Hair Transplant Methods and NeoGraft

There are several methods used in doing hair transplants. The "strip" method or FUT (follicular unit transplantation) is the most commonly performed method. The new NeoGraft FUE (follicular unit extraction) method is a minimally invasive method of hair transplantation introduced in the late ninety’s.

Below pictures are not actual patients.

From a surgical standpoint, the “strip” method or FUT is a surgically invasive procedure. With the “strip” method the hair at the back of scalp is cut short. That section of scalp is surgically excised. The wound created by the incision is then sutured or stapled together. Next, the excised portion of the scalp is divided up and placed under several microscopes where technicians using sharp blades separate grafts into units of one to four hairs. While the technicians are separating the grafts, the physician creates the hairline and recipient sites using a needle or a specific blade. Once the recipient sites are created, the grafts are then placed into the sites using forceps. The grafts with a single hair are placed in the front, to give a natural hairline. The rest are placed behind to give the recipient area density.

From a surgical standpoint, an FUE hair transplant is a safe, minimally invasive, and relatively minor procedure. With the FUE method there is no need to excise a piece of the scalp because the follicles are removed directly from the donor area using a tiny 1 mm punch (punch sizes vary) and forceps. The punch is manually rotated to make a small circular incision in the skin around the follicular unit (hair follicles), which is then removed directly from the scalp using forceps or suction. After the appropriate number of units have been removed, technicians separate the grafts into units of one to four hairs and these grafts are implanted much the same way as the “strip” method. With the FUE method there is usually little bleeding and fewer complications than with the “strip” method in Dr Powell’s opinion and experience. The procedure is performed with local anesthetic and no intravenous or intra-muscular sedation is required.

The benefits of the FUE method to the patient are that there is minimal discomfort, no scalpel incision, no sutures, no linear scar, possibly a quick recovery time, sometimes fewer activity limitations and patients can wear their hair short if they choose too without a linear scar.

In Dr. Powell’s opinion, an FUE hair transplant is the most beneficial for the patient; however the majority of hair restoration doctors do not offer the FUE procedure because there are some nuisances associated with an FUE hair transplant. First, doing FUE manually is very tedious and time consuming, making the procedure too costly for most patients. Next, it is sometimes considered difficult to learn the FUE procedure and unless the doctor becomes very skilled there is a risk for a high trans-section (damage) rate of the follicles. Finally, forceps are used in a manual FUE to extract and implant the follicles which can easily traumatize the follicles as well. As a result most doctors are not willing to spend the time to learn this procedure and they continue to do the “strip” method.

With the NeoGraft Hair Transplant medical device, several difficulties associated with a manual FUE procedure have been eliminated. An FUE hair transplant with NeoGraft can often be done in the same amount of time as a traditional “strip” hair transplant.

With NeoGraft many patients can be candidates for an FUE hair transplant. Given the choice most our hair restoration patients would prefer a surgical method that is less invasive. Even though many patients are good candidates for a NeoGraft FUE hair transplant, if they are not seen by a doctor that specializes in FUE or with the NeoGraft automated FUE device, they may not be given advice which is in their best interest. A doctor who does not offer full disclosure about the benefits of FUE and/or with NeoGraft, is not acting in his patient's best interest or may not know that the NeoGraft device exists. In an effort to educate more physicians on the procedure and to let them know about NeoGraft Automated FUE, the NeoGraft Company sponsors several live demonstration workshops every month for physicians throughout the United States.

The hair restoration patient also needs to understand how important choosing the right surgeon remains. Final hairline design results still are dependent upon the skill and artistic abilities of the surgeon performing the procedure.

The important thing is to do your homework and pick a surgeon that is uniquely qualified to handle your hair restoration needs.

The NeoGraft Automated FUE is also a useful procedure to fix visible linear scars from previous “strip” surgeries. FUE can be used to 'fill in' or camouflage those old scars by transplanting new follicles into the area.

12/15/2011, AndroSmart.com featuring NeoGraft.

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