Alabama Hair Institute At The Rousso Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic

The Alabama Hair Institute has been an integral part of the Rousso Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic and Aesthetic Medical Spa since incorporated in April of 2000. Dr. Daniel Rousso has been performing hair transplantation for over 20 years on males and females who have, or are experiencing hair loss. Over the years hair restoration procedures have changed from the old (doll-like) plugs and graduated technologically to the current preferred procedure follicular unit grafts. Follicular unit hair grafts are made oup of 1-3 hair follicles that are and dispersed and implanted over a recipient site to achieve a very natural appearance. Donor hair for the recipient site is harvested from the back of the head. This donor site is then sutured closed and is virtually unnoticeable.

Below are frequently ask Questions/Answers about Hair Transplantation. Please feel free to contact us at the Alabama Hair Institute for any additional questions.

Q. Dr. Rousso, I know many people recognize your name and expertise in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. I understand that you established your private clinical facility sometime ago, but it would be great if you would tell everyone on air the types of procedures that you commonly perform in your facility.

A. When I started my practice over 20 years ago, I decided to specialize exclusively in Facial Plastic surgery, and so I concentrate heavily on facelifts, eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty procedures. But we also perform many other facial procedures, including lasers, and peels, and facial implants, and of course Botox and collagen type fillers. These can all be performed in our outpatient Clinic facility.

Q. I have heard that you perform hair transplantation procedures. Tell us what hair transplantation is, and how it's done. Do you have to be put to sleep? I'm sure a lot of guys out there that may not have as much hair today as they did 5 or 10 years ago are interested in hearing about this procedure.

A. Hair Transplantantion has been a large part of my practice since I first started many years ago. Of all the procedures that I perform, I think that Hair Transplantation is the one thing that has changed the most in the past 20 years. When I first started doing hair transplants, we used large plugs that often gave a doll's head, or corn row appearance, and we only did about 80 - 100 grafts at a time. We now use very small grafts that exactly mimic the way our hair naturally grows. These grafts have 1, 2 or sometimes 3 hairs per graft, and are called Follicular unit transplants. We take the hair from the back and sides of the scalp, where the hair is thicker, and use microscopes to meticulously divide each of these grafts into Follicular Unit Transplants, and will do as many as 2 thousand grafts at a time.

This technique is truly the state-of-the-art and gives completely natural results. You really can't tell that it's not your natural hair, even when it's wet in a swimming pool.

We do this procedure in our clinic under local anesthesia with light sedation. There's very little discomfort and patients leave our office without a big bandage....usually wearing just a baseball cap on their head. The nice thing about this is that it is your own hair, and it continues to grow just as it did on the sides and back of your head, where we took it from.

Q. Is this procedure just for men?

A. No, in fact a large percentage of our hair transplant patients are women. Two out of three men will experience hair loss in their lifetime, and one in five women will. As long as there is sufficient hair on the sides and back of the scalp, then we can move that hair to the front and top of the head.

Even though it is often very traumatic for men to lose their hair, it can be devastating for women to experience significant hair loss. It is not as socially acceptable for women to be seen in public without a full head of hair. Of course, many women will use wigs or hairpieces to camouflage this loss, but follicular unit transplantation can give a great result using their own hair. It's not for everyone, but most women (and men) are good candidates for hair transplantation.

Q. How long will a hair transplant last?

A. Follicular unit transplants will usually continue to grow for your entire lifetime. As long as the hair on the sides and back of your head was going to grow, then when we move that hair to the top of your head, it will continue to grow. If you are genetically programmed to lose your hair on the sides and back, then if you move it to the top, it will eventually fall out on the top.

Most men will hold onto the hair on the sides and back of their head, and are therefore good candidates for hair transplants. If you are destined loose all the hair, even on the sides and back of your head, then you are probably not a good candidate for hair transplants, but that's rare. I always ask my patients about their family history of hair loss to try and get a better idea of their future pattern of hair loss. You can inherit your hair loss form either your mother or your father, and sometimes it's a true mixture of both parents.

Q. Do you have to be a certain age before you can have a hair transplant?

I usually recommend that patients don't begin hair transplants until they are at least 22 years old. By then, we have a better understanding about their future pattern of hair loss, and are able to determine if they are a good candidate for Follicular Unit Transpantation. This does bring up another question though. Are there any good medical treatments for hair loss?

Presently, we have two medications that are FDA approved for helping with hair loss. Minoxidil is a topical liquid that is helpful for both men and women, and Propecia is a pill that is helpful for men. Unfortunately, Propecia is not effective in women. Minoxidil is over the counter, but Propecia requires a prescription, and I commonly prescribe this. ...even for my transplant patients.

Transplants will grow without these medications, but I believe you can enhance the overall hair density by adding these medications. You would have to call either our office or your doctor's office to discuss a prescription for Propecia.