Hair Restoration Services

Hair restoration is both an art and a science. The goal is to address the underlying cause(s) of hair loss, and to create a new, natural looking hairline.

At UCLA Hair Restoration we offer an array of medical and surgical treatment options, all with the quality, expertise and innovation that have made UCLA a world leader in healthcare.

The first step is to provide each patient with a thorough evaluation, as well as a detailed explanation of the nature of his/her hair loss and the best individualized treatment options, both medical and surgical.

Surgical Hair Loss Treatment

The technology and techniques of hair restoration surgery have advanced significantly in recent years. Gone are the days of artificial-looking hair plugs. Since the early 1990s, surgeons have been able to transplant grafts consisting of just one to four follicles in a pattern that mimics the way hair is naturally distributed. UCLA Hair Restoration is helping to develop and refine even newer techniques that take microsurgical hair restoration to the next level. These techniques provide tremendously improved results, decreased healing time and the ability to achieve a truly natural hairline.

Surgical hair restoration is based on the transplantation of hair and hair follicles from one area of the scalp to another. Dr. Rawnsley was among the first hair restoration specialists in the U.S. to use saline supertumescence, also called scalp dilation, to create remarkable density using micro graft transplantation. With this technique, saline is injected between the layers of skin that make up the scalp. The saline temporarily expands the size of the scalp 50 to 75 percent, which makes it possible to implant more micro-grafts within a given section. After surgery, the scalp gently returns to its normal size. The result is significantly higher hair follicle density with less risk of damage to the scalp and nearby nerves and arteries. Dr. Rawnsley helped pioneer the scalp dilation technique, and has used it for nearly 10 years to achieve outstanding results.

Hair transplant surgery is performed at the Division of Head & Neck Surgery surgical suite under local anesthesia. Sessions that involve thousands of grafts take some time, during which patients can rest comfortably, take a nap or chat with the staff.

Patients can usually resume normal activity the day after surgery, although there are some restrictions on strenuous exercise, smoking and drinking. New hair growth starts to appear in two to three months, and is generally complete in 10-12 months.

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Medical (Non-Surgical) Hair Loss Treatments

Medication can serve an important role in both the prevention and treatment of hair loss, particularly in the early stages of the balding process.

Only two medications, Rogaine® and Propecia®, are currently approved by the FDA specifically to treat hair loss. These medications are often used together, or as an adjunct to hair restoration surgery.

Rogaine and Propecia are intended to stimulate growth and thicken hair in areas that are thinning. They are not intended to grow hair once the follicle is lost. Therefore, such treatment is best started during the early stages of hair loss.

Rogaine (based on the active ingredient Minoxidil) was the first FDA approved medication for the treatment of hair loss. It is an over-the-counter topical treatment that is applied directly to the scalp twice daily in order to stabilize hair loss.

Propecia (based on the active ingredient Finasteride) is a prescription medication taken orally once a day. It directly blocks the body’s production of the hormone DHT, which is associated with genetic hair loss.

There are dozens of other non-surgical hair loss treatments on the market today, but only Rogaine and Propecia have been tested and affirmed effective by the FDA.