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Jamaal’s Celebrity Hair Transplant (Case Study)

hair transplant thinning

An architectural designer who frequented celebrity parties with stars such as Bill Maher and Lady Gaga has told us how he overcame crippling low self-esteem with a hair transplant at Modena Hair Institute with our double board certified Dr. Amir Yazdan.

Jamaal spent his working life mixing with top designers and musicians who graced the pages of the Los Angeles Times. But behind the party smiles he was a hiding a secret agony over his thinning hair which he disguised with a hat in many of his most public photos.

The bald patch around his crown grew so much he was jokingly called ‘Big Red’ by friends at work where he was under pressure to stay looking young. Jamaal, 44, turned his life around with the a hair transplant procedure from a doctor he trusted with heart. Jamaal knew two friends who Dr. Yazdan helped with personalized hair restoration options.

Jamaal had about 2,000 hairs transplanted into the temples at the side of his scalp, his hairline and right across his bald crown. With the transplanted hair now fully grown back, he now has a full head of hair again and says: “It’s been an absolute life changer. I look eight years younger.” 

Jamaal explained: “I turned 40 and I had recently went through a divorce. I was in a job that put me in alot of exclusive social situations, where I was mixing with stars and business magnates and there was a pressure on me to look good, but I was losing my hair fast and having to wear a hat all the time to cover up my baldness. 

“I guess you could say I was having a mid-life crisis. I didn’t realize at the time just how much my baldness was contributing to my lack of self-confidence but I knew it was a factor. I was partying with all these A-list stars while worrying about my thinning hair.”

I knew I needed to do something drastic to kick-start my life and I had hair transplanted to all my bald spots by Dr. Yazdan. “It has been amazing watching the new hair grow back over the last year and now I finally have a full head of hair again.” 

“I can go out and meet my favorite friends and coworkers without wearing a hat,” he joked. “In fact, I do need to wear a hat when I’m walking my dog because my hair is so big and it helps to keep it all in one place!” 

Jamaal had a follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure with Dr. Yazdan at Modena Hair Institute in Beverly Hills.

Hair grafts are taken from the back and side of the scalp and replanted in the balding areas by a highly skilled and experienced specialist like Dr. Yazdan. The advantage of this method is the scarring is minimal with patients having some red pin pricks from where the hair is extracted and replanted which go away after a few days. Jamaal said: “I was worried about the pain but the operation was fine. I was joking with staff while watching TV on the monitors at the clinic!”

“The new hair grew back gradually over the year and by the end of it I had the full head of hair I hadn’t had since I was a teenager. “I didn’t realize just how much I was lacking in confidence till I had hair again and I felt so much better.” 

Jamaal, from Boston, Massachusetts, had first started losing his hair in his early 20s – first from his hairline and then his crown – just as he embarking on a career in architecture. 

He was a big success at work and eight years ago landed his dream job as editor of one of Los Angeles’ largest firms.

“The only solution for my aging look and wispy hair was having a transplant and I am so glad that I did. The techniques have improved so much and the transplanted hair blends naturally with your existing hair. The new transplanted hair will last for the rest of my life.” 

Our own Dr. Yazdan has seen a 25% rise in patients at Modena Hair Institute – in part due to the lack of stigma associated with hair loss. Increasing numbers of young men following their favorite stars who have had hair transplants in the past.

Dr. Yazdan said: “Jamaal has got a great result and it is especially satisfying to hear how his new hair has boosted his self-confidence. It’s no exaggeration to say that a hair transplant can completely transform your life. We see it everyday.”

FUE Transplant: Step by Step

*This blog is a transcription of a video covering a Modena Hair Institute patient who saw Dr. Yazdan for a FUE hair transplant procedure, also known as follicular unit extraction. We’ve included the video itself here as well*

Mark, an international business entrepreneur from Scottsdale, Arizona, has arrived in Modena Hair Transplant Center in Las Vegas for his first hair transplant surgery. As he tells it, over a year beforehand, his brother came to this same office to have his own FUE transplant surgery done, and he wants to find out what Dr. Yazdan can do with his own receding hairline, which has been steadily getting worse over the past 5-10 years.

In his office, Dr. Yazdan examines Mark’s hair to determine factors such as the condition of his follicles, the density of his hair, and viability; it’s necessary to plan the transplant in extensive detail to ensure the best possible results.

As Dr. Yazdan explains, “In aging patients with typical male pattern baldness & a receding hairline, it’s necessary to restore the hairline in the angles. I think it’ll be sufficient to fill the temporal area & lower the hairline.” Speaking to Mark, he says, “Your hair looks healthy, and your donor zone is perfect. It will take approximately 1,500 grafts to lower your hairline and fill in the sides & temporal area. We’ll use the FUE method, we’ll begin at 8:00 AM, and by 5:00 PM we’ll be finished.” From there, Dr. Yazdan carefully measures & reconstructs the patient’s ideal hairline; it is of the utmost importance to make this hairline natural & optimally dense. 

It is not necessary to cut the patient’s hair before hair transplant surgery using the strip (FUT, or follicular unit transplantation) method, but with Mark it was decided there would be follicular unit extraction, which requires the donor area to be shaved before the procedure begins.

After the patient has undergone anesthesia, the doctor extracts the grafts from the patient’s existing hair. Dr. Yazdan has also developed a unique process for anesthesia. The patient feels no pain during the course of the surgery or after, and the area is also not subject to the post-procedure swelling typical at outside clinics. 

Mark’s procedure in progress.

Now we see how the extraction of hair takes place. Separate grafts are extracted from the donor zone, one at a time, and accuracy is essential, as is the experience of the surgeon & the tools available. It is crucial to ensure that the grafts are not damaged in the process of extraction. The surgeon’s technique & use of a tiny plug (measuring 0.7mm in diameter), ensure virtually no visible scarring. There are no stitches, and the wound heals within 3-4 days after the procedure.

It’s not only the quality of graft extraction that is essential for a successful hair transplant, but also the quality of their processing. The longer a hair remains out of the human body, it experiences increasingly greater stress, and the likelihood of successful settling goes down. At Modena, to ensure the grafts are processed quickly & professionally, between 3-5 assistants work on graft processing for each surgery. This is a substantially large number of support staff compared to the majority of other clinics, and it enables large procedures to be carried out in a very short period of time, guaranteeing an almost 100% graft survival rate in turn. Grafts are processed by highly skilled personnel with the use of state-of-the-art microscopes. While the surgeon extracts the follicles, the rest of the team works to process the grafts. It’s an extremely laborious task, requiring attention to detail and modern magnifying equipment. 

As that happens, Mark takes a break & prepares for the next stage: implantation of the hair. Once the extraction process is completed, the area already looks presentable. The donor zone shows little to no sign of bleeding & is covered by the surrounding hair. In the meantime, the surgeon starts to prepare apertures for the grafts in the recipient zone. At this stage, it’s also important for the surgeon to take the direction of hair growth into account. At Modena, we use the latest precision tools which enable the transplant of grafts in the minimal possible time & the preservation of the direction of hair growth set by the surgeon during aperture creation. Furthermore, their small diameter ensure the natural density of hair in the transplant zone. The hairline, the direction of growth, and the hair density are all carefully calibrated to ensure an authentic, natural look. 

Each aperture is counted by a special device, which displays the figures on a monitor & enables the surgeon to check on the accuracy of the apertures in real time. As the procedure is actively carried out, Mark is able to speak clearly to the camera & discuss what’s happening, showing no signs of discomfort or pain. It’s well worth noting that in the course of the procedure, lasting many hours, there is virtually no blood. 4-5 people work to transplant the grafts, as it is of significant importance to keep operating time to a minimum. 

On the day after the surgery, during a follow-up appointment, it’s impossible to tell that he had undergone hair transplant surgery the day before. Modena’s techniques also virtually eliminate the risk for an allergic reaction. On the second day, mark comes to the clinic again. Our personnel wash his head, the doctor offers post-care recommendations, and Mark says goodbye to the team.

Mark, immediately after his FUE procedure.

Mark’s story is just one of many in the history of Modena, and you can be the next to reclaim your hairline. We have locations in Las Vegas, Beverly Hills & Newport, and we’re willing to help you make the journey to gain back your confidence. Visit our website to schedule a free consultation, learn about the different services we offer, & feel free to call us at any time during our business hours.