Combined 40+ Years Experience in Hair Restoration.
Our surgeons are among the pioneers of follicular unit transplantation and more importantly, they are experts at creating a natural appearance of the hairline.
At the Miami Hair Institute, our approach is to treat each patient with the procedure that is right for their needs, while delivering a natural finished look.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).
The technique that we employ is referred to as follicular unit transplantation. This technique provides extraordinary naturalness. It allows the patient to have only one session and still have a natural appearance. With follicular unit grafting we isolate the naturally occurring hair groupings (hairs grow in groups of 1, 2, 3 or 4 hairs). The donor area is taken from the back of the head using magnification to avoid follicle damage.
The procedure takes several hours depending on the number of grafts being transplanted. For a 2000 graft case the average time is about 6 hours. Patients are given local anesthesia (like a dentist uses) and an oral sedative and can watch movies/TV/Blackberry/ iPhone/iPad. Anesthetizing the areas is the only part of the session that causes discomfort and usually is similar to a visit to the dentist. Bandages are avoided altogether.
The following day, the patient returns to have the areas checked and shampooed. After the procedure, patients have crusting and mild redness in the recipient area that can last 7-10 days and it is normal for the transplanted hairs to “fall out” in the first few weeks. The hairs then recycle and begin growing in about three to four months. The results are often not visible for six months with final results evident at 12 months. The results are permanent.
Striving for Perfection.
Our goal is to achieve the most natural appearance possible and create density as well. We are particularly interested in providing the most natural hairline and have written and lectured extensively regarding ways to achieve this. We believe that we have the skills and aesthetic knowledge to consistently obtain natural results.
Generally, the front half of a balding area will require one session to produce satisfactory and natural-looking coverage. The back half or crown area can also be completed in one session. “Fill in” sessions can be done subsequently depending on the patient’s hair density objectives.
Individualized Care & Planning.
The number of grafts which should be transplanted at one session and the number and frequency of transplant sessions depend on the characteristics of each individual case; this will be planned out in advance for each patient. For example, coarse hair often provides twice the coverage as compared to fine hair. The number of follicles that can be transplanted in one procedure depend on your individual donor characteristics such as scalp elasticity and follicle density. There are two methods to obtain the donor follicles:
- The Strip Procedure
- ARTAS Robotic Hair Restoration
Strip Donor: The Procedure.
Hair in the donor area is clipped to about 2-10 mm length. The hair above the donor site can generally camouflage this immediately after the procedure. For such coverage, it is recommended that the hair in this area be left at least 1-1 ½ inches long for the procedure.
After anesthetizing the donor area, a specially designed scalpel is used to remove a “strip” of hair bearing scalp from the donor area. This area is usually closed with the trichophytic closure which allows hairs to grow through the scar to minimize its appearance. In 90% or more of cases, strip scar lines are 2mm wide or less and are only visible if you pass a comb upward through the donor area and look carefully. The “strip” is then divided under microscopes into small follicular units containing 1-4 hairs. Small slits which are no larger than those that would be created by an injection needle are made in the recipient area and the grafts are placed into these small openings. It is recommended that pain medication is taken the first night.
Strip Donor: The Results.
The trichophytic closure is a virtually non-scarring technique for minimizing the visibility of donor strip sites used in Follicular Unit Grafting.
The end result for the patient is that the technique allows hair to grow through the donor-area scar, providing added camouflage, and patients who have undergone the procedure are able to cut the hair over the donor area very close. You can look at the results for yourself.
We have been using the trichophytic technique for several years, when appropriate for the patient, and have had excellent results.
FUE/ARTAS Robotic Hair Restoration.
In addition to the strip harvesting technique, we also offer a donor harvesting method named FUE. Using this technique the creation of a linear donor scar is eliminated. We utilize the ARTAS physician guided robotic system for FUE which is the most technologically advanced instrumentation worldwide.
The ARTAS robot utilizes state-of–the-art digital technology and laser guided precision robotics to harvest permanent hair from the back of the head in a minimally invasive procedure, with no linear scarring and less postoperative pain. ARTAS produces tiny dot-like scars in the donor area that are not visible with a very short haircut although complete shaving of the head may reveal them.
ARTAS Candidates.
We believe the best candidates for this procedure are individuals who wish to be able to wear their hair quite short with minimal evidence.
The ARTAS procedure can also harvest additional hair in patients who have undergone strip procedures but their scalp has become too tight to remove further donor tissue.
We are one of the first centers worldwide using the ARTAS system and have performed over 1000 procedures to date.
#1 IN ARTAS® PROCEDURES IN THE U.S.
Reasons to choose ARTAS®:
- Greater precision, consistency and accuracy to remove donor hair.
- Minimally invasive procedure.
- No linear scarring.
- Hair follicles can be inserted into existing line scars from strip procedures.
- Quick recovery with less pain.
Strip Harvesting vs. FUE/ARTAS.
Patients often ask about the difference between strip harvesting and FUE/ARTAS. Here is some information that may help clarify these approaches. Please note that we offer both techniques.
Strip:
- Able to harvest a larger number of grafts in a shorter time.
- No need to completely shave the donor area.
- Multiple sessions can often be performed using the same scar.
- Results in a linear scar. With the “ledge closure” the scar may be extremely difficult to see however you are limited as to how short you can wear your hair.
FUE/ARTAS:
- No Linear scar.
- The patient will be able to wear his hair much shorter than with a strip harvest.
- The donor area of the head must be completely shaved for the procedure.
- Thinning of the donor area can occur if multiple sessions are required.
- Scars that appear as “tiny dots” are visible if the hair is completely shaved.
- Some patients request us to perform FUE manually with a hand-held instrument, a procedure we also offer.