Tag Archives: hair density

How Much Density Will a Hair Transplant Give Me?

hair graft density
Perhaps the most pressing concern for potential hair transplant patients, besides the safety and permanence of their procedure, is the amount of density they can achieve. Most men and women want to return to the density they had when they were in their late teens or early 20s. While this is usually an impossible ideal, an experienced and highly skilled hair transplant surgeon can add a great amount of density to give a strikingly full appearance.
When considering the question of density, the amount a surgeon can transplant is determined by many factors. Including the hair thickness and quality, donor density, age and family history of hair loss. A conservative approach to follicle extraction is always best as one should preserve the donor site for future sessions as one ages.
The color of the hair is also important in contrast to the color of the scalp. The more contrast, the more hair is required to achieve optical density. Dark hair on a Caucasian scalp is going to appear thinner or sparser than lighter color hair such as blonde, gray, or white. The same is true of lighter color hair on an African-American or darker pigmented scalp.  The quality of the hair is also important for determining density. Hair that is curly or wavy appears to achieve more optical density since it camouflages the skin to a greater extent than straight hair. In the 1970s men would perm their thinning hair to reduce the visual contrast between hair and scalp.
The texture of the hair is one of the most important factors influencing the number of grafts required for a specified area of the scalp. Hair shafts can either be very fine, fine, medium, medium-coarse, or coarse. The difference is in the width of the hair; the wider or thicker the hair, the more optical surface density will be visualized. As follicular unit grafts heal, as in any skin graft, the skin contracts or shrinks to its center. The result of this contraction leads to small gaps between each graft which can be improved during a second surgery to fill in these spaces.
Techniques for density creation vary from surgeon to surgeon. At Modena Hair Institute, Dr. Yazdan utilizes an extremely fine 0.7mm punch and implantation technique that allows for density optimization and a natural looking hairline. This not only reduces the risk for scarring, but reduces the risk of shock loss in surrounding follicles.
Patient Warning
Find a board-certified hair transplant specialist who is highly experienced in adding the kind of density you desire. It is of the utmost importance to conduct thorough research and find an experienced and technically advanced hair restoration specialist to diagnose and treat your specific hair loss situation. A veteran hair transplant physician or surgeon will be able to accurately assess and evaluate your individual hair loss needs and provide the best surgical outcome for you.

Dr. Amir Yazdan, MD, is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, expert guest on Dr. Phil and The Doctors, creator of the GroMD hair restoration product line, ISHRS member, accredited member of the IAHRS and a visceral advocate for patient care. Learn more about Dr. Yazdan or read rave reviews from his patients.

Achieving the Right Density During your Hair Transplant

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.

Dr. Amir Yazdan, MD, is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, expert guest on Dr. Phil and The Doctors, creator of the GroMD hair restoration product line, ISHRS member, accredited member of the IAHRS and a visceral advocate for patient care. Learn more about Dr. Yazdan or read rave reviews from his patients.

Is my donor area sufficient for hair transplantation?

post-FUE hair transplant @ Modena Hair Center (individual results vary)This is a common question we receive from patients on the message boards. In hair transplantation, we extract grafts (hair follicles) from one location and transplant them in another. The area where grafts are extracted is known as the donor area. Individuals seeking hair transplantation are often concerned about their donor area and if it’s sufficient enough to support a hair surgery.
Upon evaluation for hair transplantation, we assess the donor area for quality, density, and health. This evaluation takes into consideration traits such as levels of density, thickness versus fineness, and strength of the hair follicle.
If the hairs in the donor area lack density and are weak or programmed for hair loss soon, they will not sustain a hair transplant extraction. If the hair transplant was done despite the lack of quality of donor area, the patient could see increased permanent hair loss.
So, if your donor area isn’t sufficient for hair transplantation, does that mean you aren’t a candidate for hair transplantation?
Not necessarily. Luckily, hair transplant science has advanced in recent years. We now have multiple areas in which we can use for donor sites. The beard, chest, and back can be used as potential donor sites for men who do not have sufficient scalp donor area.
The best way to determine the quality of your donor area as well as your candidacy for hair transplantation, you should meet with an experienced hair restoration surgeon. Give us a call today.

Does hair color determine density?

A question that comes up often is whether or not hair color plays a role in things like density, thickness, and eventually, hair loss.
While some people believe the lighter the hair color, the thinner the hair and less density coverage, this isn’t exactly the case.
Statistically, we see that those with a lighter hair color generally have thinner, finer hair. While those with darker hair typically have thicker hair strands. This has to do with the amount of melanin in the hair. The more melanin present in the hair strand the thicker it is.
One important thing to note regarding hair color and hair type, is that hair thickness or fineness and hair density or coverage is not the same thing. Hair thickness refers to the individual hair strands and how thick or thin they are. Hair density refers to the amount of hairs covering the scalp.
This is important because while we see those with lighter hair having finer hair strands, they tend to have a higher hair density.
Based on this information, there is no direct link between hair color and lack of density or eventual hair loss. While you can utilize trends regarding hair color and thickness and density to inform you about your possible hair type, there is no evidence suggesting that hair color is any indication of density or hair coverage.
More likely, your hair’s density is dependent upon your genetics. If your parents or grandparents have experienced progressive thinning, diffuse thinning, or have naturally low density, unfortunately, it’s likely you will as well, as hair traits are highly genetic.
While you can’t change your genetics, luckily, there are many options to help maintain your hair’s density and prevent it from thinning further. If you’d like to learn more about these options, give us a call for a consultation.

Does hair color affect thickness?

Generally, the rule of thumb is the darker the hair the thicker it is. Individuals with black and brown hair typically have thicker hair strands but an overall lower density of hair. While blonde hair individuals usually have finer hair strands but a high density of those hairs.
This is believed to be due to the amount of melanin in the hair. The more melanin, the darker the hair, the thicker the strand. Less melanin means lighter hair and a finer strand.
While these generalizations can help us track hair trends, they unfortunately don’t do much in helping us identify our hair type. Although we can correlate color and thickness, there is no direct causation between the two.
It is not at all uncommon for individuals to have dark hair and fine strands, as well as light hair and thick strands. What’s more likely to play a role in hair thickness is your genetics.
If you’re trying to decipher which hair type you have, you first need to find out if your strands are fine or thick. This can be done by comparing a strand of your hair to sewing thread. If the hair strand is thinner than the thread you have fine hair. If the strand is thicker than the thread you have thick hair.
Next, you need to find out the density of your hair. This can be done by parting the scalp in different areas of the head and noting the amount of scalp visible along the part. The less scalp visible the denser your hair is. The more scalp visible the less density you have.
Over time, our hair can change. This most often occurs with age. As individuals get older they notice their hair density decreasing. If you are an individual that falls into this category, you may be a candidate for hair transplant surgery and/or alternative methods to restoring hair loss such as PRP therapy and laser therapy.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to give us  a call for a consultation.