Melbourne hairdresser Mario Guardini talks to In Style magazine about hair restoration…

Melbourne hairdresser and business owner Mario Guardini has rewarded himself with what some may describe as the “hair style of a lifetime.” 

Acquiring this top notch hair style has seen Mario travelling to Perth for a permanent hair restoration procedure with renowned physician Dr Jennifer Martinick. 

The September 2009 procedure involved replanting 2,500 donor grafts from the back of his head into a balding spot at the front. 

And, just  less than six months after that procedure Mario is already beginning to see the benefits. 

“I really didn’t expect to see the results this quickly, but thanks to surgical hair restoration I can now wear a very sharp looking short cropped haircut,” Mario said. 

“I am amazed at how it’s grown and how natural it looks.” 

The hairdressing veteran of over 30 years, who owns the chain of Linea hair salons across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, quipped that colleagues and friends alike were keen to witness what his new hair would look like when it began to grow. 

Mario said these people, who were obviously sceptical about such procedures, had indicated they would also make the plunge and reward themselves with a hair transplant. 

‘My friends were all waiting to see me sprout and see what it looks like,” Mario said.  

“It’s amazing how inquisitive clients have been. They have also been really positive as well.” 

Mario’s friends desire to see what his new hair would look like echoes the reticence the hairdressing professional also had about permanent hair restoration. 

Having spent many thousands of hours cutting men’s hair Mario has seen more than his fair share of bad hair transplants.  

However, he willingly concedes that until recently he was unaware he has unwittingly seen many transplants that are completely natural looking. 

“I spent many of my early years in hairdressing cutting the hair of men who looked like they had palm trees transplanted on their heads, Mario said.

“I still see this occasionally when I cut the hair of clients who have had a transplant some years ago, but that is a very rare occurrence these days. 

“But of course, I don’t recognise the good ones because it’s so hard to tell. 

“These days people tell me they’ve had a transplant and I’m at a complete loss to tell where the new hair has been transplanted.”  

Married with two teenage children, the self-confessed gym junkie said the fashion conscious industry he worked in demanded a polished and youthful image. 

“It’s really nice to have a short cropped hairstyle instead of keeping my hair long to try to disguise my hair loss,” Mario said. 

“I’m on the salon floor most days and thrive on the fact that our role is geared to ensuring clients leave our salons feeling great. 

“With that in mind, I don’t think clients would warm to a fat balding hairdresser.” 

Mario said although wigs and hairpieces had improved considerably in recent years, he had sought a permanent hair loss solution so his hair would grow naturally again. 

At the recommendation of an associate and clients he sought an appointment with hair restoration physician Dr Jennifer Martinick. 

Mario said he had never been particularly sensitive about his hair loss, but he was acutely aware of how many men, in particularly younger single men, could be affected by it. 

He said the majority of male clients who chose to talk to him about hair loss said they’d rather preserve their hair than lose it. 

“A lot of men tend to make a joke about their lack of hair and say do what you can with what I have, “Mario said. 

“If they are open they’ll usually say they wished they had more hair.  

“But the younger guys, particularly those who don’t have partners, seem a lot more deeply affected. Some guys have told me they won’t even attend social occasions if they can’t wear a hat, 

“Others say they lack the confidence to meet a partner and they even choose occupations that will keep them in the background.” 

But whether or not clients choose to discuss their hair loss, the condition presents itself to hairdressers every day.  

With 70 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women being affected by hair loss at some stage of their lives, hairdressers are constantly in contact with people affected by the condition. 

Mario said hairdressers had an important role in showing sensitivity to clients with hair loss as well as being a reliable source of information. 

While he was not advocating that hairdressers try to counsel people with hair loss, he called for greater industry awareness of the condition. 

“As hairdressers we have a vested interest in preserving the hair of our clients, so we really need to give more thought to how we can help clients who have concerns about hair loss,” Mario said.    

“While hairdressers can recommend products and treatments to preserve and improve the condition of hair and ways of camouflaging hair loss, it’s also important to advise clients of the importance of obtaining medical advice. 

“This ensures the client gets the most appropriate treatment for them.” 

Hair restoration physician Dr Jennifer Martinick said hairdressers potentially had enormous influence for raising awareness about hair loss and appropriate treatments. 

Dr Martinick, past president of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) said part of her personal quest to raise consumer awareness about hair loss would focus on greater liaison with the hairdressing profession.   

The consulting physician to New Hair Clinic, who will attend the Hair Expo in Sydney in June, said the subject of hair loss was only touched on superficially in hairdressing schools. 

“Hairdressers are highly influential and they can be a valuable source of information to clients, ” Dr Martinick said. 

“To raise awareness about hair loss issues among these industry specific professionals makes a great deal of sense.”  

Dr Martinick said that while hair loss could be medically treated with medication, topical solutions and use of a clinically approved laser comb, the only permanent solution was through hair transplantation. 

“Modern hair restoration has evolved so much and people who have been treated with the latest surgical methods enjoy the benefits of a hair transplant that is extremely difficult to detect to the naked eye,” Dr Martinick said. 

“So a hairdresser has no way of knowing these people have had a transplant unless they tell them. 

“The only hair transplants that can be easily detected are those that look completely unnatural or where the recipient of the transplant has scarring or pitting. Because of this, hairdressers often base their impressions on dated procedures.” 

Dr Martinick said that along with developing a greater awareness of modern hair restoration it was important for hairdressers to be aware of the causes of the condition. 

She said hair loss was a medical condition and people affected by it should ultimately gain a medical diagnosis from a physician specialising in the field before embarking on a course of treatment.  

The most common type of hair loss was genetic male pattern baldness – hair loss which was caused when the enzyme 5 alpha reductase converted testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. 

Hair loss in both men and women could also be related to stress, illness, psychological conditions, trauma or poor nutrition.  

Having specialised in the field of hair restoration for over 25 years, Dr Martinick has dedicated her career to researching and refining undetectable transplant techniques. 

The Martinick Transplant Technique ™ - is now internationally recognised as setting the “Gold Standard” in permanent treatment for baldness. 

Dr Martinick said her major professional drivers were to ensure a patient’s transplanted hair resembled the direction, orientation and curl of natural hair and that time in surgery was kept to a minimum. 

For more information visit www.newhairlcinic.com.au or call 1800 689 939

Professional baseball player shares his story…Patient Review Dr Martinick of Martinick Hair Restoration

When star Perth Heat pitcher Daniel Schmidt first started noticing his thinning hair at 18 he was determined to ensure he didn’t waste ‘the best years of his life” feeling low on confidence.

He researched solutions, sought a medical consultation and took Proscar to slow down his hair loss.

While the medication didn’t promote renewed growth it helped to preserve precious existing hair follicles so that, if he eventually chose to, he could successfully have a hair transplant.

Daniel says he knew he ‘had to take care of ” the genetically inherited male pattern baldness - possibly brought on early by the stress of a busy school and sporting schedule - that was making him increasingly self conscious.  

At the age of 21 and after several consultations with renowned Perth based hair restoration physician, Dr Jennifer Martinick, Daniel had a hair transplant.

Now, at 25, after having two procedures, there are no signs of the former hair loss that once affected his confidence.

Daniel, who spends six months of the year playing baseball in the United States, says he is fortunate that, unlike many young men, he received appropriate treatment from the outset.

Although generally guarded about his privacy, Daniel is sharing his story to help other young men.

“Your early to mid twenties are meant to be the best years of your life and I didn’t want to spend those years with poor confidence and self esteem,” Daniel says.

“Losing your hair in your late teens and early twenties really does affect your confidence. 

“I was a bit worried about the questions I may get from other guys after surgery, however I decided not to let that stop me.”

Daniel says young men’s concerns about hair loss are often trivialised and this deters them from seeking appropriate medical treatment.

Also, a lot of young men tend to put off obtaining a medical consultation because they hope the many promoted ‘quick fix miracle cures’ will renew their hair growth.

He says young men must be aware that the more they delay seeking appropriate treatment, the more time they waste on preserving their precious hair follicles.

“My advice is to get the first consultation with the right doctor as quickly as possible to ensure they take the treatment path that is right for them,” Daniel says.

“I think a lot of young men want to tell themselves that some of these promoted cures work, but there’s no miracle shampoo out there. ‘“

Daniel says he gained the confidence to go ahead with a hair transplant after witnessing the results on several men.

“A defining moment for me was when I saw just how good a hair transplant can look,” Daniel says.

“I have heard and read of cases where people have very obvious looking hair transplants, but after seeing the results of hair transplants by a local physician I felt very comfortable about going ahead.”    

Dr Martinick, the former President of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, (ISHRS) says she hopes young men will share their concerns about hair loss with a doctor.

She advises young men with male pattern baldness to seek treatment as early as possible to prevent further hair loss and, in the event that they may eventually choose to have a hair transplant, ensure they preserve precious donor follicles

Dr Martinick says she receives a lot of requests from young men for hair transplants, but as a general rule she doesn’t perform hair transplants on men under 26.

However, she believes there are circumstances, where a more flexible approach is needed.

She says her professional concerns are that young men can be unrealistic about what can be achieved from a hair transplant and expect to regain the hair line of an eighteen year old.

In many cases, these young men do not comprehend that they only have a limited number of follicles for transplanting to achieve the results they desire.

“But if I am presented with a mature 21 year-old with a realistic perception of what hair transplanting can achieve  - and his hair loss is interfering with his quality of life – then I’ll consider undertaking a transplant,” Dr Martinick says.

“I have a much more open mind about transplanting young men than I had a couple of years ago as I understand they are only young once.”