More help for hair restoration is on the way.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Restoration Robotics’ ARTAS hair-follicle harvesting system for treating male-pattern hair loss.
In a statement released by the medical device company, the ARTAS System is described as a “physician-controlled, state-of-the-art, interactive, computer-assisted system that enables harvesting of hair follicles during hair restoration procedures. It combines several features including an image-guided robotic arm, special imaging technologies, small dermal punches, and a computer interface.”
The device is used with Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), a hair replacement technique that transplants hair follicles from fuller areas of the scalp to thinning areas. This is a preferred technique because stitches aren’t needed and minimal scarring occurs, according to experts.
“Many patients are seeking less invasive alternatives to the current hair restoration techniques,” Dr. Miguel Canales, Restoration Robotics medical director, said in the company statement. “There is growing interest in FUE because of its many patient benefits, such as less discomfort and a quicker return to normal activities.”
Hair restoration procedures are done in an office setting. Their goal is for implanted hairs to develop their own blood supply and grow on their own.
The ARTAS System is available for use with black or brown straight hair, the company said.
About one in four men experience male-pattern baldness, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, with 50 percent of men having what the group calls “some degree of appreciable” hair loss by age 50.
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