Will Technology Bring Hair Transplant Cost Down?

Blog - Advanced Follicular Unit Extraction, automated FUE, cost of hair transplant, hair restoration, hair transplant, hair transplant technology, robotic FUE, suction driven FUE machines, uGraft - July 18, 2014

Hair transplant cost figures are staggering for most people. And since technology generally helps bring prices down, will this make hair restoration surgery more affordable? Many individuals who suffer from baldness or thinning eagerly await the answer to this question. However, there are deeper issues to consider, besides a simple yes or no. For example, hair transplant surgeons require a great deal of education and experience to not only extract follicles but also recreate natural looking hair growth. This contributes to the high price.

Dr. Umar, FUE hair transplant expert and developer of uGraft technology, believes that innovations should aim to improve quality of a patient’s results instead of speeding up procedures to reduce cost, or compensate for experience.

Robotic Technology and Automated Follicular Unit Extraction

As scientists try to develop new treatments, hair transplantation remains as the most reliable way to achieve desired results.

Grafts are now extremely small and natural looking. And with Follicular Unit Extraction, which does not leave a linear scar more people are choosing to undergo this form of hair transplant surgery.

Attempts to meet the rising demand for hair transplants have been made through two forms of technology:

(1) robotics

(2) automated, suction driven devices

Identifying the right direction and orientation of hair follicles is important for positioning the punch. Errors will lead to damaged and unusable grafts if the punch severs any part of the follicular unit.

Robotic FUE technology uses algorithms to ascertain important information needed for the safe removal of the follicles. This can be helpful for doctors who have less experience.

Suction driven tools have been developed to help increase the speed of hair transplant procedures. The grafts are immediately pulled by the vacuum mechanics into a temporary holding container. Normally, the follicles are manually retrieved with forceps.

Neither of these technologies are able to offer the type of factory efficient, low cost hair transplantation that some people hope for.

These technologies also have limitations to consider. Robotics can only be used on the back of the head in dark haired patients. Suction driven extraction technology poses the risk of air drying, or dessication which is the leading cause of graft death.

UGraft is a follicle extraction technology developed by hair restoration surgeon, Dr. Sanusi Umar

While uGraft does not affect hair transplant cost, or address the rising demand for these types of procedures, it offers a much safer alternative to robotics and suction devices. It offers a greater level of safety for the hair follicles and prevents them from drying out. UGraft features make it possible to remove many types of follicles (including those from the body) for large volume procedures. And a water assisted mechanism gently transports the grafts to a holding receptacle.

Hair Cloning Technology- Will They Lower Cost?

What is known as hair cloning is actually a form of cellular induction. Derma papilla cells at the base of the follicle have inductive properties which can cause epithelial cells to differentiate into follicles.
As far as cost is concerned, hair cloning has yet to become refined enough to be offered to the public as an official procedure. Dr. Umar points out that there are many issues to test before this happens:

(1) how the human immune system will react to cloned hair follicles

(2) how to control the texture, growth angles, directions and orientations of the new hair

Results from such studies have yet to be available. Therefore, hair transplantation procedures remain as the best way to recover from hair loss.

Cost and Hair Transplant Doctors

The high cost of hair transplant procedures is due to the enormous level of detail that is required.

Dr. Umar often explains that the harvesting of follicles is just one phase of a hair restoration procedure. The storage, handling and insertions matter for growth and achieving a natural looking appearance. And these aspects cannot be replaced by technology.

patient before and after hair restoration with Advanced FUE technology

Hair Restoration For Women

Blog - drugs for female hair loss, hair loss in women, hair restoration, hair transplant for women - July 17, 2014

Hair restoration is often associated with men. But high numbers of women are also affected by genetic thinning and loss. And due to differences in physiology, reliable treatment options have been quite limited, but not entirely out of reach.

Differences Between Male and Female Hair Loss

FUE hair restoration expert, Sanusi Umar MD, was interviewed by American Health Journal about truth versus fiction in genetic hair loss. He explained that there is a wider range of factors contributing to the condition in women compared to men.

Both sexes can inherit genes which create DHT sensitive protein receptors on their follicles. These hair structures shrink as a result.

Dr. Umar who treats many women at his clinic suffering from different forms of hair loss also explained that various types of hormonal factors (e.g. from pregnancy and menopause) are also likely to contribute to hair loss to a much greater extent than in men. And this may be why women tend to experience global thinning instead of progressive baldness.

Here are a few currently available treatments for genetic female hair loss.

Rogaine for Restoring Hair in Women

Over the counter Rogaine (Minoxidil) relaxes blood vessels near the scalp which increases the availability of oxygen and other nutrients. This can help follicles that have not yet lost their ability to produce new hair.

Rogaine 2% is usually recommended for women. But the 5% product can be used under the guidance of a dermatologist.

Spironolactone For Female Hair Loss

Spironolactone is a diuretic. But it can also occupy protein receptor sites that DHT would normally bind to. Therefore, it is sometimes prescribed off label for women to treat hair loss that is primarily caused by DHT which has resulted from high testosterone levels.

Hair Transplantation for Women

Hair transplant procedures have long been associated with men. Dr. Umar believes that due to increased awareness and education, more women are learning that this can be an option for them to consider as well.

Candidacy would require having sufficient quantities of quality donor hair as opposed to global thinning. Women who suffer from hair loss due to traction alopecia (due to extensions and tight hair styles) can usually benefit from these procedures. Their follicles have not miniaturized from hormones or DHT.

Can A Laser Helmet Restore Hair In Women

The Theradome laser helmet product has been developed specifically for women. The device is said to work through an emission of cool laser energy. According to Dr. Umar, it is not clear how or why this mechanism of action would be particularly relevant to women.

Dr. Umar also wants patients to be aware that the general the effectiveness of lasers on hair growth continues to be dubious and unsupported by clinical research studies. These home devices have received FDA clearance in terms of safety, not effectiveness.

Future Hair Restoration Hope For Women

Research innovation may lead to new forms of treatment which may benefit female hair loss sufferers.

Dr. Angela Christiano of Columbia University hopes that her work in hair cloning will benefit female patients who do not have enough viable head donor hair grafts to qualify for a transplant procedure.

Researchers have also observed that formation of high levels of the PGD2 prostaglandin is also likely to cause thinning and baldness in both men and women. Therefore a drug treatment which blocks this pathway may offer hope for female pattern baldness.

The causes of shedding and thinning in women need to be identified prior to choosing a hair restoration treatment.

Environmental and Genetic Factors in Hair Loss and Restoration

Blog - environmental factors, hair growth products, hair loss medications, hair restoration, management of hair loss, Propecia, Rogaine - May 24, 2014

It is a common tendency for people to find themselves compelled by promising claims which offer some hope of restoring lost hair. However, with so many companies developing various treatment products and services, it is essential for consumers to arm themselves with the right knowledge so that they can ask the right questions and better navigate the information they come across. The use of hair growth products is obviously an environmental approach to addressing pattern baldness and thinning. But since the condition is genetic in origin, does it make sense to use such items? The answer is yes and no.

The Interplay Between Genes and the Environment

A person’s DNA may result in the creation of hair follicles that are sensitive to the effects of DHT. However, it is possible for environmental factors to facilitate or slow down the rate of hair loss. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can impede processes which normally contribute to the production of hair shafts. More research is showing a link between severe manifestations of baldness and variables like high levels of sun exposure, alcohol consumption and smoking. While healthier lifestyle habits won’t completely override genetic predisposition, they can help slow down the rate of hair loss.

The Use of FDA Approved Products for Hair Restoration

At the moment, there are only two products approved by the FDA for the management of androgenic alopecia.

These include:

(1) Rogaine

(2) Propecia

Rogaine and Propecia are not wonder cures. Their effects will differ across patients. Some individuals will experience regrowth, while others will not. These medications have the most potential for the earliest stages of pattern baldness. And, at the very least, they can be useful for limiting the extent of the condition. Therefore, these are the primary products that doctors recommend for those interested in restoring hair and preventing further loss .

There are other prescription medications that may be used on an off label basis through a physician’s discretion. Rogaine primarily works as a vasodilator for increasing blood supply to the scalp. It is also believed to work on other processes that facilitate hair growth. Propecia works on the primary biochemical pathway that leads to hair loss, which includes the breakdown of testosterone into DHT. DHT is what contributes to the miniaturization of hair follicles. Although certain types of laser combs have also been issued FDA clearance, they have only been approved for safety. These products do not have the backing of clinical trials for their effectiveness in regrowing hair.

Other Commercially Available Products For Restoring Hair

While it is possible for environmental agents to slow down the rate of hair loss, science has not yet found actual ingredients that can be packaged into products that will reliably grow hair. In fact, this search has been ongoing since the start of written history. There are many cases of optimistic individuals who spent exorbitant amounts of money on products that gave them no results. This is why it is important to always questions claims and other forms of surface information prior to making a purchase decision. Also, when in doubt, ask for advice from a physician.

Should You Wait For Hair Cloning to Restore Your Hair?

Blog - hair loss treatment, hair restoration, how does hair cloning work, waiting for hair cloning, when will hair cloning be ready - May 16, 2014

In recent years, the media has excitedly reported on the newest breakthroughs in hair cloning research. And these stories often include optimistic messages of hope that based on these results, new procedures to end baldness will soon be available to average sufferers of pattern baldness. Therefore, you may naturally be wondering if it is worth it to wait just a few years to undergo this type of hair restoration treatment.

Our site believes that individuals should always attempt to understand a larger picture which answers the questions of how and why, instead of just accepting surface facts. Only then will it be possible to choose a reliable course of action with true personal conviction.

How does hair cloning work?

It is important for those interested in restoring their hair to be aware of what hair cloning truly entails, since the term itself does not accurately imply how it works.

When most people think of cloning, they imagine the use of the DNA template to create entirely new structures, including hair follicles.

But with the research being done today, this is not what occurs. The base of the hair follicles contains what are known as derma papilla cells, which are of particular interest to hair cloning scientists. These cells have inductive properties with the ability to induce basic epidermal cells to become something different. In this case, what results are hair follicle cells.

The hair cloning that is now being developed is not the same as hair multiplication. In fact, there are no legitimate or research supported methods associated with the concept of multiplying hair follicles. At the moment, it remains as a mere possibility for restoring hair, not a fully developed and reliable form of treatment.

Why will it take more research before cloning becomes an official method for restoring hair

So far, researchers like Takashi Tsuji (University of Tokyo)have only succeeded in creating working human hair follicles on rodent models. They have been able to harness the ability of derma papilla cells to covert regular epithelial cells into more specialized hair follicle cells within lab environments. Some experiments focused on the use of vitamin D to facilitate this conversion and found this to be valid. Dr. Angela Christiano of Columbia University found that using 3D aggregates of DP cells was an effective method of induction which is more applicable to the human physiology, as opposed to rats. Another researcher. George Xu (University of Pennsylvania) found a way to scale the results of using derma papilla and epidermal cells.

The resulting follicles produced wirey forms of hair shafts and displayed the pilo erectus reflex as well. Although these results are not perfect, they represent enormous strides towards innovative hair restoration procedures through this form of cloning.

The creation of follicles is only really one of a series of phases needed before this type of procedure can be made available to the public. Additional research is needed to refine the following areas:

(1) controlling the texture and color of the hair

(2) ensuring the proper direction, angle and orientation of growth

(3) understanding the how the immune system will react to lab created follicles.

Realistically, the availability of hair cloning will require many more years of research before these answers are attained and pass clinical trials prior to its official debut.

Consult with a Doctor