Seattle Hair Transplantation Clinic
Hair loss, or alopecia, affects many men and women. Hair loss can lower one’s self esteem and even result in depression and anxiety. For many people, their hairstyle helps define who they are. Men often associate a full head of hair with youth and vitality. Many women associate their hair with their own beauty and sexuality.
Thinning hair is associated with an aged appearance. Our society values a youthful and healthy appearance. Restoration of a youthful hairline and hair density with hair transplantation surgery is a step towards a more youthful appearance for both men and women.
As people age, the rate of hair growth slows. With age comes a natural thinning of the hair. Additionally, androgenic alopecia can affect men and women as well. This genetic condition predisposes men to have male pattern baldness usually beginning in the 20s. The hairline along the front and temple regions recedes. Hair progressively thin along the crown of the scalp (vertex) as well. Generalized thinning also occurs in these areas, which makes the scalp skin more visible. Women who are affected will usually begin losing their hair in their 40s or later, and they usually experience a more general thinning of the hair.
You don’t have to accept hair loss as your fate in life. Something can be done to restore a youthful, fuller head of hair. At Sound Plastic Surgery, we offer medical and surgical hair restoration using the most advanced techniques available.
Hair Transplantation is Plastic Surgery
Our board certified plastic surgeons endeavor to restore hair density and appearance as maximally as possible for our patients. With our ‘awake’ technique, patients are back to work and exercise quickly with minimal downtime.
Our plastic surgeons are board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This certification is the gold standard for surgeons in cosmetic surgery of the head, face, breast, and body.
Which Hair Transplantation Technique does Sound Plastic Surgery use?
Hair transplantation at Sound Plastic Surgery is performed with the revolutionary NeoGraft follicular unit extraction (FUE) device. This device maximizes our efficiency in restoring the balding scalp in a single session. The NeoGraft procedure avoids the old-fashioned linear scar on the back of the head, which results from the old-fashioned ‘strip’ hair transplant procedure.
How is the NeoGraft hair transplant procedure performed?
In our Seattle clinic, we use the NeoGraft FUE device to maximize the number of hair grafts we can place in a single session. The hair transplantation procedure is performed under local anesthetic in our private office while a patient is awake. At the end of the session, the patient returns home with simple after-care instructions to follow until the next visit.
Steps of the NeoGraft Procedure
1. Meeting with our board certified plastic surgeons to discuss your goals
2. Medical photography of your scalp and analysis of your hair density
3. Design an appropriate hairline and scalp coverage to compliment the face
4. Preparation of the scalp with local anesthesia
5. Extraction of hair follicles using the NeoGraft device from the back of head
6. Placement of hair grafts into the hairline and scalp according to design
7. Simple dressing placement and patient returns home
Repeating the procedure a year later with more FUE hair grafts can add even more density and thickness to a patient’s hair.
What is the ‘down time’ associated with NeoGraft Hair Transplantation?
Most of our patients take a few days off from work after the procedure. Post-operative discomfort associated with the procedure can typically be managed with over-the-counter pain medications. Hair is kept very short in preparation for the procedure and maintained short for a few weeks after the procedure. There are no activity or exercise restrictions after the procedure.
What medical therapy is recommended to delay hair loss?
Part of your treatment plan as a hair transplantation patient will include medical therapy to maintain and prolong your hair density after the transplantation procedure.
The two medical therapies with proven effectiveness in preventing hair loss for patients are minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Propecia).
1. Minoxidil has been shown to regrow and maintain hair density when used twice daily for the vertex of the scalp. It comes in foam and liquid forms, and is not a prescription medication. We offer minoxidil for sale in our clinic. All postoperative hair transplantation patients are placed on long-term, daily minoxidil therapy. There are few side effects of the topical medication – itching being the most common.
2. Finasteride is a prescription-only medication that is now ‘generic.’ When taken daily in appropriate doses, the medication can regrow hair and prolong hair density in most patients. The medication does alter the effects of a testosterone metabolite and can have sexual side effects in a small fraction of patients. We recommend that all hair transplant patients use long-term, daily finasteride.
There are a number of non-medical hair products – shampoo and hair styling products that make thinning hair appear to be thicker. We recommend daily use of these products and will make recommendations post operatively.
Is hair transplantation available for women?
Thinning hair in female patients can be addressed with the NeoGraft technique. Over-plucked or thinning eyebrows can also be reconstructed using specialized hair transplantation techniques.
Interested in learning more about Hair Transplantation Surgery?
Contact Sound Plastic Surgery at 206-729-2248, located conveniently adjacent to the University Village shopping center in Seattle. Our private clinic is specifically designed to meet the needs of patients interested in hair transplantation surgery.