Hair Restoration Blog

Q:

I was told that a spot has opened up for my hair transplant surgery. I told them to slot me in, but now that I’ve jumped into the deep end I’m a bit nervous. My nerves don’t have to do with what it will look like six months or a year from now, but for the weeks following the surgery.
I need to take the next day to really meditate on this. Although my hair loss does bother me, it’s not as if I’m noticeably bald. So I’m deciding if this is something that makes sense for me.

A:

It is completely normal to have a touch of nervousness prior to this elective surgery. Since it is an elective procedure, it is common to have questions and/or
reservations. We need to remember that it is simply hair and not some life threatening procedure! Many patients have this reluctance and there is never a clear or definitive answer aside from your intuitive feelings.

Your particular situation is for the enhancement and detailing in order to complement what you already currently have. Your hair loss is probably going to progress in the future but again, it depends on when you want to address the issue.

Having experienced seeing many other patients who had similar feelings before their hair restoration procedure, I think you will very happy you did it!! Either way, I support whatever decision you make. US Hair Restoration is always going to be a resource for you with whatever questions or concerns you have regarding hair loss and the treatment options available.

Meditate  on that assurance and clarity will present itself!

Q:

I have read some good things about your practice and I am willing to travel. I am in need of 1500 to 2000 graphs placed using FUE. Please let me know the price/graft you have available. I have been quoted 4/graph but was not comfortable with the doctor.

PS. A representative at Bosley is saying FUE is not possible at 1500 to 2000 graphs. Is this true? I am not trusting this notion. Thank you

A:

Thank you for your interest in our quality hair restoration services and for taking the necessary time to contact our office regarding your inquiries. Although I cannot personally evaluate your options or offer you recommended graft numbers without reviewing your past and current medical history, I have taken the time to address your questions below.

- You stated that you are in need of 1500-2000 FUE grafts.
Here at US Hair Restoration, the regular cost for FUE hair transplant services is $8.00 per graft.

*If you have a flexible schedule and willingness to book for your procedure within 7-10 days of the hair transplant then you are eligible to take advantage of our standby option which offers a discount on the total cost of your procedure. The current discount percentage fluctuates, so please call our office for more information on the current seasonal rate.

- You stated that you were not comfortable with the previous clinic you consulted. If you are feeling uncomfortable with the last clinic you consulted for a hair transplant, we urge you to continue consulting doctors until you find the perfect fit. Finding the perfect physician for you will likely not happen over night, but the research to achieve your best possible results is well worth the wait.

- As for a Bosley representative saying that 1500-2000 FUE grafts is not possible, I would not necessarily agree. To be sure, you would need to be evaluated in a consultation for other restricting conditions. Because FUE procedures are so meticulous and time consuming, many doctors do not want to plan for over 1500 FUE grafts to be transplanted in one day. This is not to say that it is impossible to transplant more than 1500 FUE grafts in one day, but 1500 transplanted grafts of FUE will typically take about 8 -12 hours of work for the doctor and technicians. We do not like to push our patients, or surgical team to the limit, so if any patient is wanting more than 1500 FUE grafts we elect to break up the surgery between two or more days of work (up to 1500 FUE grafts per surgery day).

If you would like to schedule a free consultation so that we can discuss your options and graft number recommendations, submit an online consultation form through the main US Hair Restoration website and one of our patient coordinators will respond when they have a free moment. Thank you for your inquiries.

Why FUE?

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) also known as FUE transplant is another version of Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT).  It is a newer method of harvesting follicular units that eliminates the appearance of a linear scar and it is much more comfortable during the post op period of a hair transplant surgery.  Although FUE transplantation may be the answer for many hair loss patients who do not want any scaring on their donor area, it is not the answer for everyone.

Who can use FUE?

The number of available grafts in FUT transplants can be limited.  So, candidates who require a large number of grafts in one session and traditionally may have needed several sessions of (FUT) hair transplantation are now able to acheive the same number of needed grafts through traditional methods of FUE. In order to be approved as a candidate for a FUE hair transplant procedure, one must attend a complimentary in-office consultation with Dr. Parsa Mohebi and have the FOX test performed to show eligibility.  

Automated FUE

The good news is that the efficiency of FUE transplants have increased as newer automated techniques are developed, thus allowing hair transplant surgeons to remove follicular units faster than what was possible in the past.  US Hair Restoration is a center located in Southern California and known for its ability to perform quality FUE procedures in its Encino, Beverly Hills and Orange County offices.  We at US Hair Restoration have added automated FUE methods to our armamentarium of hair restoration techniques.  Automated hair restoration surgery with FUE techniques has increased the number of hair grafts able to be harvested from the donor area and transplanted within one day.

Additionally, we are also offering special promotions for candidates who are interested in participating in our ongoing FUE study that is designed to compare different methods of FUE procedures both qualitatively and quantitatively.  Please do not hesitate to contact US Hair Restoration’s office at 1-888-302-8747 anytime for more information.

FUE Transplant Discount

Previously, we announced that US Hair Restoration, as a leader in hair restoration, is launching a new research to compare different methods of hair restoration with FUE method (between May and July of 2010).  The study is conducted on certain days by Dr. Mohebi and the volunteers who are qualified for participation in the research can receive a discount off the cost of their FUE transplant procedure.

Are You a Candidate?

This discounted rate of the FUE cost does not apply to any of our other hair transplant procedures.  Applicants can call  1 (800) 302-8747  to schedule a consultation with Dr. Mohebi in order to determine their eligibility for a FUE procedure.  If you are unsure whether or not FUE is the right procedure for you, then before your consultation, please read about FUE surgery in our website.  You can also read several posts on Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) including FUE transplant vs. strip surgery in The Hair Restoration Blog.

Methods of FUE

In this study, all FUE procedures will be performed by Dr. Mohebi himself. All stages of FUE transplantation follow our standard procedures and the only difference is going to be the technique of harvesting hair follicular units.  We will use two main techniques for extracting the follicular unit grafts including manual and automated methods.  For the automated method, we will use either the NeoGraft machine or Harris’ Safe System.  The patient cannot choose the system that we will use. The volunteers will be randomly selected for one of the above FUE methods.

The above described techniques are among the well-known effective methods of performing FUE transplant surgeries.  We hope that by performing this study, we will be able to elucidate the pros and cons of each currently used method and be able to introduce a preferred method of Follicular Unit Extraction to the field of surgical hair restoration today.  The results of this study will be released on our website and in future medical literature.

Not long ago, I was invited to attend the Orlando Hair Transplant Workshop as a faculty member.  This workshop is sponsored by the International Society of Hair Restoration, held once a year, and is geared toward not only bringing together many prominent hair transplant doctors from all over the world, but also to teach the new techniques of hair restoration surgery to the new comers in the field.  My lecture and workshop sessions were focused on Donor closure techniques.

FUE procedure comparison

Among the different panels, one of the better lecures was on Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) in which different techniques of FUE transplants where compared to eachother. In the last few years, we have had more advanced automated devices for performing FUE procedures surface, causing the cost of FUE procedures to decline as the new methods are exposed. Because the advance of devices used to perform the procedures has allowed FUE procedures to become more efficient, physicians are thus now able to lower the FUE pricing to patients, making it a win-win situation for patients and doctors alike.

In one panel, the comparison of different FUE procedures including manual FUE transplant and automated FUE procedure with at least two different devices was explained.  Both Dr. Harris and Dr. Bauman have done FUE procedures in live surgery workshops with automated Follicular Unit Extraction methods (Safe system vs. NeoGraft) .

It is interesting and riviting to see that any new small invention in the field of hair transplantation can improve an entire aspect of the procedure.  The most eagerly asked or wondered about question though, is which invention will become the perfect solution for hair loss patients who search the world for a better solution.

US Hair Restoration FUE Procedures

US Hair Restoration is known for offering quality FUE transplants in its Los Angeles and Beverly Hills hair transplant offices along with its other offices in Southern California.  These FUE procedures are being offered to patients for treatment of different patterned baldness or FUE scar repair procedures. The hope is that the use of new Follicular Unit Extraction methods could help to improve overall FUE results.  By the same token, and to even further optimize the FUE methods, we have designed a study to compare the best FUE procedures done by prominent FUE doctors throughout the world.  We will be comparing the best FUE methods in a clinical setting side by side (All procedures performed by Dr. Mohebi himself) to minimize the selection bias.  The results will be presented in scientific meetings, published in medical journals and will also be posted in our website to review.

FUE Transplant Research

In order to proceed with this study, US Hair Restoration is offering a few exclusive spots with significant discounts. This discount will only be available to the participants of the study, who may have one or a variety of FUE techniques used for the purpose of the research.  This FUE study will not affect any of the stages of FUE surgery. The only variable that will be affected by the use of different FUE techniques is the method of extraction of the follicular units, all techniques of which are known as superior in the hair transplantation field.