Hair Follicle Basics
Before discussing hair implants, you need to understand the hair follicle basics. Every human is born with a certain number of hair follicles on their body and no more will ever exist. Most people have about 100,000 hair follicles, more or less depending on their genetics. When a hair follicle is damaged and cannot be repaired, it is gone forever; no new follicle will take its place. This is why the hair implant is so important for hair restoration.
What is a Hair Implant?
When disease, genetics, or other factors disable or damage hair follicles, they may not be able to be resuscitated. While some may respond to treatments, not all follicles will rejuvenate and create hair again. A hair implant is a hair follicle that is removed from another area on the scalp or body. This hair graft can be implanted where hair follicles have been damaged to replace the lost hair.
Transplantation of Hair Implants
To harvest hair follicles, one of two methods are usually used in modern hair transplantation: FUT or FUE. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) uses an incision along the back of the scalp to harvest a strip of hair follicles to be used as implants. FUE, or follicular unit extraction, harvests individual hair follicles with precision, either manually with forceps or robotically with advanced technology, like the ARTAS iX we use at Robotic Hair Rx.
Hair implants are removed from the donor area and transplanted to the desired area for hair restoration. The advanced FUE method creates a small puncture in the skin to transplant the hair implant. If the follicle is not damaged during the process, it can survive in the new location. The follicle will heal and begin the natural hair growth process.
What Happens After Receiving Hair Implants?
It is important to understand that a hair implant does not automatically begin growing new hair. In fact, it is natural for the hair from the follicle to fall out about one month after the transplant procedure. This does not mean the implant failed – it is part of the normal hair growth cycle. About two months after the transplant, the implanted follicles will begin new hair growth.
Benefits of ARTAS iX for Hair Implants
The ARTAS iX is the next generation of hair restoration technology. Unlike FUT and FUE performed manually, the ARTAS iX has artificial intelligence that works hand in hand with trained surgeons. This improves both the harvesting and transplanting of the hair implants, resulting in fewer damaged follicles. Plus, it is faster, virtually painless, and requires little to no downtime for the patient.
Robotic Hair Rx is currently the only hair restoration clinic in Arizona that uses the advanced technology of the ARTAS iX for natural, beautiful results. If you are interested in learning more about restoring your hair with implants, contact our office in Tempe, AZ to schedule an appointment. We can discuss whether you are a good candidate for hair transplantation using our precise and minimally invasive ARTAS iX procedure.