Hair transplants all the rage

Procedure the No. 1 cosmetic treatment for men nationwide

It's not too late to recommit to those New Year's Resolutions. Some people vow to lose weight or eat healthier.

And some people want to regain their youth by regaining their hair.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, hair loss affects an estimated 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. As a result, hair restoration has become the No. 1 cosmetic procedure for men.

For locals scratching their heads over receding hairlines, The Medical Hair Institute, 241 N. Buffalo Drive (www.need-hair.com), may be of help. The institute is headed by Dr. Joseph Williams, medical director.

Some of his patients told about their experiences.

"Miss J." who asked her real name not be used, always had a full head of hair . But once she reached retirement age that changed.

"A few years ago, my hair started receding," she said. "I looked in the mirror and thought, 'Oh, no. I look like my father.' "

She consulted Williams and underwent one session to fill in two patches by each temple. He also filled in a thinning area at her crown she couldn't see but others could. That was August 2003.

"I was combing my hair just this morning and thinking how glad I am that I had it done," she said.

Williams does as many as 20 hair transplant procedures a month. He's even had the procedure done on himself. His before and after pictures appear in the institute's brochure.

Unlike the days of yore when plugs of hair were transplanted like so many rows of corn, today's advances translate to a natural look. A single procedure may be all that's needed.

The patient's head is prepared with a topical anesthesia. Some opt for a mild tranquilizer, although pain associated with the procedure is described more as mild discomfort.

A shallow strip of skin about 1 centimeter wide is taken from the back of the head. The strip is just deep enough to ensure the roots of the hair are captured. The follicles there are not susceptible to the hormone dehydrocorticosterone, the culprit behind baldness.

Sometimes only a short strip is needed. Sometimes more hair is required and the strip spans from ear to ear. The skin at the back of the head is then secured together to disguise the missing band of hair.

Using a stereoscopic microscope, the follicle units are extracted for transplant into the recipient area.

A stiletto instrument creates a minuscule puncture in the scalp. Then the hairs are attached one, two or three strands at a time, depending on the patient's coverage needs. They are transplanted in a scatter pattern so the doll-head resemblance is avoided.

"You're looking for a cosmetic balance of the hair to the face," Williams said. "I take great pride when people come back and tell me their barbers can't even tell it's been done."

About 300 follicles are moved for a person with temporal balding (losing hair above both temples) and can be done in one session. Larger areas may require more sessions and as many as 2,000 follicles. The highest number Williams has transplanted, he estimated, is 3,500.

The crown is the trickiest part of the scalp to fill as the hairs there grow in a swirl pattern and have less layering.

Transplant sessions take between three and 10 hours, depending on the scale of the baldness. It takes between 10 days and three months for the full effect to be realized.

By grafting one follicle at a time, the procedure has a high rate of success. Men and women in their late 30s to early 40s seem to be the best candidates, as most of the balding they will experience has already taken place. After the transplant, they take a prescription medicine to mitigate further hair loss.

Williams has "before" and "after" client pictures to view. One man looked to be about 45 in his first picture. The transplant brought him in line with his true age, 27.

Women were represented too, although the institute sees 10 male clients for every female who has the procedure.

National figures bear him out: In 2002, men comprised 91 percent of all hair transplant procedures with 26,501 procedures: Women comprised 9 percent with 2,530 procedures.

Jimmie Harris, a local actor who has been on "Melrose Place" and "Beverly Hills 90210" as well as in national ad campaigns for products like Coke and Maxwell House coffee, said undergoing the hair transplant was the best thing he ever did.

He was so enthusiastic about the procedure, he agreed to be in the Medical Hair Institute's Yellow page ad.

"I started getting consultations when I was 26," he said. "But I never felt comfortable, it was too much like a franchise thing. Then I went to Doc Williams and I told him I wanted to see someone who'd already had it done. He said, "Well, I did.' So I (looked up close at his scalp) and thought, 'Wow, you can hardly tell."

While men are eager to enhance their looks with hair transplants, Williams said wives are his "biggest saboteurs." Some talk their husbands out of having the procedure.

"This is a man who has been ridiculed at work, who has been picked on," he said. "Wives should be more supportive. They say, 'I love you as you are.' But the man isn't doing it because he thinks she doesn't love him. He's doing it because it's embarrassing to him. Men hurt a great deal over losing their hair."

The procedure is generally considered cosmetic and not covered by insurance. Expect to pay about $7,000.

The Medical Hair Institute also offers nonsurgical solutions to balding, using human hair woven onto a silk mesh that is bonded to the scalp.

Williams cited a bit of trivia "Jeopardy" fans will appreciate: Julius Caesar made wearing a laurel wreath the fashion of the day. Why? To help hide his baldness.

Williams, 53, is a board certified subspecialty surgeon, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. He's been practicing in Las Vegas more than 10 years. He and wife Sandy have a little boy, J. Lee, and live in Spanish Trail.

Williams previously made his mark in the medical world as a urologist/ surgeon who took on tough cases. But his efforts had an effect on him.

"I got tired of telling parents, 'We didn't get out all the cancer,' " he said. "I wanted to do something that was positive. Now, I'm changing people's lives, offering them a permanent solution to a problem that's plagued them for years."


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