The history of hair restoration goes back to the early 1930s. Japanese dermatologist Dr. Okuda is credited with developing the earliest techniques. As impressive as these early breakthroughs were, it would be two decades before this procedure would be accepted in America.
Since then, hair restoration procedures have only gotten better. This article takes you through gains that have been made in hair restoration and examine future possibilities.
The Punch Graft
Dr. Norman Orentreich performed the first known hair transplant procedure in the U.S in New York City in 1952.
Unfortunately, his work was mostly unsuccessful. The unsatisfactory result was because Dr. Norman used large 4-mm skin grafts. It was from these large circular grafts that the term “hair plugs” was coined. The procedure gained popularity in the 1970s because it was the only available procedure at the time.
Mini Grafts and Micro Grafts
The use of large “hair plugs” made it impossible to make hair transplants look natural. To soften the hairline, physicians began using mini-grafts and micro-grafts. This method utilizes smaller cuts of grafts from donor tissues.
This technique was a significant improvement and subsequently replaced hair plugs. Mini grafts and micro-grafts were thinner than usual and required more significant donor sites. It resulted in more extensive wounds and even longer healing time.
Follicular Unit Transplant
The invention of Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) revolutionized hair restoration procedures. The idea was first advanced in 1995 by Dr. Bernstein and Dr. Rassman.
FUT technique involves making microscopic graft dissection from donor sites. The process was initially met with some resistance but eventually gained acceptance. The use of tiny grafts significantly improved the final results.
Follicular Unit Extraction
After the success of FUT, Dr. Barnstein and Dr. Rassman begin working on a less invasive way of extracting the hair. Their research led to the introduction of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) in 2002.
Follicular Unit Extraction eliminates the need to remove strips of tissues from the scalp. During FUE, a circular punch cuts the dermis and extract individual hair follicles. The procedure requires proper analysis to determine the depth of the erector pili muscles.
The extracted hair leaves behind a tiny wound that heals very fast. The invention of a sharp FUE instrument made FUE procedures successful. The technology provided the basis for the development of SmartGraft, NeoGraft, and later the Robotic Hair Transplant System. Both FUT and FUE are now accepted as industry standards.
Robotic Hair Restoration
Despite the improvements made, a lot of time was still spent in harvesting grafts for transplant. The use of robotics proved to be a game-changer.
Robotic Follicular Extraction (R-FUE) was the first of many inventions by Restoration Robotics. It consists of high precision, three dimensional optical systems that locate hair follicles and harvest them. In 2011, a Robotic Site Creation robot was launched. The robot is programmed by the physician who controls the angle, depth, and direction of the incisions.
Long Hair Robotic FUE was the next invention to follow in 2015. The technology makes it possible to harvest hair by shaving a small strip that can be covered by the remaining longer hair. A robot capable of selecting the harvested grafts was the next technological leap.
The Robotic Follicular Unit Extraction makes it possible to collect more hair while minimizing wounding. The latest invention by Restoration Robotics came in 2017 when the ARTAS 9X was launched. This new hair transplant system comes with a color camera, scar detection, and a smaller needle. All of these features make hair harvesting faster and improves the outcome.
Modern hair restoration techniques are faster, safer, and give more natural-looking results. Improvements in anesthesiology, wound closure, graft preservation, medication, and wound care have all contributed to the successes in the hair restoration. In the future, it might even be possible to re-grow new hair through stem cells. It can only get better from here.
To find out more about hair restoration or to get started, schedule a free consultation with Dr. Joseph Williams.
