). Finally, ethics is key.
Beware of False Advertising
Too many clinics have hard driving salesmen to push you to do a case that the surgeon might otherwise think is dangerous or inappropriate. Ethical judgment on when not to operate is very important. Some clinics will prop up an eloquent sales campaign and web presence to sell consumers a trap. Over the years we’ve sadly received many patients seeking to repair and correct the damage done by bad hair transplant procedures.
Understanding What You Need
At Modena we recommend being evaluated by a board-certified transplant surgeon like Dr. Yazdan to discuss your medical and family history to better understand the nature of your hair loss and possible treatment options. A careful and experienced hair transplant doctor will scrupulously plan, design and execute on coverage options which you will find most pleasing and attractive.