A Simple Guide To Choosing Hair Transplant Procedures

Posted by BettyK on December 15th, 2020

Have you been searching for ways to treat your thinning scalp and reverse the signs of hair loss?

More than 50% of adults will suffer from alopecia or some type of hair loss in their lifetime, with the most common type being androgenetic alopecia–or pattern hair loss.

One of the main reasons for hair loss is due to the male hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which leads to progressive hair loss following a specific “pattern” of hair thinning, whereby the shafts of the hair gradually undergo miniaturization.

Thankfully, those who are experiencing a loss of self-esteem and are embarrassed about their sparse hairline can now turn to a plethora of treatments to regain their confidence.

Such treatments include popular topical solutions such as Minoxidil (Rogaine), as well as oral medications such as Finasteride (Propecia). The problem is: despite the effectiveness of these treatments, they often come with undesirable side effects such as skin irritation and a decrease in libido.

Also, patients need to continue using Minoxidil and Finasteride to maintain their results over the long run—a major inconvenience and disadvantage for patients who do not wish to be dependent on medication.

An equally effective and permanent solution that more and more patients are considering is a hair transplant, with the two most common techniques being the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) hair transplant.

Both these techniques work to restore the hairline by extracting hair follicles from specific areas on the scalp and transplanting them into the areas which are experiencing hair loss.

At our clinic, our doctors prefer using the FUE hair transplant over the older FUT strip method due to less scalp scarring, less patient discomfort and faster recovery and wound healing. In fact, FUE is now considered to be the gold standard for hair transplant surgery and works well for those facing male or female pattern hair loss.

The main problem with FUE hair transplants; however, is that it is a highly manual procedure which can be extremely repetitive and labour-intensive for the doctor.

A typical hair transplant session require 4-8 intense hours of extracting individual follicles which can increase the chances of human error and decrease the quality of hair follicles due to fatigue over time—which is the main reason for introducing robotic hair transplantations.

Introducing the ARTAS robotic hair transplant

By far the most advanced hair transplant option available today, the ARTAS robotic hair transplant has been FDA-approved and incorporates the FUE hair transplant technique to improve hair growth results and perfect the FUE technique.

Essentially, the robot automates two critical steps in hair transplant surgery: the creation of the recipient site and the harvesting of the follicular units; choosing only the best ones to be harvested and precisely calculating features such as angle, orientation, distribution, density, and direction.

All thanks to 3D mapping, advanced digital imaging, intelligent algorithms and a robotic arm, doctors can now increase the precision and accuracy of the procedure, all while minimizing the risk of over-harvesting and fatigue.

Traditionally, visualization of the treatment area is limited strictly to what can be seen with the help of magnification glasses. With ARTAS, the doctor is able to select the density amount desired and use the device to map out the desired donor area and also predict hair angles and depth, as well as track the spacing and distribution between each extracted follicle to ensure the most natural-looking results.

The biggest advantage of ARTAS is in its accuracy, consistency and predictability—allowing doctors to focus on the aesthetics aspect of the surgery. It also reduces treatment time by up to 50%, and allows minimal graft wounding to lower transection rates which are vital in achieving optimal results! 

Should you go manual or robotic?

Put simply, the ARTAS is more like a good-to-have tool that supplements a competent doctor’s ability to provide excellent results, especially when a large yield is needed.

There are certain disadvantages that ARTAS has, such as its inability to create recipient sites in the hairline or the crown, or it not being suitable for those with lighter or curly hair.

Hair loss caused by medication, stress or medical treatment also cannot be addressed by the ARTAS system, and in the case of manual techniques, any problems and feedback detected by the doctor can also be easily adjusted on the spot as compared to having to deal with a robot.

Manual techniques also do not necessarily lose in terms of speed and graft survival—under the hands of an experienced doctor, it is still possible to achieve a survival rate of up to 97%!

In addition, the hair loss treatment price of ARTAS is also higher than manual FUE—ARTAS hair transplants can go as high as - per graft as compared to - for manual FUE procedures. At this point, the advantages that you might get from ARTAS has not reached the point where it supersedes the surgeon’s hand.

Ultimately, nothing beats an experienced doctor with a steady hand and a competent team of technicians to pull off a successful hair transplant—both surgeries comes with its own set of pros and cons, and the right option for you depends on your desired results and preferences!

Hair transplants

We aim is to offer the most advanced and innovative hair restoration techniques to our patients.

Our doctors are trained to use both manual and robotic techniques to perfectly combine artistry and technology and provide the best results for you!

If you are not suitable for a hair transplant, our clinic also offers another minimally-invasive and non-surgical treatment called Regenera Activa—a hair growth treatment that relies on capillary regeneration technology by injecting regenerative cells taken from your healthy scalp to parts when hair loss is present.

The treatment takes just 30-45 minutes to complete, and only one session of Regenera Activa is needed to see results—all without the side effects and downtime associated with surgery!

This is the ideal treatment that bridges the gap between medication and surgery, and can also be combined with manual FUE or ARTAS for synergistic results.

We also offer topical hair sprays, oral medications and laser therapy to slow down and combat early hair loss. Your hair loss treatment should ultimately be tailored based on your age, degree of hair loss, donor site density and elasticity, hair texture and calibre, skin tone, and expectations.

We are able to achieve the following advantages for patients undergoing a hair transplant in Singapore:

• Micro-tips: thin micro-tips of 0.7-0.9mm allow the hair to be removed as it is without damaging its roots and preserve its natural structure.
• Bio-solution: our doctors carefully select the most advanced biotechnology solution to improve graft survival rates.
• Unshaven-FUE: our doctors give patients the option not to shave their head during surgery.
• Dense packing: we offer “dense packing”, a thickening technique to create a natural frontal hair line and greater density coverage.
• Mega-session: our doctors and trained team of technicians are experienced in performing mega-sessions with great success.
• Body hair: we offer the option for patients to transplant body hair into their scalp, especially in the case where the patient has a poor donor scalp supply.
• Technology: we are the first doctors in Singapore to offer ARTAS  and have built on that experience to bring more reliable and consistently beautiful outcomes to you!

Do not simply be persuaded by the most “advanced” techniques and the latest “marketing hype” and instead invest in a good doctor and team—restore your hair’s vitality by booking your hair transplant in Singapore with us today!

FAQ

• What is the ARTAS procedure like?

Our ARTAS robotic hair transplant follows 5 key steps:

Stage 1: Design phase

Stage 2: Local anaesthesia

Stage 3: Harvesting from the donor area

Stage 4: Hair grafts transplanted

Stage 5: Results

Side effects include slight swelling and redness over the area, as well as scarring, infection and bleeding that is considered to be rare.

The majority of patients can see hair growth as soon as 3 months after the surgery, where it will continue to grow for the next year, and patients should see the most hair growth results anywhere from 6-9 months post-surgery with an 80% improvement in hair density.

• Why does my implanted hair fall out?

During the first week after your procedure, patients might notice their implanted hairs falling out; however, there is nothing to worry about and this is completely normal and temporary.

This is the natural process of transplanted hair grafts due to the follicles being traumatized by their relocation. Not to worry, you should notice a 10% hair growth in the succeeding 3-4 months until it achieves full coverage.

• Will anyone notice that I had a hair transplant?

The ARTAS procedure results in a subtle appearance instead of a drastic change.

Thanks to the digital calculations made by the system that targets follicular units in a random fashion, this creates a natural-looking appearance! Also, you won’t be required to shave your head before the procedure which is another advantage of the ARTAS system!

• How much does it cost?

The price of the ARTAS hair transplant in Singapore can cost you up to ,000 for 1,000 hair grafts. Our doctors will advise you further on how many hair grafts you will need during your consultation and also provide a breakdown of the final cost.

• Will I still need to use Minoxidil and Finasteride?

Both Minoxidil and Finasteride can be used as a complementary treatment and is highly recommended to enhance the results of your hair transplant.

Although your hair transplant results are permanent, they can help prevent the loss of existing hair, increase hair density and boost hair re-growth!

• Is ARTAS a scarless procedure?

The ARTAS system leaves very minimal scarring to the donor area, allowing you to confidently wear your hair in multiple styles include short lengths!

Any scarring is minimal and virtually undetectable–no need to worry about linear scars that is commonly seen with the traditional FUT strip method.