Hair Advice from a Plastic Surgeon Serving San Francisco: Four Things Patients May Not Realize

As a facial plastic surgeon in San Francisco’s Bay Area, Dr. Stanley Jacobs works with patients seeking remedies for forehead wrinkles, an overly large nose, bags under the eyes, and drooping jowls. People often forget, however, that the shape and proportions of their face are impacted by more than just the most immediately noticeable features. The look of a person’s face starts at the top, with their hair.

A receding hairline can make the forehead appear taller, changing the overall shape of the face and possibly even drawing more attention to wrinkles and creases that form there. Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jacobs reminds anyone seeking a cosmetic change to schedule a consultation with their physician of choice, and to choose someone who approaches each unique patient’s appearance as a whole, assessing how every element works with every other element to create a naturally balanced look.

Hair technicians commonly work with plastic surgeons to form a hair transplant team.

An even, organic hairline can make a tremendous difference in achieving that visual goal, so it helps to select a plastic surgeon who has experience not just with facial procedures, but with modern hair restoration technology, such as NeoGraft®. This automated system is the most advanced and sophisticated method available for addressing hair thinning and loss.

Here are four things patients considering hair restoration may not realize about the procedure and their options:

• There are two schools of thought when it comes to hair transplants. The method commonly known as follicular unit transplant involves a plastic surgeon or other practitioner removing a single strip from an area of the scalp where hair is dense and resistant to baldness. Hairs are collected from this tissue and then implanted elsewhere on the head. This method is effective, though it leaves a linear scar. NeoGraft® is known as follicular unit extraction, avoiding that permanent line by collecting follicles from around the scalp, leaving only tiny circles, easily covered by the remaining hair, behind. The process is automated, so it can be done quickly, efficiently, and safely, especially when operated by a plastic surgeon with hair restoration experience.

• As hair thins in certain areas, the skin there loses protection against the elements, including the sun. Exposed scalp is more prone to burning and other damage from ultraviolet radiation, which can destroy beneficial collagen and elastin, create uneven pigmentation and textures, and even cause health-threatening cancers. More evenly distributing hair to offer better protection to areas that need it can help. Of course, everyone should also use sunscreen—including on the scalp and tops of the ears—whenever going outdoors, and consider wearing a hat or other physical protection from sunlight.

• While men most commonly seek out a plastic surgeon or other hair restoration professional to help with thinning and balding, the problem is also very common among women. An estimated 40 percent of all hereditary hair-thinning sufferers in the Unites States are female. Men typically see hair loss manifest as growing bald patches and receding hairlines, but women more often experience a general overall thinning, with the parts in their hair becoming more and more pronounced. NeoGraft® works as a solution for both men and women.

• The NeoGraft® transplant method can be used on more than just hair on the top of someone’s head. Patients who want a plastic surgeon to work on their eyebrows can discuss that possibility, and in some cases, body hair may be used to cover areas that need greater density on the scalp. A qualified plastic surgeon will thoroughly go over every detail of these procedures to ensure that the final look is one that will be natural and desirable.