George Khalil, MD

Hi brsmit,

I have several points of view on this specific subject, and hopefully they can help.




First point, absolutely the answer is yes.  Tar and chemicals/carcinogens from your barbers fingers can get into your scalp.  Is that good for 5 week old grafts?  Absolutely not.  Do you have to switch your favorite barber?  Not necessarily.  Bring a bottle of Purell with you and explain your situation to your barber.  See if he/she will use a generous amount before they touch your scalp.  Easy answer?!  

Second point, my first hair transplant (as a newly graduated doctor) was in 2011 and my hair transplant technician was a heavy smoker.  They even took a smoke break during the half way point.  I justified the decision based on how good I knew that technician was.  Would I make that same decision now?!  Absolutely not, I’m a hair transplant surgeon and could never endorse that.  Did my hair grow wonderfully with a great outcome.  Yes!

Third point, don’t smoke!  Not even one puff.  Don’t vape!  You will throw all your results down the drain.  5 weeks is a critical phase for those new grafts to start growing.  Make the comparison of a developing fetus in the womb.  If the mother smokes, the baby will be born with low birth weight, irritability, and the pregnancy may not even make it to term as a result of the smoking.  A little off topic, but I hope this comparison helps!  Best of luck on your new hairs!

Absolutely, it is one of my favorite treatments for patients to that want to freshen up the look of their face.  Reasons I like it:  quick healing with little downtime, minimal pain if done correctly, immediately noticeable results, and it does provide a youthful glow to someone in your situation, with no particular skin issues.   Other benefits include improvement in fine lines, dark spots (hyperpigmentation), and it can help you shed the dead layer of skin off without using  chemical peel.   Please make sure to choose a medical provider that uses a proper concentration of PRP, sanitary standards, and understands appropriate depth of micro needling to prevent any complications. 

Yes, it is very likely your hairline will continue to recede in a typical male pattern fashion.   I base this judgment on your young age, and how you have already noticed some early stages of male pattern hair recession. Medical therapy, as you are doing, is essential for you to prevent further hair loss. You may be able to avoid a hair transplant in the future if you optimize your medical treatments including anti-DHT medications, Minoxidil, low level light therapy, and possibly platelet rich plasma treatments.