In performing traditional FUE procedures, the hair in the donor area needs to be clipped close to the scalp. For ten days to two weeks post-op, the healing donor area is red and slightly crusted and may be recognizable as a hair transplant. To eliminate this short-term cosmetic problem, we have developed Long-hair Robotic FUE using the ARTAS® Robotic Hair Transplant System. With Long-hair Robotic FUE, patients can resume their work, or daily routine, soon after their hair restoration procedure.
With this technique, the patient grows his hair on the back and sides of the scalp a bit longer so it can cover the harvested area. On the day of the procedure, the surgeon lifts up the hair, clips a long thin band of donor hair, then extracts follicular units from this limited region of the scalp. After the procedure, the patient simply combs down their hair to cover the donor zone.
Long-hair Robotic FUE hair transplant procedures are generally performed through one long band or two separate parallel bands above and below a linear donor scar (see cases below). Corners are generally rounded and the edges feathered using the ARTAS system so the clipped band blends in with the surrounding hair.
The maximum number of grafts that can be harvested using this technique generally ranges from 1,400 to 1,600 grafts in a single session when one long, thin band is used. If the person’s hair is long enough, it is possible to harvest from a broader band which can potentially generate 2,400 or more grafts in a single session. The yield, of course, is dependent on the patient’s hair density, hair length, prior surgery, and physical dimensions of the permanent donor zone.
