Norman Orentreich, a New York dermatologist, is widely considered to be the father of modern hair restoration. However, his great discovery, which has revolutionized the field of hair loss, was an accident of sorts. In the early 1950s, Norman was performing experimental research on vitiligo when he noticed something quite unusual happening to his patients. He found that hair would continue to grow when skin grafts from hair baring areas were transplanted into areas affected by alopecia.

He pursued the potential of this discovery by working with patients experiencing male pattern baldness. In 1952, Norman performed the first successful hair transplant procedure when he surgically transplanted balding resistant hair follicles to the scalp. Over the next ten years, Norman performed hair transplant surgery on over 200 patients who hoped the doctor would be able to restore the luxurious locks of their youth.

Norman Orentreich was a leader in shared learning, and he published his insights in hair restoration in several medical journals. His groundbreaking research was initially rejected by the medical community, but Norman nevertheless persisted in pushing his theory on donor dominance. He believed that transplanted hair would retain the traits of its donor area rather than its recipient site

This basic principle is now viewed as the foundation of surgical hair restoration practiced today. His visionary work has helped millions of men revitalize their hair and thereby regain confidence in their looks.

Today, NeoGraft&reg is one of the most effective treatments to combat hair loss. The minimally invasive procedure offers more natural looking results than the kind Orentreich was able to achieve in his lifetime. This Father’s Day, if you want to treat your father with a special gift that can completely change his look and make him feel younger, have him visit the Dahiya Facial Plastic Surgery Center in Rockville, MD. Our team of experienced technicians will work with him to find personalized solutions for his thinning hair. Contact us today at 301.340.7377 to schedule a free consultation.

Minoxidil was first approved in 1988 to treat androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss). The drug was originally prescribed in oral form to treat high blood pressure. After noticing unexpected hair growth in patients, the drug was trialed topically to treat hair loss. When these FDA trials proved successful, the drug was approved by the FDA for this use.

Using Minoxidil can put a stop to hair loss from male pattern baldness once it has started, and it may even stimulate new hair growth. It works best when started as soon as hair thinning is noticed and must be used continuously to maintain the results. Results in men are further enhanced when Minoxidil is used with an oral prescription medication called Propecia.

Minoxidil is the only drug which is FDA-approved to treat female pattern baldness. It may prolong the growth phase of the hair follicle to slow down or stop hair loss; and up to a quarter of women using Minoxidil actually experience new hair growth. Its results in women are further enhanced with the use of the oral medication Sprinololactone.

While weaker forms of Minoxidil are available over the counter, studies show that higher concentrations of Minoxidil are much more effective and show results sooner. In our office, we dispense a men’s and women’s topical prescription formulation of Minoxidil. We also combine the topical prescription medication with oral prescription drugs (Propecia for men and Spironolactone for women) to maximize results.

Hair Rejuvenation + PRP Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections have been around for decades, helping athletes to heal from sports-related injuries. The benefits of PRP are now being used to rejuvenate the skin and hair in a gradual fashion. PRP treatments offer an additional, non-invasive weapon in our arsenal against hair loss and thinning. Platelet Rich Plasma is a concentration of platelets which circulate through the blood and are involved in the clotting process. Rich in growth factors, PRP activates and rejuvenates cells in your body by promoting healing and stimulating tissue growth and collagen formation. PRP can induce a remodeling of the tissue to a healthier and younger state, and we are now discovering this includes hair. Over the last several years, a growing number of physicians have been utilizing it for hair loss with great success.

During this procedure, a small amount of your blood is drawn, the same way blood is taken for routine blood testing. The blood sample is spun in a centrifuge to produce the Platelet Rich Plasma, separating this “liquid gold” from the red and white blood cells. In areas of thinning, utilizing injections of PRP into the scalp may improve the hair’s quality and quantity.

PRP for hair rejuvenation works best when performed as a series of treatments. We recommend three treatments once per month as the initial treatment and single treatments four months apart for maintenance. Of course, patients see the fastest and best results when they combine PRP treatments with oral and topical treatments.

FUE HAIR TRANSPLANTATION Over the last several decades, the single greatest advancement in hair restoration surgery is the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique. Prior to the FUE technique, the traditional way to transplant hair was harvesting a long strip of hair from the back of the scalp or temples, cutting individual groupings of hair by a team of hair technicians, and implanting them into the scalp.

We offer the NeoGraft&reg FUE system in our office. It eliminates the need to cut a long strip of scalp hair and allows us to individually harvest one or more hair follicles directly from the back of the scalp and, almost immediately, transplant them back into the hair deficient scalp. It avoids long, painful, wide scars in the back or sides of the scalp, which results in a faster recovery and less discomfort after the procedure. In addition, there is no linear scaring with the NeoGraft&reg FUE technique.

Expectations and goals with any treatment or procedure are important to review during a private consultation. The most important concept to accept about hair loss is that the original density and number of hairs in the scalp will not be replaced. The goal and expectation of hair transplantation is to create the illusion of increased hair density on the scalp and to build self-confidence and self-esteem for the individual with hair loss.