If you suffer from male pattern baldness, smelly creams and pills with multiple side effects may not be the best route to go. Hair transplants are minimally invasive, mostly pain-free and are proven to restore hair gradually over time.

FUE Hair Transplants: What You Should Know About It

Follicular Unit Extraction

All hair transplant procedures work by harvesting hair from a donor region and then grafting the extracted hair onto the region you wish to restore. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) refers to the transplantation of groups of one to four hairs (known as a follicular unit) that are then grafted onto the affected area. This differs from strip harvesting, which involves the extraction of a strip of scalp tissue under anesthesia. While strip harvesting requires suture removal, stitches and has a recovery time of up to two weeks, FUE transplantation requires no anesthesia or sutures and has a recovery time of up to seven days. Most patients can return to work soon after if they do not mind wearing a bandage in public during the healing process.

We have the technology

Nowadays, FUE hair transplants can be done without the touch of a human hand. The ARTAS robotic system, popularized in the early 2000s, increases the efficiency and accuracy of follicular grafts and minimizes the total time of the procedure. The physician-controlled robot is equipped with a robotic arm, dual punch arrangement, incredibly user-friendly interface, and effectively removes the risk of human error. Additionally, the ARTAS system increases the likelihood that your FUE transplanted hair will survive longer than a human-conducted procedure.

The NeoGraft system is partially automated (as opposed to the ARTAS system which is fully automated) and uses a suction technique to extract hair from the donor region and transplant it. This suction technique prevents the lower portion of the follicle from being severed as it can be by the punches in the ARTAS robot. The suctioned hair is placed in a petri dish from where it is grafted back onto the patient using surgical tools such as a hypodermic needle.

You’re not alone

No matter what age you are, don’t ever feel embarrassed of your decision to get a hair transplant. Baldness happens to so many people, and with your procedure, you’ll join a long list of celebrities who have gotten hair transplants as well. Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney underwent an FUE transplant at age 25 and was “delighted” with the results. His self confidence improved dramatically and it lessened the constant bald jokes he had to endure from his teammates. Kevin Costner was tired of having to have his hairline digitally enhanced in the editing room, so he decided to get the real thing. Tom Brady, Jude Law and Dennis Miller are a few more famous hair transplantees.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. The most common con of FUE hair transplants is that patients of an FUE graft are likely to need another one later on in their lifetime, but the hair in the initial graft is taken from a much larger area. Thus, when it comes time for the second procedure, it’s slightly more difficult to find a donor region with enough hair. But with how minimally invasive, quick and efficient the procedure is, the benefits quite possibly outweigh the risks.

About the Author: Dr. Rashid is a 2007 graduate of the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine with a dual M.D and Ph.D.
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