Hair Transplant

David S. Alkek, MD

Hair transplants have become a top choice for men suffering from hair loss, receding hairlines, thinning crowns, and male pattern baldness. A hair transplant can be one of the most effective methods of improving the hair growth on a particular area of the scalp. Common baldness accounts for 99 percent of hair loss in both men and women and is genetic. Male-pattern baldness usually begins with thinning at your hairline, followed by moderate to extensive hair loss on the crown of your head. Bald patches rarely develop in women with common baldness. Instead, their hair becomes thinner all over the head. Heredity, hormones and age all play important roles in common baldness, so the best way to know what you will look like later in life is to look at your parents' families.

Hair transplantation is a cosmetic procedure performed on men (and occasionally on women) who have significant hair loss, thinning hair, or bald spots where hair no longer grows. In men, hair loss and baldness are most commonly due to genetic factors (a tendency passed on in families) and age. Male pattern baldness, in which the hairline gradually recedes to expose more and more of the forehead, is the most common form. Men may also experience a gradual thinning of hair at the crown or very top of the skull. For women, hair loss is more commonly due to hormonal changes and is more likely to be a thinning of hair from the entire head. An estimated 50,000 men get transplants each year. Transplants can also be done to replace hair lost due to burns, injury, or diseases of the scalp.

Hair transplant surgery is as much an art as it is a science. Re-distributing hair on a person's head can be compared to painting a portrait. The surgeon's goal is to create a natural looking result that's consistent with the hair supply, the patient's specific hair characteristics, and just as important, the patient's goals.

Although hair transplantation is a fairly simple procedure, some risks are associated with any surgery. It is important to inform the physician about any medications currently being used and about previous allergic reactions to drugs or anesthetic agents. Patients with blood clotting disorders also need to inform their physician before the procedure is performed.

Dr. Alkek has performed hair transplantation for over 25 years, and has developed the latest innovations to give a completely natural-looking result. We use the micrografting technique of 1 to 4 hairs per graft to give a random look without the clumping of the older, larger grafts. We take up to 4 hours (or more) to do 400 to over 1,000 grafts. No bandages are used, and there is no pain. The patient can wash his/her hair the next day and go to work. All procedures are done in our surgical suite in Dallas. We charge per session and not per graft.

Dermatology Associates of Dallas
7150 Greenville Ave. Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone:(214) 691-6999 or 1-800-345-3713
fax: (214) 691-7902