Are you growing concerned about hair loss? It can be devastating to watch those thinning patches increase in size day after day while you feel helpless to stop it.
SmartGraft® is a new hair-transplant option that produces natural results after just one minimally invasive session. This time next year, you could be watching your hair thicken and improve day after day, feeling excited and confident about your new look!
About the SmartGraft Hair Transplant Method
SmartGraft is an innovative, award-winning method of hair restoration that represents an exciting breakthrough for both men and women who have suffered hair loss. The SmartGraft procedure uses micro-transplants of your own hair to restore thinning spots and encourage new hair growth. There’s less downtime than with other graft methods, and it produces natural-looking, permanent results.
How SmartGraft Works
SmartGraft is an FUE hair transplant method. FUE stands for “follicular unit extraction,” a method by which groups of one to four hair follicles are isolated and harvested. For most clients, the follicular units are removed from the back of the head, as this region is usually resistant to hair loss. The groups of follicular units are called micro-grafts. After harvesting, they are stored in a controlled environment within the SmartGraft device until your surgeon is ready to implant them. With the right placement of the micro-grafts, the end result looks like natural, healthy hair growth. And because micro-grafts are used, there is no noticeable linear scarring. SmartGraft hair restoration causes only minimal scarring, and recovery is quick, with little discomfort.
What Is It Like to Have the SmartGraft Procedure?
The Consultation
Having a SmartGraft FUE hair transplant involves at least two visits to a plastic surgeon. The first visit is a consultation, where you’ll chat with the surgeon about your medical history and your hair and scalp health. Then the surgeon will examine your scalp to determine if you’re a good SmartGraft candidate. You’ll discuss what results you can expect and other specifics about the procedure. You’ll also get some instruction about how to prepare for the procedure. It’s a good idea to wear comfortable clothes and bring music or something else to listen to during the procedure. It takes around five hours, so this procedure typically starts in the morning. It’s also best to arrange for someone to bring you home afterwards. You may have a mild sedative to help you relax during your SmartGraft, and if that’s the case, you’ll be unable to drive.
The Day of the Procedure
On the day of the SmartGraft you’ll have another chat with your plastic surgeon about the procedure to make sure you understand everything that’s about to happen.
Step 1: Donor and implant areas are prepped – For the donor site(s), this means shaving the hair. It doesn’t need to be shaved completely, but the hair does need to be fairly short to make it easier to manipulate the micro-grafts.
Step 2: The implant areas are numbed with local anesthetic.
Step 3: The SmartGraft device is used to remove micro-grafts from the donor site(s).
Step 4: The implantation sites are numbed with local anesthetic.
Step 5: Tiny openings are made in the implantation sites – These are for the micro-grafts.
Step 6: The micro-grafts are placed one-by-one into the openings.Depending on the number of grafts needed, the procedure takes up to 5 hours.
After the Procedure
You’ll get full instructions on how to care for your scalp and hair in the weeks after your SmartGraft. This might include recommendations for shampoo products and hair-washing methods. Most people can get back to work the day after SmartGraft. It’s usually okay to resume a normal level of activity within a few days. Nobody will notice anything different about your appearance until your hair starts to grow thicker and fuller.
When Do Results Appear?
It takes around three months to notice any changes from the SmartGraft hair transplantation method. By this time, you’ll start to see the first new hair growth. By the six-month-mark, you’ll see a noticeable improvement in fullness in the transplantation sites. At 12 to 14 months, you’ll see the full results of your SmartGraft.
Who Is a Good Candidate for SmartGraft?
Most people who have suffered hair loss are good candidates for SmartGraft FUE. This method is suitable for people with male pattern baldness, female pattern hair loss, and alopecia areata. The best way to find out if SmartGraft is right for you is to make an appointment for a consultation. In general, SmartGraft is the ideal option if:
- You want a natural-looking, permanent solution to your hair loss problem.
- You prefer a very short haircut – Since SmartGraft causes very little scarring, it’s the best option for people who want to wear their hair short.
- You want the fastest possible recovery time after your hair transplantation procedure.
- You’ve had a prior strip-harvesting procedure and want to camouflage the scarring – Using the SmartGraft method, people have even had successful scar-camouflage procedures using follicular units taken from their beard area.
How Does SmartGraft Compare to Other Surgical Transplant Methods?
The alternative option for surgical hair transplant is follicular unit transplantation, or FUT. This method is also called strip harvesting. In FUT, a strip of skin is removed from the back of your scalp. These strips can be up to half an inch by 12 inches in size. Once the strip is removed, the incision is closed with stitches or staples. Next, the strips are separated into individual follicular grafts. The scalp is then prepared to receive the grafts, and finally the grafts are implanted.
Is SmartGraft better than FUT?
The main difference between FUT and SmartGraft is that SmartGraft doesn’t require the removal of large strips of scalp. Instead, your plastic surgeon will remove individual follicular units from the scalp. Because of the way strip harvesting works, it leaves linear scars that may not be easy to hide. A certain length of hair is needed to properly hide these scars. If you prefer a very short hair style, you’ll find that SmartGraft is the better option, as it doesn’t leave noticeable scarring. Another result of the FUT method is a longer recovery time. Since this method removes relatively large strips of tissue, it takes around two weeks for the area to completely recover.
Why Choose SmartGraft to Restore Your Hair?
Innovative Closed Harvesting System
One thing that separates SmartGraft FUE from other hair transplant methods is that it uses a closed harvesting system. Unlike with other methods, follicular units are harvested directly from your and then implanted into the donor site. Between harvesting and implantation, the follicular units are stored safely in the SmartGraft device, in a hydrated, temperature-controlled environment. This storage method helps the micro-grafts stay viable to retain their growth potential after implantation.
More Donor Site Options
A big benefit of SmartGraft is that follicular units can be removed from other parts of your body to implant in your scalp. If more hair is needed, micro-grafts can be harvested from the:
- Face
- Back
- Chest
Less Invasive Procedure with Little Downtime
The technology that SmartGraft uses to restore thinning hair is less intrusive and less invasive than other FUE hair transplant methods. This means SmartGraft has some important benefits over alternatives, such as the strip method. These benefits include:
- A natural-looking result – Your own hair is used to fill in areas of hair loss, which helps ensure that your results look natural and healthy.
- Minimal scarring – SmartGraft uses individual micro-grafts to restore hair to thinning areas. This means there are no large, linear scars, and overall scarring is minimal.
- Only one procedure needed – The SmartGraft procedure takes just one five-hour session, performed in your plastic surgeon’s office.
- Little downtime – Recovery time is minimal. You’re back to washing your hair again in just a few days.
Results in as Few as Three Months!
Most importantly for many people who have suffered hair loss, SmartGraft produces great results. It doesn’t take long to see improvements in hair thickness. Full hair growth is typically achieved in 12 to 14 months.
Are There Downsides to SmartGraft?
In most respects, SmartGraft is superior to the FUT strip harvesting method. SmartGraft is less invasive, causes less discomfort, and has a quicker recovery time with less scarring. One of the few downsides to SmartGraft is that the section of scalp that will serve as the donor site must be shaved. Depending on the length of your hair, it might be difficult to conceal this area afterwards. If necessary, the donor site can be separated into smaller sections. This makes the shaved areas less noticeable, as it can be covered by surrounding hair.
Find Out If SmartGraft Could Work for You
Are you a good candidate for SmartGraft? If you want to find out how this hair restoration procedure could improve your look, call today to make an appointment with Dr. Ver Halen.
This could be your first step to getting back the thick, full hair you used to have!
