WHAT IS A HAIR TRANSPLANT

All About Hair Transplants

HOW HAIR TRANSPLANTS WORK

Follicular Units

Follicular Units And Why They Are Important

Human hair grows in tiny bundles called follicular units. Although this fact had been recognized for some time by histologists (doctors who study human tissue), the existence of follicular units has been largely ignored by physicians performing hair restoration surgery.

Follicular hair transplant UnitsA magnified look at scalp hair that has been trimmed to 1 – 2 mm long will show you that, in fact, hair grows in small “bundles” of 1,2,3, occasionally 4, and rarely 5 hairs per “bundle”.

These hairs, along with their accompanying support system (sebaceous glands, erector pilae muscle etc.) form what is now known as the “Follicular Unit”. These 1-5 hair “bundles” usually exit the scalp through just a single pore!

When examined under a powerful microscope, these “Follicular Units” are clearly distinct anatomical entities, “individually wrapped” by a layer of (connective) tissue. The follicular unit is thus the hair bearing structure of the skin and should be kept intact to insure maximum growth.

In addition to the full terminal hairs, the follicular unit contains 1-2 fine vellus hairs, sebaceous (oil) glands, a small muscle, tiny nerves and blood vessels, and a fine band of collagen that surrounds the unit (the perifolliculum). In areas of the scalp affected by genetic balding, the healthy terminal hairs are gradually replaced by hairs of smaller diameter and length called “miniaturized” hairs.

Follicular hair transplant UnitsFUT hair transplants and FUE hair transplants require the precise dissection of each Follicular Unit, keeping all of its elements intact. This ensures optimal survival and growth of the hair and properly transplanted follicular units are indistinguishable from naturally occurring follicular units.

Using nature’s own building blocks for hair transplantation with follicular unit hair transplantation provides reliably good, natural results.

FUT and FUE hair transplants

Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)

The FUT hair transplant method, commonly referred to as follicular unit transplantation or the ‘strip method’, is widely used around the world and generally offers excellent patient outcomes with high hair retention and regrowth rates. It is the world’s most common hair transplant procedure.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular unit extraction (FUE), sometimes referred to as follicular transfer (FT), is one of two primary methods of obtaining follicular units, naturally occurring groups of one to four hairs, for hair transplantation. FUE hair transplant methods are popular in the United States and around the world.

Robotic Hair Transplants

ARTAS™ Robotic Hair Transplantation

robotic hair transplant - artas hair restoration

The Most Advanced Technology in Hair Transplant Surgery

Hair Restoration Centers are proud to offer the most advanced technology in hair transplant surgery: ARTAS® Robotic Assisted Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).

The ARTAS System uses a very small device to surround and remove randomly distributed follicular units of one, two, three, or even four hairs. There is no telltale “strip” of donor hairs, and no need for stitches. The tiny donor sites are virtually undetectable and heal more quickly than the traditional strip donor site.

ARTAS is computer assisted, image guided, and doctor controlled. Its sophisticated imaging technology maps the precise location of follicular units on your scalp, then evaluates and chooses the best grafts for your particular hair transplant procedure.

Your HRC surgeon, who has received specialized training in the ARTAS System, guides ARTAS through your entire FUE procedure.

Harvesting and placement at the recipient sites are performed during the same office appointment.

The procedure requires only local anesthetic to maintain patient comfort. Surgery usually takes between four and eight hours, depending on the number and placement of the transplanted hair follicles.

Grafts are placed at the recipient site at the exact angle and pattern of your natural hair growth, resulting in a natural-looking head of hair with minimal downtime.

The ARTAS System offers:

  • Increased precision of harvesting grafts from the donor sites
  • Improved survival of grafts
  • Harvesting and placement of more follicular units in one session
  • Minimal downtime
  • No linear scar
  • No stitches at the donor sites
  • Effective hair restoration for both male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss

The ARTAS® procedure is FDA-approved for treating those with light skin and dark hair. To ensure optimum results, those with light hair will dye their hair to a darker shade three days prior to their scheduled ARTAS® Robotic Assisted FUE procedure.

After surgery, you will be advised to rest for a day or two. There may be minor discomfort and swelling, and after about three days the area around the transplanted hair follicles will develop small, crusty scabs that can be gently rubbed off after healing is complete.

About a week after your ARTAS® Robotic Assisted FUE procedure, the donor region will be substantially healed.

You may not notice new hair growth until the transplanted follicles can establish their own blood supply and complete a growth cycle, which lasts about three months. A noticeable improvement in hair growth takes about six months, with optimal results achieved in about a year.

The grafts placed using ARTAS Robotic-Assisted FUE will have a natural appearance in both hair quality and growth pattern, and the grafts placed with ARTAS assistance will continue to grow natural hair throughout your lifetime. You can grow your hair to any length and adopt any style with confidence.

NOTE: As with any hair transplant procedure, not all patients are candidates for the ARTAS® Robotic Assisted FUE.

NeoGraft Hair Transplantation

robotic hair transplant - neograft transplant

There are a variety of hair transplant methods available, and over time they have successfully and considerably evolved, offering continually enhanced results. Two of the most common forms of transplants, and also two of the most popular and well documented, are the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and the Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) methods. However, there is a cutting-edge version of FUE transplantation called NeoGraft that should be carefully considered.

The NeoGraft hair transplant is an advanced form of hair restoration treatment that is, in essence, an enhanced mode of follicular unit extraction (FUE) that has been cleared and approved by the FDA.

NeoGraft transplants are performed using a semi-automated instrument that both collects and harvests the necessary hair follicles. Thereinafter, they are strategically implanted with precision into the relevant recipient zones. It’s with this actual rigor and accuracy that NeoGraft transplants take follicular unit extraction to the next level. Its phenomenal speed and accuracy makes this procedure both avant garde and pioneering – it’s the new transplant on the block that’s storming ahead and it’s results are definitely well documented and favorable.

As with every FUE transplant, the follicles are collected in groups that vary in number from one to four. Because of this precise form of harvesting, there are no incisions to the donor site. This results in a rapid recovery period and a less invasive form of surgery and no linear scarring. The difference that NeoGraft offers over the routine methods of follicular unit extraction is that it is fully automated, relieving the often arduous hand held work of the surgeon and resulting in an outstanding accuracy and speed that provides considerably distinguished and exceptional results.

A NeoGraft hair transplant is suitable for both men and women who have, or are in the process of, suffering from genetic hair loss. It is a less invasive form of hair transplant surgery, resulting in speedy recovery times and successful overall results.

As with any hair transplant, the results will clearly vary from patient to patient. It’s vital to discuss all results with your surgeon and follow the recommended aftercare routine. However, generally, you would expect to notice hair growth after your NeoGraft from around 3 to 6 months, once the implants have been given enough time to establish themselves correctly.