One of the most common questions that I receive regarding robotic hair transplantation or even FUE hair transplantation is with the ARTAS procedure what will my hair look like. Surgical hair transplantation provides extremely natural looking results. Most patients experience minimal scarring that is frequently undetectable in the donor area.
Usually at a week, both the donor and transplanted areas are undetectable.
Patients can get a hair cut within a few days of the procedures and the can ultimately wear their hair at any length or style with confidence.
Another question that comes up frequently is., “ How does the ARTAS procedure results look different from strip grafting or the old fashioned hair plugs from the past that Dad got several years ago?”
The unnatural appearance of plugs came from harvesting larger patches of hair and placing them in awkward and unnatural places. The ARTAS robot uses a computer assisted robotic arm and digital mapping to pinpoint the individual follicular units from the donor area before dissection, or harvesting.
This specific advancement in this device allows the surgeon to provide more precision and control with dissection of the hair- no matter what any other hair transplant surgeon says…this is a simple fact. The punch sizes are not 1.65 mm either. This is misinformation and frustrating to dispel what other providers are seemingly and rambunctiously publishing within their patient education materials. The dissecting needle is 1.0 mm and we have smaller devices available in Q1 of 2013.
Because the ARTAS robotic hair transplant system offers reproducibility and accurate harvesting, I am consistently able to extract healthy and robust hair for optimal growth.
I am also consistently answering questions about the permanent results of the the procedures that are performed. The simple answer is that when we are taking hair from the back of the head and placing it in the hairline or on the vertex where hair is thinning we are dealing with genetically different types of donor hair follicles. These that come from the so-called universal donor area can often last a lifetime because they do not miniaturize under the effects of DHT- they are indeed resistant genetically to DHT.
Moreover, many people ask how long the procedure takes. It can range from three hours on up to seven or eight depending on the number of hairs that I need to transplant. During this time you can stand up and take breaks, go to the bathroom, make phone calls, buy and sell stocks, keep office tasks going remotely etc. We also take a short break lunch but for the most part- patients are situated in an ergonomic chair face down for the initial part of the procedure. Then for the last half of the robotic hair transplant patients lay back in a ultra comfortable chair and watch TV or read from their smart phone, Ipads, or Kindles. Others chose to sleep.
For more information on the robotic hair transplantation process with ARTAS system please press the button above or below this post and download the Ebook!
Mark Bishara, M.D.
Medical Director
The ARTAS procedure restores your hair by transplanting permanent hair from the back or side of the head into thinning areas on the scalp.
The ARTAS robot system uses its digital imaging software in areas of the back of your scalp that identifies hair existing the scalp and it’s natural groupings of 1 hair, 2 hair, or multiple hair follicular units. Using image guided robotics the ARTAS system dissects out individual follicular units.
The hair is then transplanted by the surgeon into different areas. The robot allows for specific and precise dissection individual follicular units or natural groupings of hair during the hair transplantation process
The recipient sites are previously placed by the surgeon are then filled in with hair removed by the robot.
The typical steps of the ARTAS procedure include preparing the area of donor scalp by trimming the hairs so that the imaging system can recognize the direction of hair follicles to be dissected
The ARTAS system then digitally maps the donor area which analyzes the position in the direction of the hair follicles leaving the scalp of the donor area.
With Dr Bishara’s guidance the system will harvest hair in a random fashion which helps to mask any potential problems with thinning in the donor area. This leaves the donor area in its natural state.
This process is repeated until the required or desired amount of hair has been achieved. Then the recipient sites that are strategically placed by the surgeon into areas or thinning hair or balding hair
What happens after the transplant procedure?
About nine months one can expect a natural looking area of hair that will last a lifetime.
The hair is then transplanted by the surgeon into different areas. The robot allows for specific and precise dissection individual follicular units or natural groupings of hair during the hair transplantation process
The recipient sites are previously placed by the surgeon are then filled in with hair removed by the robot.
The typical steps of the ARTAS procedure include preparing the area of donor scalp by trimming the hairs so that the imaging system can recognize the direction of hair follicles to be dissected
The ARTAS system then digitally maps the donor area which analyzes the position in the direction of the hair follicles leaving the scalp of the donor area.
With Dr Bishara’s guidance the system will harvest hair in a random fashion which helps to mask any potential problems with thinning in the donor area. This leaves the donor area in its natural state.
This process is repeated until the required or desired amount of hair has been achieved. Then the recipient sites that are strategically placed by the surgeon into areas or thinning hair or balding hair
What happens after the transplant procedure?
About nine months one can expect a natural looking area of hair that will last a lifetime.
Also patients are quickly returning to the normal activities of often within 24 hours after the procedure.
Both the donor and recipient should have a similar appearance as they did before the procedure within several days in most patients
In approximately six months most and patience enjoy noticeable improvement in their overall hair.
What is a follicular unit?
Many people don’t realize that your hair in your scalp has multiple hairs in one specific grouping exiting the skin. These groupings can collectively be called follicular units. Single hair follicular units are used in hair transplantation to design very natural appearing hairlines. Multiple hair follicular units are used to gain density on the interior and along the middle scalp and lateral fringe to provide density in the transplant process.
Many people don’t realize that your hair in your scalp has multiple hairs in one specific grouping exiting the skin. These groupings can collectively be called follicular units. Single hair follicular units are used in hair transplantation to design very natural appearing hairlines. Multiple hair follicular units are used to gain density on the interior and along the middle scalp and lateral fringe to provide density in the transplant process.
For more information on robotic hair transplants please download our Ebook here.
Robotic Technology Is the Future of Hair Restoration Surgery
With all the press surrounding health care reimbursements and related topics, it’s easy to forget that there are still new and exciting procedures you can offer patients for the benefit of both your patients and your practice.
Robot-assisted hair restoration is one such procedure. The ARTAS System enables physicians to offer their patients a minimally invasive procedure that leverages image guided robotics to deliver permanent, natural looking results. Demand for a less invasive hair restoration solution has seen a very substantial increase over the past few years and patients are willing to pay a premium price for the benefits.
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When balding becomes an issue that affects your self-esteem you may decide to do research on ways to treat your situation. You may be enticed by commercials to use spray on hair, or gels and creams that promise you a miracle. When you are the one suffering and looking for answers it is easy to be taken in by these empty promises.
If you are in this position you should look for a real solution. One that gives you real results. During your research you may have heard about hair transplants. This is one of the best solutions that has been used by many men with the same issues as you. And it has been very successful.
When you consider hair transplants you will learn about a couple different procedures. You will learn about FUT which stands for follicular unit transplantation and FUE which stands for follicular unit extraction. FUT has been a very popular technique that has helped many men regain hair growth in areas of hair loss. With this procedure a strip of skin from the scalp is removed and follicular units are microscopically dissected to be transplanted in the area where hair is missing.
With FUE surgeons have refined a surgical procedure harvesting bald resistant hair follicles by using a punch which extracts the donor hair follicles which are then transplanted into areas where the hair is missing using a small incision. Follicular unit extraction is being used by many more men due to the fact that the procedure is much less invasive than FUT with quicker healing time at the donor sites than the site where the donor strip of skin is taken during the FUT procedure.
When you have done your due diligence and choose follicular unit extraction you will be very satisfied with your decision. You will enjoy a quicker recovery time, less pain in donor areas, no noticeable scarring and results that will give you back the self-esteem you have been missing.
When comparing the procedures please note that follicular unit extraction does take more physician time which makes this technique more expensive than FUT. The decision is yours. Only you know your personal circumstances and your financial limitations. This can be a life changing decision giving you back that missing self-esteem, so making the choice to go with follicular unit extraction seems like the right one.
The next step for you at this point is to make an appointment to see Dr Bishara who will go over the details with you and get you scheduled for your procedure. Don’t let baldness put a cramp in your personal life. Get yourself an appointment today.
Mark A Bishara, M.D., P.A. Medical Director
Bishara Cosmetic Surgery and Hair Restoration
Bishara Cosmetic Surgery and The Paragon Med Spa 76063 serves clients from the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex:
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As many as 50 percent of men will experience some hair loss by the age of 50, and many women also suffer from a genetic predisposition to permanent hair loss. There exist a variety of medications and treatments to halt the progress of hair loss, and a multitude of products designed to conceal or disguise thinning or lost hair, but only a hair transplant can restore hair that has already been lost. As such, many people seeking to regain the appearance and feel of their own hair consider hair transplants. Transplanted hair is in all ways real and natural, because it comes from areas of the patient’s own scalp that are not affected by hair loss; the back and sides of the head of not susceptible to genetic pattern balding. Within a few months of the procedure, the transplanted hair will grow as normal, requiring no special attention or treatment beyond normal hair care. The technology of hair restoration has progressed in recent years, offering patients the precision and ease of a robot hair transplant.
A robot hair transplant is very similar, in principle, to a manual FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) transplant procedure, in which naturally-occurring units of one to four hair follicles are extracted from the donor area of the scalp under local anesthetic. Each follicular unit, about a millimeter in diameter, is then grafted into the areas of the scalp affected by balding. In contrast with other procedures, in which a strip of skin containing follicles is harvested from the scalp whole, and then cut into follicular units, FUE is more precise in its follicle harvesting. Rather than leaving a long, linear scar where the donor tissue was removed, FUE creates much less scarring at the harvest site and less discomfort for the patient, and requires a shorter healing time. However, FUE is a more labor-intensive harvesting process, requiring hours of repetitive labor, keen perception, and careful judgment.
Using the ARTAS System, a robot hair transplant removes the guesswork and potential for human error from the harvesting procedure. Under the control of a physician, the ARTAS System uses cameras and 3-D imaging computer software to guide the robotic arm to perform the graft extraction. The imaging system can recognize individual hair follicles, and the computer uses an algorithm to determine the optimal angle at which to extract them to prevent damage to the follicles as they are removed. Even the most experienced human physician will have an average rate of transection, or cutting through the follicle, of 20-30 percent; the robot hair transplant system reduces the transection rate to an average of 8 percent, resulting in more intact follicles and a more efficient harvesting. The ARTAS System harvests follicular units at a much faster rate than can be done by hand, reducing the length of the procedure, the amount of anesthesia that must be used, and the patient’s discomfort, while shortening the time that the harvested follicular units must be stored before they are transplanted manually by the physician. This ensures that as many follicles as possible survive to take root and grow in the treatment site.
The ARTAS System received clearance from the FDA in 2011, and every physician who operates the system receives special training in its use. Use of the ARTAS robot hair transplant system guarantees a patient the most precise, least invasive, least uncomfortable hair transplant procedure available today by removing human error from the follicle harvesting process. If you are considering a hair restoration procedure, a robot hair transplant can offer you the precision, efficiency, and quick recovery time that your life demands.Mark A Bishara, M.D., P.A. Medical Director
The Paragon Plastic Surgery and Med Spa
Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Mark A. Bishara, M.D., serving Fort Worth, Arlington, and the surrounding area.
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