Hair Transplant

What is SmartGraft®?

Originating in the USA, the SmartGraft method of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) was developed with top level precision in mind, utilizing microscopic technology to graft hair follicles back into balding portions of the scalp. Each graft contains 1-4 hairs that can be transplanted all at once. The hair is harvested microscopically from the thickest and healthiest part of the head, usually located at the back of the head between the ears, and it is then moved to the part of the head with thinning or bald patches. Thanks to the graft, less hair will need to be collected overall and plenty of hair will still be left at the place of collection. To understand this process numerically, it is possible to harvest as much as 2 500 grafts in one sitting. That may seem excessive but the outcome of this particular procedure and its resulting looks definitely appear more natural than other FUE methods. That is because 30% more hair may be distributed. An added benefit is that, with the exception of applying a local anaesthesia, it is reasonable to expect a completely pain-free, scar-free experience.

With the help of SmartGraft® technology, we can address your hair loss troubles without scalpels or incisions. Precision tech of the highest quality and modernity ensures that final results look outstandingly natural with only minimal time spent in recovery. Clients may return to work after only one day, which makes SmartGraft® an optimal treatment for bald spots, receding hairlines, thinning beard or eyebrows.

What is ARTAS®

ARTAS® is a Robotic System that works with utmost precision to eliminate human error. Developed specifically for use in Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) during hair transplant procedures, Artas® has a unique design regarding two key features: the way it collects follicular unit grafts and the way it prepares the recipient area. Thanks to the efficient process, wounds heal swiftly without scarring. This allows patients to return to work straight away without additional physical burdens or time off for recovery.

The optical feature and robotics consists of a three-dimensional guidance system and dual punch mechanism that first locates then extracts follicular units. It acts according to specifications programmed in by a physician. The system repeats this function hundreds, even thousands, of times per session with such consistency and accuracy that no human hand could possibly replicate. The robot creates what is referred to as a recipient site, where follicular unit grafts are placed according to an aesthetic plan, which is originally designed by a physician and then programmed into the robot.

Two main advantages of Artas

Graft harvesting

A successful FUE graft carried out manually at the hand of a physician requires extreme precision and little margin of error. Imagine a doctor first selecting each follicular unit, estimating the angle of the hair, centering the extraction tool over the unit then cutting the skin around the follicles at the correct angle and depth. In order to achieve a great look, this sequence of tasks would require hundreds or thousands of rounds of repetition. 

The smallest deviation in position with a hand-held instrument could result in damage, otherwise known as transection, to a follicular unit. Since the growth center of a strand of hair lies within the base of the follicle, the entire follicle must be removed intact or it will be of little value in the transplant. Extracting thousands of grafts over multiple hours with the precision required to minimize transection would be physically and mentally taxing even for the most highly skilled surgeon.

The optical guidance system of the robot locates each follicular unit for extraction, positions its arm and then places the punch tool at the correct angle. Its punch tool scores the skin then penetrates deeper into the tissue at the optimal depth to ensure that no damage occurs. It repeats this process with microscopic precision for as long as necessary. A graft selection algorithm further enhances harvesting efficiency by increasing the number of hairs extracted per attempted harvest.

Recipient Site Creation

Manual recipient site creation requires the surgeon to create hundreds or thousands of sites in the scalp where follicular units are placed. These sites are crucial in determining the aesthetics of the transplant because they determine how the transplanted hair will grow. They must be created with a specific distribution and spacing and with the appropriate depth because this will allow the hair to grow at the correct angle and direction. The pattern created by the surgeon must be natural and integrated with existing hairs. Every site must be made to exact specifications or else the transplanted follicle might not survive. As with harvesting, it would be physically and mentally taxing to perform such a high-precision task repeatedly for thousands of grafts.

In robotic recipient site creation, the surgeon programs the design plan and other specifications into the ARTAS robot. The computer-driven guidance mechanism then positions the robotic arm and, in a microsecond, the robot locates an area of bald scalp at its specified distance from surrounding follicles then it deploys the cutting tool to create the site at the exact angle and depth programmed by the surgeon. As it proceeds, it calculates the number of recipient sites that it still needs to create in order to achieve the ideal density of transplanted hair. All of this happens at a brisk pace and with three-dimensional accuracy, which allows the ARTAS system to create over 1 000 sites per hour with optimal efficiency and efficacy. 

THE SMARTGRAFT PROCESS

Remember, a graft is not the same as a single hair because one graft may contain multiple strands of hair. The SmartGraft machine works to efficiently relocate as many follicles as possible with optimal spacing and minimal damage to pre-existing hair. Expect that the machine will vacuum up the graft, keep it at 6-7 degrees in the machine and retain the moisture necessary to keep the roots alive.

What incoming patients can expect:

• A pre-op head shaving

• 3 hours of follicle harvesting in the morning

• A lunch break

• 6-7 hours transplantation

• 2 hours rest

• Discharge with a mild sedative

THE ARTAS PROCESS

The patient is first given local anesthesia to the area to be harvested. With the patient seated in the robotic chair, the physician applies a small rectangular device called the tensioner to the back of the scalp. The robotic arm automatically positions itself to the donor area, orienting the punch tool to the scalp and scanning the skin for a follicular unit to extract. Once the robot targets a follicular unit for extraction, it uses a dual punch mechanism that has a sharp inner tool to score the skin and a blunt outer tool for dissecting the graft from the surrounding tissue.

The optical system then scans for the next follicular unit to be removed. The arm repositions, aligns the instrument with the follicles and extracts the next unit. This sequence continues until the robot is finished harvesting from within the area defined by the tensioner.

When harvesting from the area is complete, technicians manually remove the grafts from the scalp and the tensioner is moved to a virgin area for a new round of harvesting. This continues until a sufficient amount of grafts have been harvested for hairrestoration.

The sequence is similar to robotic recipient site creation except, instead of dissecting follicular units from the skin, it creates recipient sites according to the exact specifications programmed by the surgeon.

HIGHEST QUALITY

We cooperate with top-tier, board-certified surgeons and state-of-the-art clinics. Our clinics provide a friendly and safe environment and follow the European standards of care and operational procedures. 

SMARTGRAFT AFTERCARE

Do not wash your hair for a whole 48 hours after the procedure and wait to fly for at least 72 hours. Plan to arrange your first check-up after two weeks, meanwhile taking precautions to limit sun exposure and pressure on the transplant site. Do not wear any hats or abrasive accessories that can injure the site for a whole month. Refrain from using sunscreen for three months and use ointment that contains minoxidil on the area for optimal protection. 

ARTAS AFTERCARE

A noticeable change will manifest itself rather quickly, with the first new hair starting to regrow within the first three months. The growth process then continues over the course of a year, leaving no scars and little trace of substantial hair loss. Possible complications minor bleeding and inflammation.

Beware of FUE Hair Transplantation Scams

With the promise of medical treatment at lower costs and equivalent care, medical tourism is a growing industry and so patients are therefore susceptible to misinformation or trickery. Do not accidentally agree to poor treatment. Some of the most horrendous cases of hair transplant failures occur in Turkey, for example, in which 90% of cases the procedure is not even performed by a doctor. In some cases they might even claim that a full transplant requires 5,000 to 6,000 grafts, which is for many reasons nonsensical and unrealistic. At our facility, we utilize the most advanced robotic technology and take no more than 2,500 grafts for transplantation.

Differences between FUT, FUE, and SmartGraft

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is an older hair transplant technique where a piece of scalp, approximately 1 cm wide and 10-20 cm long, is removed from the nape of a patient’s head. After the intervention is finished, the surgeon has to stitch the wound and stop the bleeding. The patient has to return to the clinic after two weeks and have the stitches or staples removed. The removed skin is further divided into micro- and macro-grafts which are then moved to the area affected by hair loss. 

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE/DHI) is a more recent hair transplant method. Grafts of approximately 2-3 hairs are collected with a punching tool and dissected under a microscope. Each hair is then submerged in a saline solution and moved to a bald patch. There are two drawbacks to this method, namely, it is slower and damage to the grafts may incur. 

The SmartGraft method is the latest technique, which has taken the FUE procedure as a baseline and only perfected it with robotic technology. It is performed with American SmartGraft technology and does not punch out grafts, therefore, hair follicles will not be damaged by being cut in half. The process is quicker and less invasive than FUT or FUE and the transplanted hair is more likely to set successfully. No need to collect a large number of grafts due to transplantation errors and hair graft counts are automatically tracked. With this technology, unfair sales practices that exist in some Arabic countries are curbed. Both doctors and patients can thus relax with confidence that the hair follicles will be preserved and transferred without human error.

Advantages ARTAS has over alternative FUE methods:

• Increased accuracy of graft harvesting

• Reduced harvesting time

• Increased survival of harvested follicular units

• Minor wound creation in graft harvesting

• Increased accuracy in creating recipient sites

• Protected pre-existing hairs located within the newly created recipient site

What is Alopecia?

Three main types of alopecia areata exist. Patchy alopecia causes patches of hair loss. Alopecia totalis causes total hair loss over the scalp. Then there is alopecia universalis, which causes total hair loss across all regions of the body. Alopecia areata is generally known as an autoimmune condition because the immune system seems to mistakenly attack hair follicles. Treatment and recovery depends on the severity of your alopecia because some people with mild hair loss have actually seen regrowth without any treatment. A severe case with widespread symptoms may lead to steroid injections or topical medications but, keep in mind, there is currently no cure for alopecia. Some other treatments consist of follicle transplantation.

Thinning Hair

Thinning hair is typically caused by a natural byproduct of testosterone that builds up around hair follicles on the scalp, causing it to deteriorate or die off. It is important to note that DHT is found in both women and men and, when caught early enough, your doctor may prescribe DHT blockers to help prevent further thinning and subsequent hair loss. Hair thinning might also be caused by additional factors like stress, chemical exposure from hair products, prescribed medications and certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Excluding these other factors, it may simply be a matter of genetics.

Hair Loss

Hair loss has many different causes, including genetics, state of health, lifestyle and long-term stress. Each one of these factors can play a part in causing, particularly, male pattern baldness. More than 95% cases related to thinning hair in men is attributed to Alopecia. The hair shaft itself begins to get thinner as the scalp loses hair density and, in the case of hair loss, hair has become so thin that they appear white and fluffy. This kind of hair is referred to as vellus and is not always visible to the naked eye. Baldness therefore describes the stage in which hair has thinned so much that most of the hair on the head is now vellus, but even this stage of balding is still treatable.

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

See for yourself in our before and after hair transplantation photos.