The Los Angeles FUE Hair Transplant
Hair transplant surgery has evolved a lot since the 1950s when punch-style transplants, by Dr. Orentreich were being performed. The evolution of the Los Angeles FUE hair transplant offers patients new hope and possibilities when it comes to hair restoration. Today’s FUE offers patients many advantages including no visible scarring in the donor area. In this article, we will look at how hair restoration surgery has changed over the past several decades, as well as what innovations we might expect in the future.
Hair Transplant History
Modern hair transplant surgeries are built on the techniques that were originally developed by Dr. Orentreich in the 1950s. From there, concepts such as mini and micrografting were developed. By the 1990s came the advancement of Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation (FUT). Walter P. Unger, MD discovered the “Safe Donor Zone”, an important area located at the back and sides of the scalp. This is the area of the head where hair follicles that are most resistant to hair loss can be found. Doctors who perform FUT and FUE surgeries still utilize this donor safe zone to this day.
Modern FUT Procedure
As a surgery FUT also established the transplantation of individually occurring follicular units. A doctor performs FUT by removing a single strip of the scalp by making a small incision. The surgeon sutures the donor area after removing the strip. From there, the surgeon extracts the follicular grafts. Then the surgical team cleans the grafts and prepares them for transplanting into the recipient area. This procedure will leave a thin linear scar. Its length will vary depending on the number of grafts required for the transplant. At Best Hair Transplant our doctor uses a baseball stitch to hide the scar, and create a natural appearance after healing from surgery.
The Invention of FUE Surgery
For most patients scarring from FUT is virtually invisible, but it can sometimes pose cosmetic problems for those who wish to wear their hair shaved short at the donor area. In 2003 hair restoration surgery made even further advancement with the invention of the Follicular Unit Extraction, or FUE method. FUE made it possible for doctors to substitute the long linear incision of FUT with tiny pin-prick extractions made with a micro punch tool. When performed by a qualified surgeon, it is virtually impossible to detect an FUE transplant after it has healed.
When selecting a Los Angeles FUE hair transplant clinic, it is important that you do plenty of research on the background of the head surgeon. Make sure that an experienced surgeon who has been properly trained is performing this delicate procedure. Not only must the surgeon possess adequate experience and training, but the operating room must have excellent lighting as well as proper magnification tools for the surgeon and their assistants.
Finding The Right Surgeon for Your Los Angeles FUE Hair Transplant
The surgeon must have received extensive training in FUE so that they have a good understanding of how to find the angle of the hair below the surface of the skin. For most people, the angle of the emerging hair is more acute than the angle of the follicle below the surface. The surgeon should be aware of this discrepancy and be able to anticipate this change when extracting the follicular grafts. This prevents transection or damage to the grafts. If the surgeon gets the angle wrong and damages the graft, it will not be viable for transplant.
Am I A Good Candidate For FUE?
In order to determine whether a patient is a good candidate for FUE, their doctor may order that they undergo what’s known as a FOX text. The surgeon performs this test by removing about 100 grafts from the donor area. The doctor evaluates how many complete vs incomplete follicular units are there after extraction. If the extraction process goes smoothly and plenty of complete units are extracted, then the surgeon will proceed with FUE. However, if there are not an adequate number of complete units, the doctor may recommend a FUT instead.
Other indications that a patient will be a good candidate for FUE include whether a patient prefers to wear their hair very short. If a patient doesn’t want to risk getting a linear scar then FUE surgery could be their best choice. Patients that have minimal hair loss and require a smaller number of grafts are also good candidates for FUE. Finally, FUE is a great choice for those who desire changes to their facial hair.
Doctors will urge patients who do not possess the requisite laxity of the scalp to opt for FUE over FUT. Doctors may also recommend FUE for patients that have had previous FUTs that are in need of some correction. If a person is easily prone to keloid scarring or developing wide or thick linear scars their doctor will also encourage them to choose FUE. FUE is also a great choice for people who do not have time for a long recovery period. The discomfort and downtime after Los Angeles FUE hair transplant surgery are minimal.
New Robotic Transplant Technology
FUE has seen several advancements in its field in recent years. These include the development of robotic hair transplant machines such as ARTAS and Neograft. These machines claim to use algorithms to predict which follicular grafts are best to harvest for transplanting.
We at Best Hair Transplant feel that there are several drawbacks to these machines. For example, the machine has a hard time harvesting grafts from the side of the head without damaging them. Secondly, these robots are not equipped to perceive differences in the shape and color of the hair follicle. These machines are best equipped to extract dark, straight hair, but have a harder time recognizing hair that is light in color.
Similarly, these robotic transplant machines are not equipped to adjust to accommodate the shape of a curly hair follicle. The follicle of a person with curly hair also curls beneath the surface of the skin, and robotic transplant machines do not adjust their settings to extract curly hair correctly. Machines like this increase the risk of transected, or damaged grafts.
We Recommend Avoiding Robotics
We at Best Hair Transplant feel that robotics are no substitute for surgery performed by the experienced, expertly trained hands of a doctor. Furthermore, robotic hair transplants tend to be more expensive even though the results are less successful. It is important to note that FUE is a time-consuming procedure that can take up to 8 hours. We recommend that our patients wear earbuds so that they can pass the time listening to music, or audiobooks. Something to help pass the time. The surgical team may need to take several breaks throughout the procedure.
In some cases, if the patient has experienced extensive hair loss, they may require more than one surgery to reach their desired results. When you schedule a consultation with our team you will get a better sense of the number of grafts you will need. You and the doctor can discuss what a reasonable timeline for your treatment plan might look like.
Hair Restoration Advancements In The Future
In addition to the advancements with FUE, the wonders of science may bring us even further advancements in the field of hair restoration soon. Two recent studies highlight novel approaches to pattern hair loss in both men and women. The first study was led by researchers Angela Christiano, Ph.D., and Richard & Mildred Rhodebeck, a professor of Dermatology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. In this study, they discovered previously unknown cells in mouse hair follicles that kept these hairs in a resting state. They learned that by inhibiting the activity of these cells, the dormant follicles reawaken.
Christiano’s team discovered a new pathway called JAK-STAT that when active inside the resting hair follicle’s stem cells, keeps them dormant. Researchers conducted experiments on mice and found the resting hair follicles reawakened when they applied JAK inhibitors to the skin of the mouse. The study also revealed a previously unknown immune-related cell type. These cells produce a substance known as Ocostatin M, which keeps the follicles in a dormant state. These cells function similarly to macrophages, otherwise known as the scavenger cells of the immune system. The researchers named these cells triphosphates after the greek word “tricho” which means hair.
“These new pathways may lead to new treatments for both men and women suffering from hair loss since they appear to be acting independently of male hormone pathways,” Christiano says. “Especially if treatments are used topically, that could avoid the related side effects seen with finasteride and minoxidil.”
Could 3D Printed Hair Be the Future?
In another study, Christiano’s team developed a method for growing human hair in a dish. This could expand the options for patients in the field of hair restoration surgery in the future. This is the first time that scientists have been able to generate human hair follicles have been entirely in a dish without the need to implant them into the skin.
Using the innovation of a 3D printer, Christiano’s team was able to create a natural microenvironment for hair follicle growth. They started by creating plastic mold with long extensions that were only a half millimeter in width. The researchers then engineered human skin to grow around this mold. Meanwhile, the team placed hair follicle cells from human volunteers into deep wells combined with cells that produce keratin. The cells were fed a combination of growth factors including JAK inhibitors to stimulate their growth. After 3 weeks human hair follicles appeared and started producing hair.
“What we’ve shown is that we can basically create a hair farm: a grid of hairs that are patterned correctly and engineered so they can be transplanted back into that same patient’s scalp,” Christiano says. “That expands the availability of hair restoration to all patients—including the 30 million women in the United States who experience hair thinning and young men whose hairlines are still receding. Hair restoration surgery would no longer be limited by the number of donor’s hairs.”
Prospects for the Future
While these innovations are not available as treatment options yet, we are excited about the future of hair restoration. In a few years’ time, there could be all sorts of exciting innovations and possibilities for patients suffering from hair loss. In the meantime, FUE is the most permanent, minimally invasive surgical option. With advantages such as a shorter recovery period and stunning natural results, there are lots of great reasons to consider Los Angeles FUE Hair Transplant.
Affordable Los Angeles Hair Transplants
Best Hair Transplant is the best place to schedule your Los Angeles FUE hair transplant. We’ve helped both men and women regrow their lost hair. But don’t take our word for it. We suggest learning as much as possible about hair restoration. Do so prior to making a decision on how to address your hair loss. Not every procedure is right for everyone.
At Best Hair Transplant, we’re proud of our results and happy to provide Los Angeles FUE hair transplant services. Additionally, we’re proud to make hair transplants affordable and help you save money on a variety of hair transplants. To ensure your ease of mind, you can view our customer recommendations HERE. Furthermore, you can also see our Google reviews and Yelp reviews. We can’t wait to help you start restoring your lost hair.
Your Los Angeles FUE Hair Transplant Solution
Best Hair Transplant
1970 S. Prospect Ave., Suite 2
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(213) 403-0455