Dr. David K. Zipfel - Hair Restoration

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	Overview: Hair Restoration: Cosmetic surgery of the head and neck is becoming more popular as people are more concerned with their appearance and its relationship to success. The spectrum of cosmetic surgery of the head and neck includes rhinoplasty (nose job), rhytidectomy (facelift), blepharoplasty (eyelids), otoplasty (ear reshaping), facial implants, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, dermabrasion, forehead and brow lifts, liposuction, and hair replacement surgery. Treatment of male and female hair loss has received dramatic media attention. Minoxidil ( Rogaine ) and Finasterude ( Propecia ) have been advertised extensively. However, they do not work in the majority of cases; are effective only on the back of the head; and require continued usage for an entire lifetime or the additional hair growth will fall out. It is also expensive when used over a lifetime. Artificial implanting of hair, synthetics or wires into the scalp have also received media promotion. All these methods invite chronic infection by creating permanent openings in the skin surface, which allow continued entrance of bacteria. Also, even suturing one's own dead hair into the scalp will not afford permanency, as non-growing hairs break off, wear out and have to be continually replaced. Hair replacement surgery, on the other hand, keeps alive all the growing hair follicles and simply moves them to another location on the head. This affords the only means of a permanent solution. Hair transplantation began about 25 years ago but was abandoned by many surgeons in the early stages because of its undesirable and conspicuous 'toothbrush' or 'corn row' appearance. This has been largely eliminated by the evolution of minigrafts and micrografts. These have made hair transplants virtually undetectable, as long as they are performed with meticulous attention to detail and adherence to surgical principles, as well as proper judgment and artistry in designing hairlines and in placement of the transplants. Midline scalp reductions, the surgical removal of the central part of the bald skin, was the next step in the progress of hair replacement surgery. Its goal is to reduce the size of the bald area, thus reducing the area to be transplanted. Its limitation, however, is that it leaves an unnatural scar down the center of the scalp, and the remaining bald spot often 'stretches back' to near its original size. Therefore, it may require many midline scalp reductions to significantly reduce the bald area.		Natural looking hairline after transplants.
	Hairlifts and scalp flaps comprise the newer and more dramatic approaches to the surgical treatment of baldness. Hairlift, the surgical equivalent of a facelift of the scalp, employs mobilizing the entire hair-bearing portion of the scalp and 'lifting' the scalp forward and upward while removing the bald area. This may also require more than one stage and may need supplements with localized hair transplants. It is mainly through the use of these hairlifts that we are now able to convert rather extensive baldness into a full head of hair, which is natural, alive growing and permanent. About The Doctor: Dr. David Zipfel Dr. Zipfel is a board certified hair restoration surgeon of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and head and neck surgeon. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine with honors in 1967, was president of his class and of Student Council, and was elected president of the Medical College Alumni Association in 1981. Dr. Zipfel's practice is located on the Bethesda North Hospital campus. back to top go back to procedures home page?