The follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure consists of four steps: the separation of follicular units from the surrounding tissue, the removal of follicular units from the scalp, the creation of recipient sites, and the placement of follicular units into these sites. The first step is performed by the ARTAS robotic hair transplant system – the part of the FUE procedure requiring the greatest precision and that is most subject to human error.
Q: Is robotic FUE different in the number of follicular unit grafts one can extract compared to manual FUE?
A: We can extract (and transplant) the same number of follicular unit grafts robotically as we can manually.
There is generally less transection of the hair follicles with robotic FUE, since the method is more precise. This enables us to obtain follicular units with less trauma to the grafts.
Second, the robot is faster than the human surgeon, and much more consistent since, unlike the human surgeon, it never fatigues and the accuracy is maintained throughout the entire procedure.
Q: I am an African-American man with tight curly hair. Will the FUE robot be able to work on curly hair?
A: Yes, the ARTAS robot for FUE can be adapted for African-American hair when performing follicular unit extraction.

Q: How many different kinds of robotic devices are there?

A: There is only one, the robot called the ARTAS System for FUE, made by Restoration Robotics. The Neograft machine, occasionally confused with a robotic device, is actually a hand-held instrument that is not robotically controlled and lacks image-based tracking.
This Information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
 
 

ARTAS System vs. Neograft?

When you look at the chart below, keep in mind that a great result depends largely upon the surgeon, his training, and the skilled people who support his surgical efforts. The ARTAS® robotic system is an invaluable, timesaving tool. The computer system provides your surgeon with 3-D images of your scalp. The images guide the staff to the best areas for harvesting hair follicles. Using the ARTAS® system provides your surgeon the time to precisely create your new, natural hairline.
Neograft is a device that uses a sharp punch to isolate grafts and a suction mechanism to extract them from the scalp. Both the sharp punch and suction are felt by many doctors to cause more injury to the follicles than the blunt dissection technique (used by the ARTAS robotic system for FUE). In addition, the Neograft is a hand-held device that, unlike the ARTAS, is not an image-guided robotic system and, therefore, lacks the precision of the latter technique.
This Information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery and Med Spa in Mansfield and Southlake, TX
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Brow Regenesis™ Eyebrow Restoration

DiStefano Hair Restoration Center has introduced a new transplant procedure for eyebrows.  The procedure called Brow Regenesis™ eyebrow restoration allows hair to be transplanted to the eyebrows for patients that have lost hair due to plucking, aging or medical conditions.

Eyebrow Restoration in TEXAS

Eyebrow Restoration is a surgical procedure that requires precise attention to detail in order to restore a natural-looking eyebrow in patients who have lost part or all of their eyebrows. Although small and seemingly unimportant, the eyebrows play a crucial role in the appearance of the face, and losing one or both eyebrows can significantly alter this appearance, causing self-esteem problems within patients.
Eyebrow restoration uses single-hair micro-grafts that are inserted into this small space with the use of a needle at a designated angle. This allows for a natural appearance that can be customized to fit each patient’s individual goals for the shape, length and overall appearance of their new eyebrows. Some patients may require two or more treatment sessions in order to achieve their desired results. These sessions may be scheduled up to eight months apart in order to determine the results of the initial treatment before beginning a second treatment.
Please call the office of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery and Med Spa at (817) 473-2120 for more information on hair restoration.  You can also visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com
This Information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
Please also visit our website at Paragon Plastic Surgery and Medspa

A recent survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) showed that men and women around the world are seeking to correct hair loss while they’re younger rather than putting it off until later in life.
Since the ISHRS starting tracking data on hair restoration in 2004, the extrapolated worldwide volume of surgical hair restoration procedures performed from 2004 to 2012 increased 85 percent.  What explains this tremendous increase in people seeking help for hair loss, even during tough economic times?  We believe the unprecedented growth and increased popularity in hair restoration over the past decade can be directly attributed to the continual refinements and advances in this type of surgery – together with proven medical therapies – that produce natural-looking, permanent results.
Other key findings of the survey include:

  • The number of women undergoing hair restoration surgery worldwide increased 20 percent from 2004 to 2012
  • Patients aged 30 to 49 sought treatment for hair loss more than any other age group
  • In 2012, ISHRS members chose John Mayer and Sofia Vergara as the celebrities with the best hair

The ARTAS System is a 21st-century technological innovation that was introduced into the hair treatment field in 2011 to treat male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia. The system is sophisticated, utilizing computer assistance to harvest hair follicles during the actual process of hair replacement. ARTAS incorporates a number of elements in its operation, including an image-guided robotic arm and special imaging technologies that coordinate together for the purpose of implementing the “follicular unit extraction (FUE)” technique upon the recipient of the system.
In our practice, we offer patients some of the latest techniques in hair restoration surgery and proven medical treatments that can help men and women permanently restore thinning hair.  If you are interested in hair restoration treatments, including ARTAS robotic hair transplants, and the latest treatment options, we would be happy to speak with you or invite you for a consult at our office.  Please call our office at (817) 473-2120, visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com, or click on the link below.
Get our Free Guide on Robotic Hair Restoration

 

Hair transplant surgery has come a long way since it was first introduced in the 1950s. Back then, Dr. Norman Orentreich started testing a theory that hairs located at the sides and back of the head were genetically “programmed” to resist balding and that when relocated to balding areas, these “donor hairs” would retain this characteristic. It was an idea that was, quite literally, ahead of its time because while the theory was sound, the available surgical techniques were too crude to produce consistently natural-looking results.

The Bad Old Days of Hair Transplantation
In the 1960s and 1970s, hair transplants consisted of removing clumps of donor hairs with a round punch and then transplanting these plugs of hair into regularly spaced rows. Sometimes, if the patient had enough donor hair and dutifully completed all the sessions of hair transplant surgery, a doctor might be able to achieve good coverage, albeit with a very solid-looking hairline and limited ways the patient could style his hair. Too often, however, the patient would run out of donor hair before a good result could be achieved and the result would be the dreaded “doll’s head” look with obvious, evenly spaced plugs of hair. For an entire generation, the words “hair transplant” became virtually synonymous with “hair plugs” and many people, quite understandably, preferred to live with their hair loss than get an obvious-looking hair transplant.
When It Got Better
In the 1980s, hair transplant technique took a giant leap forward with the introduction of smaller grafts. Instead of large plugs of hair, surgeons would excise a strip of hair from a balding-resistant patch and section it into two types of grafts, mini grafts (4-8) hairs and micro grafts (units of 1, 2, and 3 hairs). The mini grafts were placed where fullness was desired and the micro grafts were places along the hairline for a more natural look. More grafts could be transplanted in each session than when surgeons used the “punch” technique and the results were definitely better looking.
When It Got Great
In the 1990s, we finally achieved a truly natural-looking hair transplant method called Follicular Unit Transplantation or Follicular Unit Grafting (FUG) that mimics the way hair naturally grows. The introduction of a new and powerful microscope, called the binocular microscope, made it possible for surgeons to take that same strip of donor hair and section the hairs the way they naturally grow, in units of 1, 2, 3, and 4 hairs. These “follicular units” can be transplanted into very tiny incisions placed very closely together. The result is excellent density, even after just one session. And because the hair is transplanted the same way it grows, there’s never an awkward phase where the patient looks strange or like a work in progress.
A further refinement of the technique, called Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) does away with the strip. Instead, these follicular units of donor hair are removed one at a time using a small circular punch. There is no incision with FUE and the minimally invasive procedure leaves no visible scars. The donor hairs are placed the same way they would be with FUG and the results of both types of procedure are completely natural. When performed by an accomplished surgeon — no one will know that you’ve had a hair transplant.
Hair restoration product literature, including Propecia information, is available in our office. Please contact us at 817.473.2120 to schedule an appointment or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com