Hi everyone, Dr. Paul from Hair Transplants Melbourne here. This is a patient who has come into the clinic, very happy for us to film part of the consultation.
I wanted to show what a very typical horseshoe deformity looks like in a male client. In this case, the patient has lost hair at the apexes, and the whole hairline has receded all the way back into the mid-scalp. This results in the formation of a horseshoe shape that goes all the way around to the other side, where the same recession has occurred.
It’s important to point out the significance of the central tuft of hair. When this tuft is maintained strongly, as it often is in many male patients, it provides an anti-aging effect. This can allow patients to carry off significant hair loss and still appear youthful. However, when the central tuft starts to thin, the hairline becomes more noticeable, and the aging process becomes more apparent.
In this patient, we also see some crown thinning. When treating this type of hair loss, I typically suggest starting with a good dose of side-effect-free medication, which can help with hair regrowth without causing negative side effects. We also combine this with in-clinic treatments, such as PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma), exosomes, or Regenera stem cell treatments, to help densify the crown area.
Once we’ve exhausted these options, we might consider scalp micropigmentation at the crown, which can be very beneficial when done properly. Scalp micropigmentation, when done well, makes the crown look fuller, and it allows us to focus the hair transplant on the front of the head. This type of hair loss is ideal for hair transplant treatment, and we would extend the transplant into the mid-scalp. While the mid-scalp can respond to medication, the hairline area, where there is virtually no hair, is best suited for a transplant.
The interesting thing about this type of hair loss is that many patients experience anxiety because they try to style their hair in a way that covers the empty areas. They manage to cover it up quite well until a gust of wind or getting their hair wet, like when swimming. This can be quite stressful for people with any form of hair loss, but especially for those with frontal hair loss.
The relief that patients feel after a hair transplant, when they can jump into the ocean or walk out on a windy day without worrying about their hair being blown out of place, is a significant benefit. It gives them the freedom to live their lives without the anxiety of styling their hair just to cover up thinning areas.
