Innovation in FUE Hair Restoration

Shaving the entire scalp is used in the vast majority of hair transplant surgeries.  The innovation of the Celebrity FUE Hair Transplant (not just for celebrities) procedure is growing in popularity at Los Angeles US Hair Restorations centers. This is because the scalp is not shaved.

When transplanting a small number of follicular units by the individual removal of the grafts shaving of the scalp is not mandatory.  The demands on the surgeons and medical technicians are arduous but the benefits to the patients are worthwhile.

Unshaved scalp means:

• Your procedure is virtually undetectable
• No major change in current hair styling

The Celebrity (non shaved) FUE Transplant is a development of utilizing follicular unit hair transplant procedure in multiple non invasive procedures to restore hair to balding scalp. As in most FUE procedures when indicated a FOX test is conducted to assure that a patient is not vulnerable to high level of transaction (damaged grafts).  Patients with overly curly hair particularly may not suit well to the individual extraction of follicular units (FU).  A FOX test is the best way to determine that FUE hair restoration is the best choice for a patient.

Celebrity FUE transplant procedures provides:

• A gradual improvement to patients pattern baldness
• Allows patient to enjoy an uninterrupted schedule

US Hair Restorations Los Angeles hair transplant centers are under the direction of Parsa Mohebi, MD. Dr. Mohebi also serves as the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons chairman of the FUE committee.  He notes that FUE procedures can be applied in unique situations for some patients to meet the demands of their very busy lifestyles.

I am often given questions from patients regarding the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) procedure as to how it compares with the other procedures. The FUE is a method where hair is removed in single follicular units which is different than the strip method, which involved a large incision and dissection of strip into follicular units. There is a lot of information on the internet which do not recommend FUE procedures as oppose to many that promote it as the way of the future. In actuality, many surgeons and hair restoration facilities specialize in one method over another and might have bias to or against it. When the FUE is done properly, it has great results for many hair loss sufferers, mainly one’s with a minimum amount of hair loss. Some patients who cannot have the strip FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) method, will find the FUE procedure to be very beneficial.

Most transplant surgeries today are done through the FUT strip method for different reasons:
The strip method gives greater maximization of quality and viability of the hair follicles. The hair follicle transaction rate (grafts cut during surgery) could be higher with FUE method as oppose to strip technique. Larger surgeries of 4,000+ grafts can be done in one sitting with the strip method, where the FUE cannot get more than 1500 grafts per sitting. Larger FUE sessions also puts the healthy grafts outside of the body for a longer duration, thus making them more susceptible to losing health during the dissection and possibly dying in the process.

Modern technology in strip hair transplant has provided several methods which lower the visibility of scarring due to the FUT strip method. The FUE procedure is rather tedious, thus the cost of the surgery is greater. Ultimately, the best method is to be evaluated by a certified hair transplant surgeon who has knowledge and skill in both FUE and strip method and let him help you decide which method is best for you.

Hair removal has been practiced in different ways and can be achieved with either temporary or permanent relief. From regular razor trimming, waxing, electrolysis, and advanced laser hair removal these procedures do the job and do them well. As of recent, we had a patient ask us of a different method of hair removal. He was considering using follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure to achieve this.
“Instead of placing the hair follicle in my scalp, can the extractions be disposed?” His goal was to remove unwanted facial hair quickly and permanently. This is actually a possibility for almost any person who does not want to have a hair transplant procedure, per say. We recommended that the patient at least be evaluated through FOX test to see if the hair grafts can be removed entirely through FUE. This means the grafts have to come out whole after making the FUE incision.
If the hair graft units cannot be extracted whole through FOX test, then the procedure will not be effective. The reason why the hair graft must come out whole is to prevent leaving the bulb in its place. If the bulb remains then the hair shaft may continue to grow normally. A fully extracted graft unit can then be replaced (or disposed).

For previous hair transplant patients, scar revision is the process of correcting or minimizing the scar appearance left after a hair transplant procedure. In the case of a patient email we received, his scar seems to be a bit wider on one side compared to the other. His transplant was performed in a different clinic and the result of the wide scar was of natural effect. He asks, “Is it better to do only half and not touch the good side so to speak?”

There are a couple of techniques that can be used to correct this issue. The most common is a simple excision and closure of the scar which may reduce the scar’s width. Considering the scar is behind the neck area, BOTOX can be applied to prevent future stretching. Some patients may require what is known as trichophytic closure which allows hair to grow into the scar further minimizing the appearance of the scar. Finally, the most effective way of eliminating scar visibility is by means of an FUE (follicular unit extraction) procedure to fill in the scar left behind by the strip procedure.

The maturation or completely healing of a scar is a timely occurrence. Scars can sometimes take as long as 6 months to fully develop and can continue to evolve even after that time but at a slower rate. Because of how long scars can take to fully develop, we avoid during any type of scar revision surgery until at least 6 months after wound closure. We offer free donor scar revision consultation at our Orange County hair restoration office.