Tag Archives: modena hair institute

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Thinning at the Back of the Head – Help!

July 22, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Thinning hair at the top or crown of the head is extremely common for men as they age. So common is this reality that 85% of men will experience some kind of thinning as they age.

The good news is that barring certain cases of total baldness, men with a receding hairline or thinning crown have access to numerous medical and surgical solutions.

Is Treatment Likely to Grow My Hair Back?
Based on clinical data and institutional results complied at the Modena Institute of Orange County, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas, levels of regrowth vary from significant to moderate, with almost all patients experiencing increased coverage.

At the very least, effective treatment will slow thinning hair down and neutralize the dreaded descent into total baldness. For those experiencing progressive hair loss or follicle miniaturization year after year, even basic hair loss stabilization – which is the minimum to be expected from hair loss treatments – will be seen as a success. Early and immediate action is therefore imperative.

Treatments for Thinning Hair
FUE hair transplantation is the most intimate, effective and permanent solution to hair thinning in males. A minimally invasive procedure, follicular unit extraction (FUE) is virtually painless, undetectable and permanent. The procedure involves the removal of hair follicles, one by one, from hair-rich donor areas which are then transplanted to the thinning parts of the head. We encourage any interested readers to sit down with a board-certified hair restoration specialist who can properly evaluate your hair loss situation, based on factors like your medical profile, hair loss condition, and aesthetic outcomes. Finding a true expert and specialist of the craft can be tricky, so check out our guide to finding an ethical expert in the field.

GroMD’s specially formulated shampoos and conditioners are designed to enrich and maintain any hair type, keeping the scalp in a healthy and vibrant state. We may also prescribe finasteride to help promote hair regrowth, as well as other topical treatments like minoxidil (Rogaine). Such a topical program can restore shrunken hair follicles and encourage them to produce thicker, stronger hairs.

Planning for the Future
When involved in a Modena Hair Institute hair loss regime, it is important to keep in contact with Dr. Yazdan and his California offices so that he can make sure that your thinning hair is being treated as safely and successfully as possible. You will receive routine maintenance calls from Modena to track the progress of your treatment and share timely updates on the status of your growth.

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Hair Cycle and Hair Loss

July 15, 2019 admin Leave a comment

At Modena Hair Institute we care scrupulously about the details and processes behind hair cycle and loss. Knowledge of hair cycles (or phases) are foundational to understanding the nature of hair loss, as hair thinning and problems with hair growth occur when your growth cycle is disrupted. This can be triggered by conditions such as metabolic disturbances, illness or improper nutrition.

The hair cycle is the all-important mechanism regulating hair growth in the body. Normally, each individual hair strand follows its own hair cycling schedule, completely independent of other hairs on the scalp.

In the following article we will dive into the nature and consequences of hair growth cycles.

The average adult human scalp begins with approximately 100,000 individual hair follicles, and each one of these follicles is constantly undergoing a regular cycle of growth, shedding, and re-growth. This means that the average, healthy person naturally sheds between 50 and 100 hairs from the head every day.

However, this loss goes largely unnoticed since, unlike other mammals, human hair growth and shedding is random, not seasonal, so the follicles are almost never in the same phase simultaneously. More likely, at any given time a random number of hairs will be in one of three distinct stages of hair growth and shedding: the anagen, the catagen, and the telogen phases.

Anagen Phase: Aggressive Growth
During this phase, the cells in the root of the hair are dividing rapidly, and the hair is growing about half an inch per month, or six inches per year. This new hair pushes through the dermis to the surface of the scalp, dislodging older hair along the way. Scalp hair can remain in an active growth phase for anywhere from two to six years, depending on an individual’s genetics, which is why some people find it easier to grow their hair longer than others. At any given time, about 75% of the hairs are in the anagen phase.

Catagen Phase: A Brief Transition
After the anagen phase comes the transitional catagen phase, a relatively short period, lasting about two to three weeks, when growth stops and the follicle effectively renews itself. During this phase the outer root sheath shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair, forming a stubby hair which is easily shed. This shrinking of the hair follicle is similar to what occurs during common genetic hair loss or androgenetic alopecia, but in the case of the catagen phase is only temporary.

Telogen Phase: Shedding
When the hair enters the telogen phase, it remains completely ‘at rest’ for roughly 100 days. During this time the follicle begins producing a new anagen hair shaft, which pushes out the fully formed club hair that is still resting on the surface. Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root. Only about ten percent of the hairs on the scalp are in the telogen phase at any one time, except in cases of telogen effluvium, a relatively uncommon form of hair loss that can be brought on by significant physiological stress.

Understanding the regular pattern of hair growth gives us important insights into the progression and underlying causes of hair loss, so it is something that the hair restoration experts at the Modena Hair Institute spend a great deal of time studying.

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How Advanced is Your Hair Loss Doctor?

July 7, 2019 admin Leave a comment

As the field of hair restoration continues to change and grow, it is paramount to go to a physician who is continually pursuing ongoing research and testing in their field. A doctor who is trained in the most recent FUE techniques and hair transplant research will be equipped to provide their clients with the highest chance of success in their hair restoration treatment.

He or she will be able to proffer the most cost effective and relevant solution to your hair loss needs. Many clinics continue to use outdated hair extraction methods and techniques, unaware of key surgical advances which dramatically improve hair transplant results.

For more than a decade, Modena Hair Institute has been helping people improve their lives through hair restoration and hair transplant surgery. Throughout his career as a hair transplant surgeon, Dr. Yazdan has devoted himself to researching and improving his specialty in order to provide the best and most up-to-date treatments for his patients.

As part of his efforts to provide the most cutting-edge services, Dr. Yazdan’s continuing hair transplant research and education includes attending conferences, workshops, congresses, and forums. He has worked with many distinguished physicians and frequently engages in open hair restoration forums with professionals like Spencer Kobren and others.

Most recently, Dr. Yazdan attended the world-renowned FUE Europe Conference in Manchester, England, where he shared his innovations in follicular unit extraction and to keep up with all important advancements in the field.

To learn more about our specialty and qualifications and how we can assist with your hair loss, contact Modena Hair Institute to schedule a consultation. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get the latest news in hair restoration and research.

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How To Stop a Receding Hairline

June 11, 2019 admin Leave a comment

One day, you’re simply minding your own business when you take a quick glance in the mirror.

However, that quick glance turns into a second glance which turns into an entire internal monologue berating the passage of time and the genes you were not so blessed to have inherited. The days of full, thick hair are behind you and have been replaced with something sparse and patchy. Although you have used your older brother’s and father’s heads as a crystal ball for your hair loss future, it never hit you until now that this is now your reality.

Receding hairlines can be difficult to accept and deal with. Whether time has just flown by too quickly or you’re genetically predisposed to male pattern hair loss, it’s normal to pine for the luscious locks of your youth. Unfortunately, hair loss is one of the starkest changes that comes with age. Yet, despite that over 66% of American men over the age of 35 deal with this problem, the taboo nature of this topic makes many men still hesitant to discuss their struggles.

However, the medical 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.

Scalp Micropigmentation
Take the more unorthodox route with scalp micropigmentation. This short-term procedure is ideal for those with thinning hair. Mimic the appearance of more voluminous locks by tattooing the scalp and hairline with tiny hair-like strokes. These hair-like strokes are created to mimic the natural color and density of your hair. Although scalp micropigmentation produces immediately visible results, it takes about three to four sessions for the best outcome. Your “hair tattoo” may last for about 3-5 years.

Hair Transplant Surgery
If you’re looking for a more permanent solution to your hair loss, consider taking the surgical route at Modena Hair Institute. Hair transplant surgery is the most permanent and effective treatment to restore both your hair and your confidence. This procedure works by extracting hair follicles–either individually or in strips–from a donor area of the scalp where hair is still growing, such as the back and sides. Then, the harvested hair follicles are transplanted to the areas of your scalp affected by hair loss. Although this procedure can take upwards of 6 hours to complete, the slow and steady process is worth the wait. Permanent hair growth begins only 2-3 months post-surgery while significant growth will be visible around the 6-month mark. Most men will regain their full heads of hair around 9-12 months. However, for the best results, surgery must be accompanied by hair loss preventing drugs like minoxidil and finasteride.

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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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When Is It Time to See a Hair Loss Doctor?

May 8, 2019 admin Leave a comment

As is the case with many health issues, most people start on the road of proactive action only after significant symptoms begin to appear. Hair loss is no different. Given the very gradual and subterranean (hidden) nature of hair loss, many men and women who find excessive amounts of hair shedding on their pillow or in the shower simply chalk it up to an abnormal occurrence, and not something indicative of future loss.

Over the last decade at our hair clinics across California and Nevada, we’ve come across thousands of patients who all tell the same story: although I noticed excessive shedding and hair follicle miniaturization, I felt blindsided by the extent of my hair loss.

Nutritional deficiencies, high stress levels, unhealthy lifestyle choices, traumatizing hair care regiments and genetic disorders are all common causes of hair loss and pattern baldness. The average hair loss sufferer has little to no background knowledge of the causes and origin of his or her hair loss, and so is helpless in their road to aesthetic restoration.

If you are noticing hair miniaturization at the temples, thinning of the crown or just lots of general shedding, it’s imperative that you correctly answer the question: ‘what is the cause behind my hair loss?’ For the wrong treatment or action taken towards treating hair loss could further the damage or pose unnecessary health risks. As such, if you are noticing signs of abnormal hair loss, you’ll want to contact a board-certified hair restoration surgeon as soon as possible.

Control and Prevent: Medical Management

Once you’ve set up your first consultation with your hair loss doctor, expect to receive a brief biographical and physiological examination. Many think that they have to go straight to a surgical option when choosing a hair loss restoration treatment, but an experienced and reputable hair loss doctor will exhaust all non-surgical options first before recommending more invasive solutions.

Usually if your hair is thinning, the doctor will like to start you on a medical management regiment. Your doctor may recommend taking biotin, iron or other supplements, or massaging 5 percent minoxidil into your scalp once daily. With many younger patients, Dr. Amir Yazdan recommends “combining over-the-counter minoxidil treatments (Rogaine) with GroMD shampoo and Follicle Activator Spray as well as Nizoral shampoo has shown impressive results in hair regrowth and density”.

Hair Transplant

Depending on the severity and extent of your hair loss, going in for a hair transplantation may be the strongest and most effective solution. Medical management of hair loss is important, but it’s objective is to control current hair thinning and prevent further loss, not grant you a new hair line. A hair transplant, on the other hand, can give you that life changing hair line that you desire and restore any ailing confidence. A good hair restoration surgeon, working alongside the patient’s aesthetic goals, will identify the best areas on the scalp for transplantation and touch up. Flawless artistic design is as important as technical precision when it comes to a successful hair transplant, so make sure you ask to see past results or testimonials.

The two types of hair transplant are the follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplant (FUT or Strip Procedure). The former procedure involves the use of a micro-punch circular blade that individually harvests follicles from the donor area and places them into the desired areas. FUE has come to be seen as the gold standard of hair transplantation due to the extreme precision, fragility, complexity involved, and its ability to consistently deliver natural looking results. The latter procedure – FUT – involves the surgical transplantation of a strip of donor hair from the back of the scalp. From the donor strip, naturally occurring follicular units, usually groups of 1-4 hairs, are dissected into natural groupings under a microscope to preserve every follicle and then transplanted into the desired regions.

There are indeed other options to consider as well, such as platelet-rich-plasma therapy, scalp micropigmentation and Low-Level Laser therapy.

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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‘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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The Importance of Medical Management of Hair Loss

March 18, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Hair loss prevention is just as important as hair restoration surgery. When prospective patients come to Modena Hair Institute in Orange County, Beverly Hills or Las Vegas, they are primarily concerned with recovering or restoring their lost hair. Usually they’ve began to notice excessive shedding in the shower or thinning on the crown or frontal region when brushing their hair in the mirror. This triggers an anxious autodidactic (self-teaching) journey into the symptoms, causes and remedies of hair loss.
On that note, we always say that any research is good research. Patient review sites like Realself are invaluable guides to accurate vetting of surgeons and their clinics. We also recommend looking through the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS) database for a qualified hair restoration surgeon close to you.
Modena Hair Institute’s own Dr. Amir Yazdan holds strong affiliations with both of the aforementioned institutions.
View his IAHRS profile
View his Realself profile.
Now back to our story. After an initial internet study of pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) and other related hair loss conditions, prospective patients contact us with the singular desire of total restoration. They want to get back the thickness and volume of their 20s and 30s. We want to preach against this reactionary tendency.
While various forms of hair transplant surgery like Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) can recreate and reestablish a beautiful hairline, this only tackles half the problem. Even though a hair transplant will place healthy, growing follicles into an area that has been affected by genetic pattern hair loss, it will not prevent the condition from advancing further.
Many fail to consider the equally important program of prevention and hair loss mitigation.

Unlike other common medical issues, hair loss is not a static ailment that can be treated and cured in one fell swoop. It is a progressive and life-long phenomenon that requires diligent oversight and consistent monitoring. Without some form of medical management to prevent further hair loss from occurring around the transplanted region, older hair follicles susceptible to shrinkage and thinning from a chemical called dihydrotestosterone (or DHT) can destroy all the restorative work so far done.
For this reason, all of our patients at Modena Hair Institute are provided a tailored hair loss prevention plan. One which takes into account their medical history, age, skin type, hair type and other essential variables.
Depending on the patient’s medical history, Dr. Yazdan may advise certain concentrations of minoxidil (Rogaine) and/or finasteride in conjunction with GroMD shampoo and Follicle Activator Spray. Such a combination has shown impressive results in hair regrowth and density in many of our patients.
We also employ non-surgical hair restoration techniques. Dr. Yazdan may recommend platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP) mixed with stem cells to stimulate growth and promote healing. Other options we may recommend include laser light therapy, microneedling and scalp micropigmentation.
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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Running a Hair Transplant Clinic the Right Way

February 20, 2019 admin Leave a comment

At Modena Hair Institute, we’ve written extensively on the need for greater consumer literacy and transparency within the hair transplant industry.

We even created and distributed a consumer alert module which details the medical qualifications and professional standards that any potential hair transplant patient should look for in a reputable clinic.

This month at Modena we saw a patient from Austin, Texas for a hair transplant repair procedure. Sadly, he had described an all-too-familiar situation, which involved an unlicensed, uncertified and inexperienced clinic, advertising itself as ‘best in the industry’. His hair transplant procedure left him with less density, transplanted hairs that grew in the opposite direction and a pluggy final look.

Consumer literacy needs to be at the heart of the new revolution in hair transplant efficacy and industry trust. There are thousands of online channels which may offer advice and insight into the hair transplant industry, but most will lack substance and authoritative rigor.

Some of the forums and channels we’ve vetted and found trustworthy are:

International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery
International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
Realself
The Bald Truth

Dr. Amir Yazdan of Modena Hair Institute recently appeared on The Bald Truth to make further comments on consumer literacy and running a hair restoration clinic the right way.

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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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Hair Transplant or Micropigmentation: Which is Right for Me?

February 4, 2019 admin Leave a comment

When faced with a choice such as whether to have a full hair transplant or to opt for scalp micropigmentation (SMP) instead, it can take a while to decide. And that’s probably a good thing. Both of these procedures are serious and can take time to recover from, and should not be entered into lightly. It takes time and effort to locate an expert hair restoration practitioner and assess his or her strengths and weaknesses.
Therefore, weighing up the pros and cons of each and taking time to do so can make the decision easier and more informed at the same time. The best option of the two procedures for you will depend on what you want as the end result – each one will (or can) look very different.
Scalp micro pigmentation is the process of tattooing ink into and onto the scalp in order to give the illusion of a shaved head rather than the reality of a bald one. No hair is required, and so for those who are entirely bald it is a great solution. However, the SMP will not feel like real hair, and it won’t grow either. Due to this, the only style available is that of a shaved head, and if you do have remaining hair you will need to keep this shaved as well so that the look is complete. SMP is useful for those who have lost hair in patches, as it can be used as a ‘filler’.
A hair transplant is a more complicated, more serious procedure. This is for men and women who are experiencing mild to severe hair loss and hairline recession. A successful hair transplant will leave you with a new hairline made up of your own actual hairs. There are no artificial tattoos, plugs or wigs involved. Strong and healthy hair is taken – usually from the back and sides of the head – and implanted into the thinning region of the scalp.
However, the end result will be that of a full head of real hair. This is achieved by using donor hair from elsewhere on the patient’s scalp and moving it to the place where hair is missing. This is therefore only possible if there is hair left on the scalp – a hair transplant cannot be achieved on someone who is completely bald. The hair created in a hair transplant should, all being well, continue to grow, and therefore the styles that can be created are much more varied than with SMP.

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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.

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How Much Coverage Will a Hair Transplant Give Me?

January 16, 2019 admin Leave a comment

Perhaps no question comes up more often in our hair transplant discussions and consultations than the question – how much coverage will my hair transplant give me? Will it give me full coverage?
Understandably, when a patient seeks to invest the time and effort into receiving a hair transplant, he or she would like to know just how much of a revival of hair coverage and density they are going to receive.
Hair Transplants Do Not Generate New Hairs
It’s important to remember what the hair transplant procedure involves. Follicular Unit Extraction, or FUE, is the surgical re-placement and redistribution of existing hairs, usually taken from the back or side of the scalp, to areas that are balding or thinning. Those hairs on the scalp that are thickest and most resistant to hormones and hair-threatening enzymes are what will become the brand-new hair a patient receives. There is no such thing as magical creation or generation of new hair follicles in a bald patch or area of thinning – science has yet to reach that frontier!
Hair Harvesting and Coverage
The question of coverage is an impossible one to answer in the abstract because each patient and each scalp will require unique and different treatment answers. A follicular unit, or graft, contains 1-5 hair strands and on average there are 90-120 units, or 100-250 hairs, per square centimeter. It is estimated that around a third of all follicles in the donor area – the back or side of the scalp where hair is most resistant – may be extracted. So there is not an unlimited supply of ready to distribute grafts.
A patient can desire or require the near maximum number of grafts to be transplanted – around 6500 units – or only need to round out his temples or extend his hairline, which may require 1500 to 2500 units. Coverage depends on the patient’s needs, and it is rare for total baldness or thinning on the top of the head to be filled in completely by a hair transplant – the lack of substantial grafts to take from and area needed to be covered are too large.
Understanding What You Need
At Modena Hair Institute in Newport Beach, 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.

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I’m in My 20s and I’m Losing Hair, Help!

January 15, 2019 admin Leave a comment

First, you should try to find out what is causing the hair loss. Speaking with a board-certified hair restoration specialist is a great place to start. Also, remember that hair and scalp health are determined by three factors: genetics, environment and lifestyle.
Those are not in order of precedence of course. Many out there will say that some are ‘genetically doomed’ to lose their hair. It is true that we inherit our genes from our parents, but more often than not, we can inherit lifestyle tendencies from them too. So starting with an overall healthy lifestyle is key. Eat plenty of fibrous veggies, quality protein (both local when possible) and keep the junk food in moderation. Be active and outside as much as possible. Overall hygiene is important as a clean scalp is best for growing hair. Look for a sulfate and paraben free shampoo. We recommend the groMD shampoo and Follicle Activator Spray to all of our patients.
Wash your hair daily and especially after working up a sweat as DHT build up on your scalp will promote hair loss. The idea that you shouldn’t wash your hair every day comes from using low quality products. Once you have the basics covered then you can look at things that will build off of them.
At Modena, we always recommend early intervention for all people, young and old, who are suffering from hair loss, as the sooner one begins to treat thinning hair, the stronger hair follicles become and the more resistant one becomes to shedding.
It’s very important for patients with hair loss to use a combination of medical therapies, as they all work together in slowing hair loss. At Modena we may recommend PRP injections mixed with stem cells, alongside a multifaceted program to treat hair thinning and loss. Combining over-the-counter minoxidil treatments (Rogaine) with the groMD’s shampoo and Follicle Activator Spray has shown impressive results in hair regrowth and density in many young patients.

GroMD Shampoo, Conditioner, & Follicle Activator Spray

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) therapy is a breakthrough minimally invasive procedure that has been known to stimulate cell regrowth, slow hair shedding, and aid during the hair restoration process. Modena Hair Institute’s highly advanced version of PRP therapy includes fat derived stem cells which aggressively stimulates hair growth cycles, and helps with hair loss by increasing hair count, thickness, and growth speed.