How a Hair Transplant Can Reverse Traction Alopecia and Thinning Edges Terri Lomax May 26, 2018 1 Comment To watch episodes 1,2, and 3 of #MyHairTransplantJourney, scroll to the bottom. In a world of perfected brows on Instagram and baby hairs that look like works of art, there is one conversation in particular that can be incredibly hard for women (especially black women). It’s something I’ve personally struggled with and something that’s made me feel isolated for a long while. It’s hair loss. More specifically, thinning edges caused by traction alopecia and genetics. ” According to Doris Day, a dermatologist and clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center who specializes in hair loss, “Traction alopecia is caused by anything that pulls on the hair, ultimately damaging the root and can lead to scarring and permanent hair loss. It’s a process that usually takes years. Underlying causes can be tight braiding, tight ponytails, or even just pulling at the hair.” ” via allure How A Hair Transplant Can Reverse Traction Alopecia and Thinning Edges Circa 1996 Growing up I had a lot of hair. My baby hairs were laid and my edges on fleek. When I was in middle school my sister and I started doing our own hair, mostly because my mom was away and we didn’t want our dad trying to do our hair… he just wasn’t that good, bless his heart. As you can imagine, left to our own devices, we jacked our hair up! We got perms, tight ass braids, tight pony tails, anything cute and tight, we had it… When I was about 14 years old I had barely any edges. It was like my forehead started in the middle of my head… it was bad. Real bad. I never wore my hair up in a ponytail because my hair was so thin you could see my scalp. I later found out that I suffered from traction alopecia and it doesn’t help that hair loss runs in my family. For the next few years I became a pro at hiding my “struggle edges.” I swooped my hair into a low ponytail to hide my edges and wore protective styles, wigs, weaves, etc… Some of the feelings I had during this journey- humiliated, limited as to what I could do with my hair, insecure, self-conscious, and ugly. I was the butt of many struggle edges jokes and it sucked. Oils and Greases and Rogaine, Oh My! I always knew I wanted to find a remedy; I even went natural and cut off all my hair. I tried every doo-grow, miracle grease, and castor oil concoction out there and nothing worked…well one thing actually did work pretty well… Men’s Rogaine! After I got my first big girl job in NYC, I had time, energy, and little more money to focus on these edges. I tried Rogaine and decided to go with Men’s Rogaine since it’s stronger (than Women’s Rogaine) and I wanted to see results, immediately! I used Rogaine consistently and saw results in less than 2 months. Check out that baby hair! My edges grew and my baby hair did too but I started growing hair all over my face, cheeks, and forehead… it wasn’t a good look so I went back to the drawing board. While living in NYC I stayed up for hours researching online and found a hair transplant doctor in California that specialized in ethnic hair. I scheduled a Skype consultation and everything went well. The price was way outside of my budget so again, I put this on the back burner. Fast forward 4 years and I’m happily married and living in CA and I find myself looking into this edges procedure for the umpteenth time. As fate would have it, I live 45 mins from that doc I had the consult with 4 years ago! I called up the doc and had an in person consultation and after I saved my coins, I made my appt. I had my procedure on December 9, 2016 and my results were seriously life changing! Frequently Asked Questions About My Hair Transplant 1. How does it work? “A hair transplant moves donor hair from one part of the scalp – the ‘donor site’ – to the bald, or balding, part of the scalp – the ‘recipient site’. The two different types of transplant are: FUE (Follicular unit extraction) and FUT (Follicular unit transplantation), which is sometimes referred to as the strip method.” via Harley Street Hair Clinic Magazine 2. Which method did you choose and why? I decided to go with the FUT method for a few reasons: 1) The doctor can transfer more hair follicles in one sitting with this treatment whereas the FUE method may require multiple visits depending on how much hair you need transplanted. 2) The FUT method is cheaper than the FUE treatment. 3) If for some reason I need to have another session in the future, it won’t increase the risk of additional scarring however this isn’t true for FUE. 3. What’s the difference between FUE and FUT? “FUE is the modern technique of hair transplantation. This treatment is more advanced than previous methods of hair transplantation, such as strip harvesting transplantation and FUT. In follicular unit extraction, a highly experienced doctor extracts hair follicles from the donor area (typically the back of the neck) with the use of a specialized extraction instrument. The follicles are then transferred to the recipient area. Using a specialist micro surgical needle, the surgeon will puncture the scalp area that will receive the grafts. The grafts are then inserted at an angle into the recipient area, and with a specific density, so that it will resemble a natural and realistic hair pattern. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) is a procedure where hair is transplanted from areas at the back and sides of the scalp, and moved to balding areas of the scalp. The patient is anesthetized and a doctor removes strips of tissue from the donor area, and, once extracted, the donor strip is cut into individual follicular units. The doctor then makes tiny holes in the scalp, where the follicular unit grafts are carefully placed. The placement of the grafts is usually done by a team of nurses or healthcare assistants.” via Harley Street Hair Clinic Magazine 4. Does the hair grow back in the donor site (where the hair was transplanted from)? The hair doesn’t grow back in the donor site but the good thing is, the incision the doctor made is very small. When I part the back of my hair horizontally, you can only see a very small permanent part. Be sure to watch my video below for pictures and detailed explanations. 5. How many grafts did you receive? First off, a graft is any piece of hair-bearing tissue that is transplanted into the scalp. I had 3,000 grafts. 6. How much does this procedure cost? It depends on the doctor of course, along with how much they charge per graft and how many grafts you need. I’d rather not share the exact price I paid because prices fluctuate and you should really schedule a consultation to get the best estimate for your specific needs. The industry average is anywhere from $4000 – $15,000. 7. What doctor did you choose? I went with Dr. Diep at Medical Hair Transplant & Aesthetics (MHTA). He’s professional. He knows what he’s doing. I loved the fact that he made me comfortable by educating me and my husband about the process and my options. He’s also very patient and personable! His staff is pleasant and attentive and the office is very clean and discreet. He’s located in Los Gatos, CA. If you decide to schedule a consultation, please tell him Terri Lomax sent you. 🙂 8. How long was your recovery? 7 days! The first 7 days post-surgery are the most critical. You’re required to adjust your sleeping position, take medications, and treat the donor and recipient areas based on Dr. Diep’s instructions. The staff and Dr. Diep will provide you with written instructions for pre and post surgery. It look about 5-6 months for my edges to grow in enough for me to where a sew in. See episode 3 below for a visual. For more details about: • How long it took for me to see results • Products I used to conceal my balding edges prior to my hair transplant • What the donor area and recipient area looked like before and after surgey • My surgery day instructions • A month-by-month update on my progress and much, much more… click the links below and learn more about my hair transplant journey! So, Would I Do the Hair Transplant Again? Absolutely! It was a long journey but thank God for head wraps and a supportive husband. My results were incredible and my confidence has increased drastically! I can finally wear my hair in a high bun and overall, as a motivational speaker and blogger, I don’t stress about my hair and hairstyles as much as I once did! I no longer have to worry about hiding my bald spots. Look at God! *insert praise dance* I know what it’s like to have struggle edges. It can be a lonely, humiliating, and embarrassing journey for a woman with balding edges… especially in a culture such as ours, that puts so much value in the beauty of our crowns. As little girls we learn that our hair is a crucial part of what makes us different and special. As adults we pour tons of time and cash into ensuring our hair is styled and well taken care of. But it’s often those exact styles that can lead to breakage and damage on the hair we love so much. I want to be a resource for those who are dealing with all forms of hair loss. There is a broad range of what this could look like from loss of edges, receding hairline, and traction alopecia. For those considering a hair transplant procedure because it’s expensive and risky but can also provide you with life changing results. I hate to see a woman struggle with confidence around any part of her body. All women deserve to feel worthy regardless of the battles she is overcoming, be it with weight, skin issues or in this, case hair loss. We as a community have a lot to learn about hair loss and I hope to bring this issue to light so that women know they are not alone and everyone becomes more knowledgeable around what some of us are dealing with. To learn more about #MyHairTransplantJourney, click the links below. #HairGrowthWithTerri (Links and videos coming soon!) Episode 1- Why I Decided to Get a Hair Transplant + My Struggle With Traction Alopecia (pre-surgery) Episode 2- Surgery Day: Today I’m Getting My Hair Transplant + Office Tour & Chat With the Doc Episode 3- Hair Transplant Update: I Got My Stitches Removed + 6 Month Update & 1 Year Anniversary Question for you: Have you or someone you know contemplated getting a hair transplant? If so, what questions do you have? I’m happy to offer some insight!
