Atlanta hair loss
Conference Introduces Robotic Hair Transplant Surgery
The Griffin Center’s team of Atlanta hair restoration professionals is devoted to providing the most effective hair restoration techniques and hair transplant technology. For that reason, Drs. Edmond Griffin and Ashley Curtis recently traveled to Denver, Colorado to learn about the ARTAS™ system for hair restoration designed by Restoration Robotics, Inc. The ARTAS™ system uses the guidance of computer-assisted imaging to improve hair transplant surgery.
During hair transplant surgery, Dr. Griffin manually takes hair grafts from donor regions. Then he and his team separate the follicular unit grafts containing one to four hairs, and Dr. Griffin places the hairs into tiny incisions in the balding regions. Although this is a timely process, he believes it is worth the hair restoration results they produce.
Dr. Griffin has heard about plenty of machines that are supposed to aid hair transplant surgeons, but until recently he had not seen a technology that really impressed him. Although Dr. Griffin and his team are still researching the ARTAS™ system, they’re impressed by the consistency of its robotic hair transplant results . Used under the direction of a physician, this technology expedites the process of manual follicular unit extraction (FUE) by identifying and even harvesting follicular units. A hair transplant surgeon later implants the follicles into the patient’s bald region(s) as they would during a traditional hair restoration procedure.
Although the Griffin Center does not yet perform ARTAS™ treatments, their research thus far shows promise for facilitating hair transplant surgery without compromising surgical results.
This development on hair restoration technology will give the patient looking into FUEs another option for hair transplantation: follicular unit extractions produced by the Neograft system (which is mechanized with suction), those performed by a doctor using mechanized instruments, and now FUEs produced through the robotic technique. Which technique produces the best, most natural-looking results depends on the accuracy of the surgeon/technician team. This will vary from office to office as the FUE method becomes more popular and adopted by more surgeons. While the current theme in hair restoration seems to be more tedious, more costly and slower, compared to the less expensive, more accurate, more consistent technique offered by the possibility of hair restoration robotics, the overall results will most likely depend on the nuances of the operator as opposed to the robot.
Keep reading our blog and stay tuned to our Facebook to learn more about this hair transplanttechnology and others at the Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research.
If you are experiencing hair loss, contact us today to schedule a consultation so we can help you determine what’s causing your hair loss and direct you in finding an appropriate hair loss treatment.
Have You Seen The Griffin Center in the September/October Issue of The Men’s Book?
The September/October issue of The Men’s Book Atlanta featured an ad for the Griffin Center! Contact us for more information on hair loss therapies and treatments or to schedule your consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Women’s Hair Loss
Q.) I’ve heard of male patterned baldness. Is pattern baldness a hair loss condition that women can develop as well?
A.) Caused by genetic predisposition to the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on the hair follicle, male patterned baldness (MPB) is the most common type of hair loss for men, and yes, women can have hereditary hair loss as well. However, the pattern in female pattern baldness (FPB) differs from MPB due to the fact that the areas of hair loss and rate at which hair is lost differ. The most significant difference between MPB and FPB is that women rarely progress to total baldness whereas men do frequently. Under the microscope, a biopsy of an MPB sample is indistinguishable from FPB.
Q.) What causes a woman’s hair to fall out?
A.) There are numerous possible causes of women’s hair loss as you can read in our previous blog series on women’s hair loss. By far the most common cause of hair loss in women is female patterned baldness. Other causes of hair loss in women include hormonal changes (e.g. menopause, birth control, and thyroid conditions), childbirth, surgery, chemotherapy, stress, ongoing illness, anemia, rapid weight loss, and certain medications.
Q.) How is the type of women’s hair loss determined?
A.) The first step in determining the cause of hair loss is finding the right doctor. With experience treating conditions of the skin, hair, and nails, a dermatologist is a good place to start. Dedicating his life to researching hair loss and hair restoration, Dr. Edmond Griffin can usually determine the cause of hair loss after a thorough consultation with examination of the scalp. Dermatology Associates of Atlanta’s Dr. Ashley R. Curtis specializes in women’s hair loss specifically, and works with Dr. Griffin to effectively diagnosis and treat female hair loss patients. Many clues become obvious to their experienced eyes. Occasionally, additional tests like a skin biopsy may be needed to make an accurate diagnosis. Part 2 of our women’s hair loss series highlights the components of tests that determine hair loss.
Q.) Can women undergo hair restoration surgery?
A.) As long as there is an adequate donor region from which follicular grafts can be harvested, women can benefit from hair restoration surgery. Women experiencing androgenetic alopecia or hair loss caused by scars from accidents, burns or cosmetic procedures often make good candidates for hair transplant surgery as long as they have an ample donor region.
Q.) Is there any way to prevent women’s hair loss?
A.) Yes, although there are many hair loss medications on the market that promise to prevent further loss and regrow hair, oral Propecia® (finasteride) and topical Rogaine® (minoxidil) are the two main proven hair loss prevention medications. Women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should not take or even handle oral Propecia®, but may use topical custom prescriptions. In Dr. Griffin’s experience, 80-90% of those patients who combine both topical and oral medications see a halt in hair loss with 25% showing substantial hair regrowth. Your hair loss specialist my also suggest certain shampoos, vitamins, or the use of anti-androgens such as Flutamide, Spironalactone, estrogens or birth control pills to prevent further loss.
If you are interested in hair restoration options or are looking for your hair loss cause, take a look at our website or schedule a consultation today. Be sure to find the Griffin Center on Facebook.
Part 2 Causes of Hair-loss: Repeated Pulling Leading to Childrens Hair Loss
In our previous blog post detailing the causes of hair-loss we discussed the role of genetics and its contribution to the development of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Often, for children who exhibit hair-loss, the causes might not be as simple as genetics. For a small percentage of children ages 6-12 (mostly tween-age) a behavioral condition known as trichotillomania may be to blame for areas of hair-loss.
Most commonly referred to as “hair-pulling disorder,” or sometimes “trich,” this ailment is driven by a compulsion that causes children and adolescents to pull strands of hair from their scalp and occasionally their eyebrows and even body. The condition often begins with children wanting to continually twist their hair and place it in their mouth. While the condition has been greatly dramatized for plot development on episodes of FX’s Nip Tuck and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, if the neurosis continues, the child may begin to pluck the strands of hair and leave balding or stubbly areas of hair with differing thicknesses across the scalp. This is different from the perfectly rounded, completely bald circles caused by the genetically linked alopecia areata.
Physicians see a majority of trich patients recover fully from the condition and re-grow their missing hair completely, with no need for medicine or surgery, by ceasing the pulling behavior. However, Dr. Edmond Griffin of The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research warns that patients, especially children, must be properly diagnosed before any hair restoration treatment is approached. It’s important to note that hair-restoration therapy to remedy the effects of this type of behavior are only viable options for patients who have completely stopped the repeated action of pulling for at least 1 year.
To learn more about stress related hair loss in men, women, or children and the non-surgical hair-restoration options contact our office, visit our website, or subscribe to our blog.
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