Monthly Archives: March 2021

Jeffrey Epstein, Body Hair Transplants

Dr. Jeffrey Epstein: Body Hair Transplant Expert

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I have read a lot about three different people named Jeffrey Epstein in recent years. In a crazy coincidence, all three namesakes were based in Florida prior to the most famous one passing away in 2019. The second most notorious of the three is a doctor who misbehaved at an airport in 2018.

Dr. Jeffrey Epstein and his Body Hair Transplants

However, the only one that we care about is hair transplant surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Epstein and his Foundation for Hair Restoration Clinic. He is based in Miami, Florida and also has a separate personal site.

Dr. Epstein is likely among the 5 most experienced body hair to head hair transplant surgeons in the US. These procedures are commonly referred to as just Body Hair Transplants (BHT). Moreover, he is possibly the world’s most experienced eyebrow transplant surgeon.

This year, I will write a few posts on body hair hair transplants after a lengthy gap. For balding men who have limited permanent donor hair, BHT can be a godsend. Note that men with androgenetic alopecia are also more likely to have profuse body hair.

On a related note, did you know that hair follicles across the body communicate with each other?

And did you know that Jeff Bezos’ grandfather had his butt hair transplanted to his hand? It was unintentional due to the need for a skin graft transplant after a burn injury. What is very encouraging is that the ass hair kept growing on Bezos senior’s hand for the rest of his life.

Two Types of Body Hair Transplants

Going back to the subject at hand, Dr. Jeffrey Epstein performs two types of body hair transplants:

  1. The first is the one that we men with male pattern hair loss all care about. It entails using hairs from the chest, beard, and or back to transplant to the scalp. In most cases, such a BHT procedure will only add density to existing hair. Most surgeons that offer BHT tend to use scalp permanent donor hair as the primary source, and body hair as a supplement.
  2. The second involves transplanting scalp hairs (!?) into areas of the body such as the chest, pubic region, and or armpits. Some men really hate a lack of body hair. Others such as myself would be happy to have significantly less body hair. Grass is always greener? I have my doubts and do not think that I would ever trade scalp hair for body hair. Even if I had superb scalp hair and zero body hair.

The Naked Ape is still not Realized

The below patient of Dr. Epstein obtained a great result after a back hair only 3,000 graft transplant to the scalp. However, do note that his “donor” body hair is beyond spectacular. Make sure to see 1:15 min into the below video. The Naked Ape was a misnomer after all.

Dr. Epstein’s YouTube Channel is worth favoriting.

Covid-19 Hair Loss

COVID-19 and Hair Loss Problems

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Update: July 2022 — Systemic review of hair loss after Covid-19.

The biggest news in the hair world for the past eight months has been Covid-19 causing rapid hair loss and shedding. This side effect is especially common in women. My Google Alerts are frequently filled with news on Covid-19 (aka Coronavirus) and hair loss. The latest came yesterday, courtesy of NPR.

Covid Hair Loss Searches
Search interest for “Covid Hair Loss” in Google Trends. Past 12 months.

Does Covid-19 Cause Hair Loss?

According to the official statement from the American Academy of Dermatology:

“Fever is a common symptom of COVID-19. A few months after having a high fever or recovering from an illness, many people see noticeable hair loss.”

This type of rapid and sudden hair shedding is known as telogen effluvium. The unfortunate thing is that the shedding often happens two to three months after Covid-19 (or any fever or illness). And the shedding can last for six to nine months.

It is emotionally draining to see handfuls of hair on the brush and in the shower on a daily basis. Especially if you have never had significant hair loss in the past. Most people who get the Coronavirus do not get tested for it right away (if ever). So oftentimes, one can never make a conclusive diagnosis as to the reason behind one’s sudden and drastic hair loss.

Actress Alyssa Milano was probably the first celebrity to discuss this traumatic post-Covid hair loss issue. In August 2020, she posted a viral video on her hair loss, months after getting infected with Covid-19. Thousand of  women (and some men) have since posted videos on social media showing fistfuls of hair coming out while brushing or combing.

Alyssa Milano Covid-19 Hair Loss
Alyssa Milano Covid-19 Hair Loss. Source: Instagram.

Other Reasons: Stress and Vitamin D Deficiency

It should be noted that telogen effluvium can also be caused by excessive emotional stress. During this past year of the pandemic, global stress levels have skyrocketed. Women with children likely suffered even more. Domestic abuse cases and homicides also went up significantly in the US in 2020. Perhaps the only group that might have experienced reduced stress levels are the highly introverted who enjoy spending significant solo time indoors.

The good thing about stress induced hair loss is that the hair almost always comes back after some months. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to reduce stress levels when one is shedding hair profusely on a daily basis. Doctors recommend meditation, nature walks and various other relaxation methods to try to stop the vicious cycle. Recovery can be slow, and hair loss treatments such as PRP can only help slightly.

Another lesser discussed issue is Vitamin D deficiency related hair loss. Most people in the developed world spent an unnatural amount of time indoors during this past year of lockdowns. This reduced daily sunlight exposure levels tremendously. Especially in the winter months, when one has a limited window of opportunity to get some direct sunlight.

Expose to the sun’s rays is the only natural way for our skin and body to produce Vitamin D. I take Vitamin D supplements in winter, but still try to make sure that I get direct sunlight exposure for at least a few hours each week. Scientists have even found that low Vitamin D levels increase a person’s chances of dying from the Coronavirus.

Excessively low vitamin D levels weaken our immune system and cause a host of other health issues in the long run. A 2020 study from India found that 86 percent of men with androgenetic alopecia had low serum vitamin D levels. For those with darker skin, it is even more difficult to get appropriate levels of vitamin D from sunlight.