Health: High-Tech Hair Treatment

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Hair loss is a problem for millions of people, and now there’s a new kind of transplant that uses cutting-edge technology. It’s a high-tech way to do hair transplants with a robot.

It’s called Artas. A 3-D microscopic camera feeds images into a computer that analyzes and maps hairs on the back of the head and removes them with delicate precision. The individual follicles are then transplanted.

The robot gives the advantage of very accurately extracting those follicles, potentially helping provide a natural-looking final result.

With traditional hair transplants, there can be scarring, and follicles can sometimes be damaged. Artas is designed to minimize these concerns through precise follicle extraction.

Forty-two-year-old Chris Dixon had a robotic hair transplant about five months ago. “I like it, I like it a lot,” Chris says.

Chris says his thinning hair made him look older than he felt and was especially noticeable after water sports. He decided to try the robotic hair transplant because he wears his hair short and didn’t want something unnatural looking or scars. He says, “This is what my hair should look like.”

So is it painful? The procedure is performed with local anesthesia. While the treatment may involve some discomfort, it is generally well tolerated.

Chris says the first numbing injections were uncomfortable. The procedure takes most of the day and there’s a week-long recovery. It will take about a year for Chris to see his new hairline.

Another therapy that can be used with hair transplants is P.R.P., or platelet-rich plasma. With this treatment, a few vials of blood are taken from the patient and separated in a centrifuge. The platelets are then injected into the scalp.

These platelets contain growth factors that are released into the scalp. These growth factors are involved in wound healing and may also help stimulate follicular growth. The goal is to maximize the results of hair restoration treatments.

Plasma therapy can be used alone to stimulate hair growth or in combination with a robotic transplant.

Artas hair transplants can cost up to $10,000 and are not covered by insurance. The robotic hair transplant was initially performed primarily on men, although the technology may also be used for women.