Yes. FUE yields the most permanent procedure as it transfers hair from an area that is resistant to hair loss (the occipital area).

It is important to preserve the remaining hair follicles, hence why dermatologists encourage adjunctive medical therapy. This includes compounded lotions & in some cases tablets.

The maximum number of grafts that can be harvested using this technique is around 1,500. In some cases, we can harvest up to 2,150 grafts if the patient’s hair is long enough & the donor zone permits.

For unshaven ARTAS FUE (a relatively new technique) about 800 to 1000 grafts are possible.

With long hair ARTAS FUE, recovery from the donor site is super-fast. In fact, viewing from behind, your hair is normal as long hair covers the donor site from above.

The recovery is focussed on the recipient site. To a degree the recipient site can be hidden if you have long hair. It cannot be hidden if you have very little density. A cap can be worn 36 to 48 hours post.

In most cases the recipient site will have redness & swelling for 2-5 days. Scabs will form & fall out within 8 to 12 days. Gentle shampooing can aid in exfoliation. Transplanted hair will fall out within 2-3 weeks. This is normal. New hair will start to grow at the 3-month mark.

I employ one of two methods to implant extracted hair follicles into the recipient site. ARTAS helps us with creation of the recipient sites, markedly reducing the time taken manually. The only areas I need to prepare are the front hairline & in some cases the crown.

In traditional FUE, including unshaven FUE I use one of two methods to implant hairs. Firstly, with slit incisions with microblades. I use 1 mm blades that are 0.1 mm in thickness to create small incisions. Each incision is followed by manual implantation of the follicular unit.

Fine hair implanters that measure 0.7 to 1.2 mm in diameter are used in some cases. I implant at the follicle at the same time as the incision.

The implantation process takes between 60 to 180 minutes to perform, depending on the extent of hair loss & the number of follicular units transferred.

No. We numb both the donor & recipient area with long-acting local anaesthetic. In most cases we give a mild sedative, however this is optional. 

Post operatively you may be slightly sore for 12 to 24 hours.

Duration of surgery is proportional to the number of grafts. Typically, 3-6 hours. For extensive areas it can take up to 10 hours.

For long sessions, we normally give patients a 10 -20- minute break every 2-3 hours if required. Toilet breaks can easily be timed.

Yes. This is a requirement so that the robot can accurately visualise the hair follicle and angle of approach. My team will shave the sites on the day of the procedure to about 1 mm in length. This is the most common form of transplantation for patients; however, a variation is described below.

A no-shave or unshaven FUE can be employed in some patients. This technique involves either strip shaving 3-5 mm of hair on the day of the procedure or individually cutting select hairs then extracting individual follicular units. For more on this procedure refer to unshaven FUE on this website.

A relatively new technique is ARTAS unshaven FUE, this technique involves shaving only part of the donor area. The disadvantage of this technique is that a limited number of follicles can be harvested.

The unnatural hair plugs of the past used punches that removed 4 to 6 mm of scalp hairs in groups of 6 to 8 follicles. This was the trend from 1955 to the 1980’s. FUE either by manually or with ARTAS, repurposes follicular units (hence the name follicular unit extraction).

A follicular unit consists of between 1 to 4 terminal hairs, a sebaceous gland, the muscle associated with the unit (called the arrector pili muscle) as well as the nerves & blood vessels. Hence transfer replicates these naturally forming follicular units.

I arrange these follicular units into the number of terminal hairs & tell the robot where to re-plant. One hair unit in the frontal hairline, followed by 2 & 3 unit grafts more posterior. It is rare to have 4 unit grafts however these can add density in the midfield.

Male pattern baldness is progressive. This is especially true for younger patients. In some cases, hair loss occurs in the late teens, in others it is delayed until the mid to late 40s. Preservation of remaining hair follicles is paramount. 

Dermatologists prescribe medications to reduce hair fall. A good starting point is minoxidil lotion. You can buy this over the counter at most pharmacies. Choose the 5% strength. If you have skin irritation, the foam (more expensive) is another option. Other options include minoxidil 1 to 2 mg tablets as this may improve your compliance.

From there your dermatologist will give you two options, namely finasteride lotion (often compounded with minoxidil) or finasteride tablets. Finasteride is FDA & TGA approved for slowing down hair loss in males. It works by inhibiting the enzyme 5 alpha reductase which converts testosterone to a more potent form of testosterone known as dihydrotesterone.

*Minoxidil & or finasteride should ideally be taken lifelong to reduce hair fall. Cessation of these medications will result in hair loss back to baseline. Be guided by your dermatologist as to the correct combination for you

These sensible options will reduce your progression of hair loss, & in some cases grow back hair. Most patients will not develop enough density to cover up bald patches or areas of marked thinning. I encourage you to try these steps if you are not ready (either financially, physically, or emotionally) for hair transplantation.

Firstly, DIY or home remedies. Go get some minoxidil for a pharmacy. Choose the 5% lotion & apply once to twice a day. This lotion is the same one prescribed by hair clinics in Australia, but you will be saving lots of money if you buy it from a pharmacy. Secondly, buy some saw palmetto (supplement) from the same pharmacy. This is a controversial supplement, but it does no harm. In the best case, it can work. Got to eBay or Amazon, buy yourself a sensible depth microneedling device. 0.2 to 0.25 mm needles don’t buy deeper needles or you will hurt yourself. Roll weekly. For more detailed information look up DIY home treatments on this site.

If you have trailed DIY solutions or would like to skip that all together, your next step is to see a dermatologist. They will prescribe you one of the following combinations-

1. Topical minoxidil at 5%, most often with compounded finasteride. The optimal concentration will be determined by your physician.
2. Oral minoxidil as an option. This has a higher compliance rate than topicals. Your dermatologist will also give you the option for oral finasteride and/or dutasteride. Multiple combinations are possible, for example topical minoxidil & finasteride with pulsed weekly dutasteride, or oral minoxidil with topical finasteride. The optimal combination depends on many factors including your ability to comply with medications as well as the risk-side effect ratio of medications. This is a conversation you should have with your dermatologist.
3. PRP & Lasers. Most dermatologists will add PRP as adjunctive therapy. This provides growth factors to the scalp, reducing hair loss & encouraging miniaturized hair follicles to re-enter the anagen or growth phase of the hair cycle. PRP injections are conducted as a series of 4 sessions, typically monthly for the first 3 months then at month 6. This is often followed with low level laser therapy & or thulium lasers.
4. Medical microneedling is another sensible option before hair transplantation surgery. This is most often combined with PRP. Dermatologists use needles ranging from 0.8 to 2.5 mm, depending on the thickness of your scalp.

Disclaimer: I am a procedural dermatologist. I do not see medical conditions, namely I do not prescribe. For prescription medications, please see my colleagues @cliniccutis

Book a consultation with either myself or one of our dermatologists. We assess the stage of hair loss you are at. We also will give an accurate guide as to the number of follicular units you will require to achieve your desired hair line.

The cost of ARTAS hair restoration varies depending on the area treated & the number of grafts required. For an accurate quote, book an appointment with one of our dermatologists at Clinic Cutis.

The main advantage of ARTAS is consistency of harvesting grafts & consistency of the recipient site as this is robotically controlled. Once the parameters have been programmed, the process is super-fast. My approach is still a hybrid procedure as I prefer to recreate the frontal hairline with manual FUE. This may change as the AI of ARTAX will develop over the years.