Dr. Christine M Shaver answers this frequently asked question about hair loss consultations at Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration. Many people outside the New York City area, and around the world, ask if they have to travel to our facility in Manhattan in order to discuss their hair loss with one of our board certified physicians.
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.
While grafts can fall out within the first few days after a hair transplant, this is extremely rare. More often, patients will mistake the hair that normally falls out after a transplant for the graft itself. This is because the hair has a little bulb at the bottom of it, but that’s not the follicle; it’s just the root sheath, so it is nothing to be concerned about.
At Bernstein Medical, generally, we don’t perform surgical hair restoration on patients younger than 25. This is because it is difficult to determine if the donor area contains enough stable hair to perform a hair transplant. We advise patients in their late teens and early twenties to first use medication and to postpone surgery until they are at least 25 years old.
Diffuse patterned hair loss (DPA) is characterized by hair loss (thinning) across the top of the scalp while the hair on the sides and back of the scalp remain intact. Because donor hair is taken from the sides and back of the scalp, those with a DPA hair loss pattern are often good candidates for surgical hair transplantation. Diffuse unpatterned hair loss (DUPA), on the other hand, is characterized by hair loss not only from the top of the head but also from the sides and back of the scalp. Because persons with DUPA hair loss have thinning on the sides and back, they are usually not good candidates for a hair transplant. DUPA is relatively uncommon in men but it is the most common type of hair loss in women. Both DPA and DUPA in men respond well to medical treatment using minoxidil and finasteride. Unfortunately, finasteride is not indicated for the treatment of hair loss in women.
Plug procedures, popular in the 1960s and 1970s, often resulted in an unsightly “pluggy” or “dolls head” look. In the past we tried to work around the plugs with fine grafts in order to camouflage them, but this proved ineffective. At Bernstein Medical, we now find it best to totally remove the old plugs, put them under a microscope, dissect them into smaller follicular units and then re-implant them. This process is called Combined Hair Transplant Repair. In this way, many of the cosmetic defects created by hair plug procedures can be partially or completely reversed.
Q: How is robotic FUE different at Bernstein Medical compared to other practices?
A: The ARTAS robot assists in the first part of the follicular unit extraction procedure: separating the follicular unit from the surrounding tissue. The rest of the hair restoration procedure is done manually. Once follicular units are removed from the scalp they need to be trimmed prior to implantation, recipient sites need to be created, and the grafts must be placed in them – a time consuming, delicate process.
Because we are highly skilled in microscopic dissection, we are able to produce the highest quality grafts. In addition, all the other aspect of the procedure, including the long-term planning and design will be performed with the same high standards. With respect to the actual robot at Bernstein Medical, we use smaller instruments that result in less wounding to the scalp, it promotes faster healing time, and it improves the appearance of the donor area. We also have our computer programed to select the larger follicular units to obtain more hair with less wounds (holes) in the donor area – ultimately achieving a better cosmetic result.
Dr. Bernstein discusses how FUE instrumentation has evolved from the hand held follicular unit extraction punch to automated robotic follicular extraction.
The ARTAS Robotic System uses a small, window-like device called a tensioner to help hold the scalp in place and to help guide the 3D optical technology that locates and extracts follicular units.
Dr. Bernstein answers a question about whether or not someone can tell if they are a candidate for a hair transplant, or if they need to see a hair restoration physician.
Dr. Bernstein explains why transplanted hair will grow in an area of balding on the scalp.
Dr. Bernstein discusses how today’s hair transplants are not only far more natural than the pluggy old procedures, but hair restoration surgeons can even repair old transplants using modern techniques.
Dr. Bernstein is interviewed on Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) hair loss medications, which ones are most effective, how they work, and any side effects.
Dr. Bernstein answers a question about whether or not Robotic FUE procedures increase the number of hair transplant candidates.
Dr. Bernstein answers a question about Robotic FUE hair transplants in women and whether or not the procedure can benefit women as much as it does men.
Dr. Bernstein discusses one of the benefits of Robotic FUE hair restoration procedures, namely, the wide range of physical activities that the patient can perform almost immediately after the hair transplant.
Dr. Bernstein answers a frequently asked question about Robotic FUE procedures and whether or not they speed up the procedure.
Dr. Bernstein is interviewed on surgical hair restoration procedures and how they have evolved over the years. Among topics discussed are follicular units, follicular unit transplantation (FUT), follicular unit extraction (FUE), and how robotic technology has improved the FUE procedure.
We all lose our hair, but hair loss is something that individuals experience differently. Some people lose their hair very early, while some lose their hair and are satisfied with a balding scalp. People lose their hair at different rates and varying degrees of severity. So when is it the right time to seek treatment from a hair restoration physician? Dr. Bernstein discusses how to approach treating your hair loss and when to seek answers from a physician.
Hair loss can be devastating for both men and women who suffer from it. While not every person suffering from hair loss is medically indicated for a hair transplant, many who have the procedure feel a sense of renewal of confidence. For some, who have spent years hiding or camouflaging their hair loss, the freedom of having a full head of hair can be life-changing. In this video, Dr. Bernstein describes how some of his patients have benefited from hair transplant surgery. After watching the video, go read some letters from our hair transplant patients that we have received.
Follicular Unit Extraction has come a long way since Dr. Bernstein first described the hair transplant procedure in medical literature in his 2002 publication, “Follicular Unit Extraction,” published in the journal Dermatologic Surgery. In this video, Dr. Bernstein discusses the transition from hand-held extraction instruments to the computer-driven, image-guided ARTAS® System for FUE.
Dr. Bernstein’s pioneering of Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is one of the most important and transformative changes in the hair restoration industry. He was the first to describe using follicular units as the main component of a hair transplant in his 1995 publication, “Follicular Transplantation,” published in the International Journal of Aesthetic Restorative Surgery. But how did he come up with this game-changing idea? He explains how in this clip.
Hair loss medications are a topic of interest to a great number of people around the world. While the treatment of hair loss with Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) have proven to result in a reversal of hair loss, patients still have a number of questions about the drugs’ efficacy and safety. Sometimes these concerns can be exacerbated by reports in the media. Dr. Bernstein discusses these issues in this clip.
Dr. Bernstein speaks to the importance and usefulness of publishing research in peer-reviewed medical journals. He is the most widely published author on the Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant procedures, having published more than sixty articles, editorial reviews, books, and textbook chapters.
Dr. Bernstein is frequently asked about hair transplant procedures for women, and in this video he discusses the differences between treating men and women.
Dr. Bernstein walks us through a Robotic FUE hair transplant procedure at Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration in this audio Q&A.
Dr. Bernstein answers a common question about seeing hair restoration patients from outside the United States.
Dr. Bernstein answers a common question about the most important thing for a patient to know after a hair transplant.
In this audio clip, Dr. Bernstein answers a frequently asked question about different types of the Rogaine topical hair loss medication and their efficacy.
Dr. Bernstein answers a frequently asked question about shock fall out after a hair transplant. The answer also touches on the phases of the hair growth cycle.
In this audio clip, Dr. Bernstein answers a frequently asked question. Can tingling on the scalp be an indication of genetic hair loss?
In this clip, Dr. Bernstein discusses the efficacy of Propecia and Rogaine hair loss medications on the front of the scalp.
Does Hair Grow In Stages After Hair Transplant? Watch Dr. Bernstein’s video response to this commonly asked question on hair growth after a hair transplant.
How Long After Hair Transplant Can Grafts Fall Out? Dr. Bernstein answers a frequently-asked question about caring for your scalp after your hair transplant.
Is FUE Hair Transplant Painless, Non-Surgical? In this video Q&A clip, Dr. Bernstein dispels a couple of myths about Follicular Unit Extraction and compares FUE hair transplant surgery to Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). Watch Dr. Bernstein’s video response.
In this clip of a video interview with Dr. Bernstein, the doctor describes why current hair transplant techniques achieve such natural results — especially when compared to the old “hair plug” methods.
In this clip, Dr. Bernstein discusses what he likes most about performing hair transplant surgery, especially how patients react to seeing the difference in their appearance between their before and after photos.
Dr. Bernstein shares a story of how he helped give an 8 year old girl her life back by performing hair transplant surgery on the bald area of her scalp after a benign brain tumor was removed.
In this video clip, Dr. Bernstein discusses how he and other leading hair transplant surgeons pioneered Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).
Dr. Bernstein discusses the surgical hair restoration techniques he employs in his practice — follicular unit transplantation (FUT) via strip harvesting and follicular unit extraction (FUE) — as well as medical hair loss treatments available for patients who are not indicated for a hair transplant.
Dr. Bernstein discusses how the internet aids communication between hair loss sufferers around the world and the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration in New York City.
In this video, Dr. Bernstein talks about how today’s surgical hair transplant techniques can make a difference in a patient’s life, especially when the procedure is used to reverse the results of a bad hair transplant.
In this video, Dr. Bernstein discusses the evolution of hair transplant surgery, including how patients revolutionized the hair transplant profession by demanding that surgeons use the follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure. Doctors only took note of this procedure once a select few physicians, including Dr. Bernstein was regularly performing it and started chatting about it on the internet.
In this video clip from an interview with the Hair Transplant Network, Dr. Bernstein discusses the advantages and disadvantages of hair loss sufferers researching hair transplantation on the internet.
Dr. Bernstein, in this short video clip, discusses why men and women who suffer from hair loss choose him and the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration for their surgical hair restoration procedure.
Dr. Bernstein discusses what a typical hair transplant procedure is like at his hair restoration clinic, including the level of comfort during the procedure.
In this video clip from an interview with Hair Transplant Network, Dr. Bernstein discusses how restoring a person’s hair can improve their self esteem and change their lives.
In this video clip from an interview with Hair Transplant Network, Dr. Bernstein discusses how he treats patients with hair loss as patients, not just as surgical candidates for hair transplantation.
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