Alessa Avec Fashion

Alopecia in WomenI'm heading to Florida today for an unusual hair transplant... we're broadcasting it live at 10:00 EST and 1:00 EST on Friday, November 18. Details below on my second hair transplant with the lovely and talented Dr. Alan Bauman. It will also be broadcast by Hair Guru Spencer Kobren.

The event kicks off at approximately 10:00am EST when Dr. Bauman will harvest individual hair follicles from the back of Nalty’s scalp using the Follicular Unit Extraction, or FUE, method.  A second broadcast will take place at approximately 1:00pm EST, where he will show how those follicles are carefully implanted into Nalty’s scalp to produce a permanent, natural hairline. The 1:00pm webcast will also include a live ‘call-in’ Q&A segment hosted by best-selling author and The Bald Truth’s radio talk show host, Spencer Kobren.
Bauman and Nalty are anticipating even more response to Friday’s event as consumer interest in hair restoration is higher than ever, and new techniques like NeoGraft FUE, which will be used again for Nalty’s procedure, have made hair transplantation a less invasive and less detectable option for the estimated 100 million American men and women with thinning hair.What is NeoGraft/FUE?FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction is an advanced minimally-invasive hair transplant technique which, according to ISHRS statistics, has experienced an exponential increase in volume worldwide over the past several years. FUE eliminates the need for doctors to remove a large strip of skin from the back of the scalp—a procedure known as a linear or strip-harvest—and therefore leaves no linear scar.The FDA-cleared NeoGraft is a dramatic advancement over previous manual FUE methods which were more time consuming and less accurate.  Years ago, Dr. Bauman became the first Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery to routinely use NeoGraft device for mechanical FUE which comprises 90% of all transplants he performs today.“FUE is an extremely effective surgical option for patients that allows for a quicker, more comfortable recovery, less post-op activity restrictions, as well as avoiding the tell-tale linear scar associated with traditional hair transplants,” says Dr. Bauman.  However, patients should keep in mind that a natural FUE hair transplant still requires keen artistry and precision and should be performed by a surgeon with extensive specialized hair transplant training, certifications and experience.Key Benefits of NeoGraft FUE:

Least invasive hair transplant available No ‘tell-tale’ linear scar where the donor hair is harvested Shorter, more comfortable recovery No stitches or staples to be removed Less activity restrictions after surgery Very short haircuts are possible after surgery Transplants more than twice as many hair grafts in a single surgery as the previous manually-performed FUE surgery in the same amount of time

While the benefits of FUE hair transplantation are undeniable, celebrity endorsements help build consumer confidence and awareness.“My celebrity patients are usually reluctant to reveal their hair restoration work,” says Bauman. “However Nalty and Benson are part of a more open generation of celebrities… or weblebrities. Like ABC‘Anchorman’ Jim Abath and NBC Dateline’s ‘Follicle Five,’ they’re helping de-stigmatize hair transplants as a viable hair loss treatment, and help people understand that so much has changed with hair transplantation since the days of old ‘hair plugs’ or ‘strip’ scars.”
“The procedure was pretty much pain free, and it’s actually an engaging process that’s more art than science,” says Nalty. “I love sharing it with my viewers because I feel like Fred Rogers doing a tour of a candy shop.”

Hair loss can be a painful experience for both men and women, but today, scientific advances have made hair loss a treatable condition and hair transplants can now be performed 100% undetectably without the pain, scars and long recovery times that used to be associated with the procedure,” explains Bauman. “I hope viewers can learn from Nalty’s public journey and discover the abundance of resources available from the relatively small number of qualified doctors who specialize in hair loss.”
ABOUT DR. ALAN BAUMAN:Alan J. Bauman, M.D., founder of Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton, Florida, is a full-time board-certified and internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon whose pioneering work has been featured extensively in the national and international print and television media, such as Newsweek, The New York Times, Cosmo, Vogue, Allure, Men’s Health, Today Show, The Early Show, Good Morning America, Extra, Access Hollywood and Dateline NBC.Dr. Bauman is recognized within the medical profession as top U.S. medical expert on the treatment of hair loss in men and women. A board-certified hair restoration surgeon, Dr. Bauman was the first to demonstrate ‘live’ the FUE method of hair transplantation at the 2003 International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery Orlando Live Surgery Workshop and the first to demonstrate the NeoGraft FUE device at the ISHRS Orlando Live Surgery Workshop in 2010. His practice is divided equally between male and female patients, and Dr. Bauman provides state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures and a multi-therapy approach to the medically treatable condition of hair loss. Dr. Bauman is a member and often a featured speaker at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery Annual Scientific Meetings.

"Who's the best hair transplant doctor?" is a question I get a lot.

Finally the exorbitant physical pain associated with male-pattern hairloss has been documented by The Onion, a hysterical parody of news media. In a report titled "Male Hairloss is 7 Times More Painful Than Child Birth," the article reported...
"Clinical studies show that as hair gradually separates from the scalp, men experience intensifying waves of all-consuming pain equivalent to having their insides ripped out through the thousands of tiny follicles on their head," said Vincent Kwan, who led the all-male research team that carried out the study. "While strong uterine contractions and tearing of the vaginal walls undoubtedly cause a degree of discomfort among women in labor, balding men would give anything to experience those sensations instead of lying awake and suffering all night as their hair thins."

Poor Jeremy Piven (Runaway Jury, SpyKids, etc.). The guy knows the criticality of hair to his career. So he discretely gets a hair transplant, then has TMZ up his ass (see photo courtesy of Boss for Hairloss).

The article mentions me (Nalts) and Greg Benson (Mediocrefilms). I haven't talked to "The Best U.S. Hair Transplant Doctor" in a while, but I'm guessing Dr. B has his hands full with "Donor Scar Camouflage" treatments (I'm going to trademark that).

Bauman is one of the leaders of "follicular unit extraction" (FUE) using NeoGraft, which was shown on Rachael Ray “Plastic Surgery Breakthroughs." That's how he harvested my follcicles from the donor area without the use of a scalpel, stitches or staples. He told me last year that he's been increasingly asked to use FUE hair transplants to hide bad donor scars. Poor Dr. B. He's the best in his field, so he's gotta clean up other people's mess.

Boss of Hairloss writes, "no procedure can be 100% scar-free, after a matter of days healing is complete and undetectable from a social distance–even with a very short haircut."

I'd go a step further. I had some of the globe's leading hair transplant experts scrutinizing my head with their fingers, magnifying glasses and combs. Ain't nobody finding my scar! :)

Check out the Dateline episode featuring The Follicle Five. Surgeonofnalts (Dr. Alan Bauman) makes an appearance, and you can see the difference it made for his patient.

I'd heard buzz about sexual side effects of Propecia (finasteride) and Avodart (both are Rx medications to treat male pattern hairloss), but now a study about the link is getting some serious news (see USAToday).

Reports USAToday: The drugs — prescribed to treat a common urological condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and baldness — work by blocking androgen. In the case of BPH, this helps reduce the enlarged prostate, making urination easier.

But there's a downside. "We need androgen for erectile function, libido and ejaculation, and for just feeling good," said Abdulmaged M. Traish, a professor of biochemistry and urology at Boston University School of Medicine.

No response from Merck (see Propecia FAQ or Merck news), but it takes a while to respond to studies like this. I wouldn't be surprised if there was no response, and GSK's Avodart isn't even indicated for male-pattern hairloss.

The prescribing information on Propecia indicates slightly increased sexual issues relative to placebo (see chart). But, says the PI, "Resolution occurred in men who discontinued therapy with
PROPECIA due to these side effects and in most of those who continued therapy."

Here's the study from "The Journal of Sexual Medicine" (via Wiley.com), and here's an abstract that seems less sensational than the news reports: "Although the adverse side effects of these agents are thought to be minimal, the magnitude of adverse effects on sexual function, gynecomastia, depression, and quality of life remains ill-defined."

The significant update is not the relationship between sexual adverse events, but the longer term impact (after people stop taking the medication). This also is addressed in Proscar's prescribing information (see link), which is finasteride in a 5mg dose to treat prostate.

"Prolonged adverse effects on sexual function such as erectile dysfunction and diminished libido are reported by a subset of men, raising the possibility of a causal relationship."

There's a guy who has devoted a website to this issue, and it's the first Google result if you search Propecia side effects: http://www.propeciasideeffects.com/

Bottom line: every approved drug has benefits that the FDA concludes (at launch) outweigh the risks (or they wouldn't approve it). Some guys care deeply about hair, and are willing to take a chance on the possibility of sexual side effects... which seems rare but possible.

So it's a personal decision of risk versus reward. Hopefully people realize that no hairloss medication radically grows back hair... Rogaine, Propecia and some of the lotions/potions can help hair grow slightly and maybe thicker. However a significant change in appearance is, today, only possible through a hair transplant (in my informed opinion).

Since hair transplant surgeons encourage using Propecia to preserve the patient's hair after a transplant (and it may even help the newly transplanted hair), this will be the group of physicians to watch. If they start shying away from the medications it will be an important cue.

That said, a hair transplant surgeon is not without bias... some sell Propecia and rely on it to cultivate longer term relationships with patients. And then there's this age-old debate: a patient losing more hair is a potential repeat customer. On the other hand, a transplant recipient untreated with Propecia may continue to lose hair. That could look silly: a fortified "front line" and continued male-pattern hairloss behind it) and reflect poorly on the physician. Dr. Rassman has some strong opinions on these matters, and is usually quick to play "devil's advocate" on his "Balding Blog."

Note that while I once marketed Propecia, I'm far from a medical professional... and have no dealings with Merck. These are just my observations reading the same information you can find online.