Opinions on the FUE machine – Neograft
While strip hair transplant would necessarily result in a linear scar in the back and side of the head, the Follicular unit extraction (FUE) methods of hair transplantation do not result in a linear scar thus enabling the ability to cut the hair on the back and sides of the head short. There is no linear scars to hide.
FUE is, however, a very labor-intensive technique that relies heavily upon the skill of a physician. Many hair restoration clinics do not use FUE for this reason. To get around this some have rolled out FUE machines that aim to literally brute force the process.
FUE is a group of techniques involving a small round punch that extracts groups of between one and four hairs from areas of your body that are highly resistant to balding. The physician then moves these hairs to the balding areas of your head. In California, the punch cutting involved in FUE is considered a form of surgery. As such, only a licensed physician can perform it. The procedure’s success or failure relies heavily upon respecting the integrity of every graft pulled from your body, from when it is extracted to when it is given a new home on your head. Handling the grafts roughly, air drying the grafts and other shortcuts can compromise the integrity of your donor hair and endanger the success of the procedure.
Neograft is a hair restoration device marketed to those seeking FUE hair transplants. Proponents claim that the machines speed up the highly delicate process of FUE hair restoration. The Neograft hair transplant process works thusly:
- A rotating punch turns through an electromechanical device.
- The punch cuts around your follicles to separate hair from surrounding attachments.
- A vacuum component sucks out the graft by forcing it through a small conduit tube.
- The hair is stored in a solution at the end of the tube.
- A pneumatic air system grafts the donor hair into previously made slits in your balding areas.
Dr. Sanusi Umar, a world-renowned pioneer in the field of FUE hair restoration believes that the Neograft and similar machines would compromise the integrity and survival of the graft. This means that there is a significant chance that the hair restoration procedure will result in poor growth.
Neograft: Problem areas
Dr. Umar has has opined four major problem areas of the neograft system that attempts to find a shortcut to proper follicular unit extraction procedures. These neograft problems include:
- The Air Suction Device. This device transports grafts from the point of extraction to a receptacle. This process poses a threat to the survival of the donor hair. The most common reason for the death of donor hair is air drying. The use of a method that air dries a graft, even for a few seconds, can potentially destroy the graft which should be babied at all points during the FUE hair transplant procedure.
- The Air Suction Method. The air-suction process itself has the potential to strip the graft of important tissue surrounding it. This tissue acts as a protective barrier, insulating the graft from dry air and other traumas. Removing this barrier can compromise the survival of the graft.
- The Hair’s Travel. When the graft goes through the tube it will bang against the walls of the tube several times. This is traumatic to the graft and could potentially destroy it.
- Reimplantation. Any process that uses air to push grafts into balding areas again creates another situation where the hair will be dried or otherwise traumatized. Also grafts implanted without human control could be put in too deep hence causing pitting complications.
Once it has gone through all of this, the graft has really been put through the ringer. The graft has been stripped of protective tissues and coating, knocked around tube walls and air dried. Dr Umar is not aware of any evidence that the hairs extracted by neograft will compare favorably to hairs extracted through other traditional FUE hair restoration methods, but he is aware of reported poor growth.
Drs. William Rassman and Robert Bernstein who coined the term “follicular unit extraction” share Dr. Umar’s assessment of the Neograft machine and procedure.
Choosing the Right FUE Hair Restoration Clinic
Dr. Umar believes that all patients interested in FUE should ask a clinic for at least pictoral and video evidence that demonstrates patient results. Make sure that the images are not of the strip method being passed off as FUE hair transplants.
Dr. Umar counters the claim made by Neograft proponents that it is good for body hair transplantation (BHT) by stating that the evidence for this is thus far nonexistent. Perhaps the worlds foremost body hair transplantation doctor, Dr. Umar boasts an impressive portfolio of BHT results. He believes that the grafts derived from body hair are in fact more delicate than grafts pulled from the head. These grafts would be, in fact, less resistant to the aforementioned traumatic extraction process of Neograft than head donor hair. If a clinic claims to be performing BHT, a patient should ask for proof of results on patients using this procedure. A reputable clinic will have no qualms about providing proof of results.
There are some reports that vendors of FUE machines like Neograft have supplied newer clinics with trainers who are not physicians or personnel licenced to perform surgery. In some cases, these “trainers” have performed FUE in the clinic on an as-needed basis. This is illegal in California and many other states, as FUE is considered surgery and can only be performed by persons licensed to perform surgery. Unlike strip transplantation, every graft extracted through FUE must be punched out separately, one at a time from the scalp of the patient. The removal of even a single FUE graft by someone not licensed to perform surgery is illegal and must be reported to the state medical board for practicing medicine without a license. Clinics or doctors who condone these practices are liable to sanctions, including the suspension and revocation of a license. If you are considering FUE, do not hesitate to ask the doctor for assurance, in writing, that only a licensed surgeon will perform all surgical procedures. When you receive your consultation, get the names of the doctors performing your surgery. If you beleive that non licensed personnel have performed FUE extractions on you, you should report the matter to the state medical board as a case of the practice of medicine by unlicensed personnel.
Dr. Umar on Neograft and Hair Transplant Repair
Dr Umar opines that as an FUE tool, Neograft has much room for improvement and is not recommended for those seeking FUE let alone body hair transplants BHT. An FUE device should not use air or bang grafts against the sides of tubing. FUE is best performed by trained physicians with years of experience and a proven track record of results. Dr. Umar is available for those seeking a transplant through FUE, as well as those who need hair transplant repair for botched surgeries. He is also involved in the training of doctors wanting to add FUE to their practice.
