Hair Transplant in Syracuse & Rochester, NY

More than half of men will experience some degree of hair loss by the age of 40. Some men will experience hereditary hair loss as early as in their late teens. The onset, pattern, and extent of the hair loss depend largely on their hereditary traits. While there are numerous causes for hair loss in men, the most common cause of hair loss in men is the hereditary male pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia. This type of hair loss presents with a characteristic pattern of hair loss typically involving the front and the top of the scalp. Gradually the baldness at the front (frontal and frontotemporal recession) and the top (vertex) of the scalp will progress until a band at the back of the head is the only hair remaining. This characteristic hair loss pattern is caused by a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a naturally occurring by-product of testosterone, and while it has important function particularly during the male fetal development, one of its “side-effect” is its deleterious effect on scalp hair follicles in adults. We know that the hair follicles affected by DHT are found at the front and top of the scalp, while the back of the head is largely resistant to DHT-mediated hair loss.

https://video.wcny.org/video/hair-loss-and-solutions-kyvxst/

Our practice has incorporated the NeoGraft® technology which is a minimally invasive, machine-assisted hair restoration procedure. We were the first practice in the Syracuse, New York area to provide this technology. The NeoGraft® system allows a safer, effective, and more efficient way to perform follicular unit extraction.

Preparation of the donor site

The first step in the NeoGraft® hair transplantation procedure is trimming of the hair at the donor site (back of the head). The size of the hair transplantation and the hair density at the donor site will determine the surface area we need to prepare and trim. If the patient has at least 2 inches in length of hair, we can trim the donor site such that the surrounding hair can drape back and camouflage the shaved scalp. Since hair loss is a life-long process, it is critical for the surgeon to anticipate the future pattern of hair loss, and determine a treatment plan that will allow a patient to look natural long after the surgery is finished. But the patients should also recognize that since hair loss is an ongoing process, they may consider another hair transplantation session down the road.

What is involved in hair transplantation - Anesthesia for the procedure

Hair transplantation surgery is performed under local anesthesia with mild oral sedative. This means that the patient is not put to deep sleep and does not need a breathing tube during the procedure. While only mild sedation may be necessary, all hair transplantation surgeries are performed under strict protocol and monitoring to ensure safety at our AAAHC-certified office-based surgery facility. When harvesting the donor hair with the NeoGraft® system, the hair follicular unit is extracted individually. The motorized micro punch device allows safe and precise extraction of the hair follicle with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissue. These grafts are then suctioned into a collection chamber where it is kept moist with saline.

Recipient Site Creation

This is perhaps the most important step of the surgery. The surgeon designs and creates an individual site where the hair grafts will be placed in. The surgeon must consider the angles, direction, pattern, and patient’s goal when designing and creating a natural appearing hairline and the density. Finely modified hypodermic syringes are utilized to create the sites where hair grafts will be placed.

Hair Graft Placement

The prepared follicular unit grafts are gently inserted into the recipient sites. This is the most time-consuming part of the procedure. Throughout the procedure, while the patient is comfortable, he/she is not under deep sedation. Frequently, we will pause as needed to allow the patient to go to the bathroom or have a small snack.

At the End of the Day

At the end of the day, the patient's head will be wrapped in a dressing. Patients may bring loosely fitting hair gear or a scarf to wear over the head dressing as long as it does not touch the area where grafts were placed. Because the patients were under mild sedative during the procedure, they cannot drive home on their own. Most procedures typically take the morning and part of the afternoon and patients will be discharged either home or to the hotel via shuttle (our office can arrange the hotel stay at a special rate). Patients will return to our office the following morning for removal of the dressing, and we will review the post-operative instruction together.