Restoration Robotics Device To Be Released In 2012.

Here is an Extract from the Article

A Robotic system is designed to conduct automated harvesting of follicular units in hair transplant surgery.

One of the major advantages of this robot-assisted harvesting technique is that it may be a less invasive procedure than the strip harvest technique that is currently being used and still widely considered the gold standard approach, says Miguel Canales, M.D., medical director, Restoration Robotics, Mountain View, Calif.

"I believe that many physicians will embrace the robotic-assisted follicular harvesting technology, as it greatly simplifies the transplant procedure, and may save the physician and the surgical team a lot of valuable time," Dr. Canales says.

After comfortably positioning the patient, the hair at the donor area is cut short — approximately 1 mm in length — and the robotic arm of the device is placed over the target area of the patient's scalp.

Process

The robotic arm is equipped with two cameras that serve as a stereo-vision sensor that can identify and detect follicular units on the patient's scalp.

The physician precisely chooses which follicular units are to be harvested and then inputs this information into the system menu.

The number and type of follicular units — single or multiple hair follicular units — can be specifically chosen, as well as the precise pattern of harvesting, calculating the angle, orientation and location of each follicular unit on the scalp surface.

This allows for an automated and customized follicular unit harvesting for each individual patient "as the patient moves and the robot moves, allowing the system to keep track of each follicular unit from each frame of the video stream from the cameras.

"This ability of analyzing the video streams, combined with agile robotics, can compensate for patient movement to achieve required accuracy for the hair transplantation," Dr. Canales says.

The robotic arm is used to accurately position and carry out dermal punches for harvesting follicular units.

Each follicular extraction involves a 1 mm incision, which does not require the sutures or bandages that are needed following the standard strip harvest technique.

"As the technology is further optimized, approximate harvest speeds of 750 to 1,000 follicular units per hour may be achieved," Dr. Canales says.

According to Dr. Canales, a team of four to eight technicians is currently required to conduct the strip harvesting technique. However, using the robotic arm, only two people would be needed.

The current strip harvest technique can take up to eight to 10 hours to perform from harvest to implantation for a typical 1,500 to 2,200 follicular units. The robotic-assisted procedure can potentially reduce the procedure time to only four to five hours.

Investigational device

The unique technology is still an investigational device, and Food and Drug Administration clinical trials will soon be under way, but the technology should be available as early as 2012.

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Modern+Medicine+Now/I-robot-Prototype-harvests-follicular-units-for-tr/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/616246?contextCategoryId=40175&ref=25

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) For Hair Loss

This seems to be another solution. On the other hand, the before and after pics are deceiving. If this really works why do you have to deceiving people with lighting and different angles ?

Dermmatch

Before applying a certian type of herbal oil, I started using Dermmatch. The results were amazing. I was impressed. With this product, I was able to cover my bald spots, and nobody was able to look at my scalp which can be seen through my thinning hair. If people want to hide their thinning hair or bald spots this product is excellent. You can apply this product and leave it on for a whole week. I'm guessing its paste also holds on to the hair which is supposed to fall out. After a week, when you shower you will see all powder comming out and all the hair which I suppose is suppose to fall out. The best part about this product is you won't have people always shiting their focus at your hair line anymore. This can be really annoying. Sometimes you have a converstation and there are ill mannered people who just shit their attention on your hair line. Besides, the best part is, if you are not satisfied, Dermmatch gives you a full refund. In fact, all lot of these hair after hair transplant pics you see on the net, they all have Dermmatch applied on their scapls. The reason is hair transplants give patients thin hair, so Dermmatch is used to make hair appear thicker.

A Natural Treatment That Actually Works

I've been loosing my hair since the age of 17. Currently, I am 25, and on the norwood scale I am a norwood 5.I wish there was a cure, but there isn't one till this day. Propecia has its sexual side effects, and it does not restore the hair line. Rogaine is a little effective, but again it made no difference for the hair line. Transplants were too expensive, and they need Propecia and Rogain to maintain the remaining hairs of the head. There seems to be no solution left. I felt hopeless. Finally, my mother saw an ad which gave an alternative solution. The ad claimed that if one is experiencing hair loss one can still recover 10%-35% of their hair. Of course after surfing on the internet and hair loss forums, I said this stuff was bogus. Anyway, my mother was really concerned, and she wanted me to try this new treatment. I decided to go for it. When I met the herbal doctor I asked him many questions. He told me that dandruff and sebum were the main reasons for hair loss. Now, I have heard this bogus many times. Also, I made up my mind that there was no cure for hair loss. Anyway, the herbal doctor told me that I would have to shave my head and keep on shaving my head for 6 months. Common, I'm already going bald now I have to tell the world hey look I admit that I am bald. Or maybe this doctor wants me to believe that his product was working since my remaining hair was growing. Anyway, I decided to buy the product, and I did not shave my head as he suggested. I applied the a herbal oil which he gave me on my head. I was a norwood 5 so I had a few bald spots. After a few weeks, a few hair grew. I was shocked. Of course it didn't cover my whole head, but it prevented that shiny appearance which the bald areas gave. I was shocked. Then I decided to shave the my head. I realized that if I shave my head I was able to spread his oil a lot easier. This is why I had to shave my head. The reason was because the oil spread across the head easier and I was able to prevent the product from going to waste. Now the video I posted shows a similar product. However, the oil which the treatment is using above is a similar oil that this herbal doctor uses at his clinic. Anyway, if anyone lives in the Toronto area, and is interested in treating their hair loss, please leave a comment. I will give you more information. I am self have not cured my hair loss. However, the remaining hair of my head become stronger, I have a few hairs grown in my bald spots areas, and my hair loss slowed down significantly. I still have people telling me how I am loosing my hair. On the contrary, the remaining hair that I have are much stronger before, and they are still didn't tell me I am going bald. There is a difference between loosing hair and going bald. For people who are just started to loose their hair, there is hope for you. I wish I met tried this treatment when I was 17. Back then nobody knew about my hair loss except myself.

The Reality of Salman Khan's Hair

Salman Khan got a transplant a few years ago, and many fans were impressed by the results. However, the reality is Salman Khan still has to wear a hair piece.

Salman Khan In His Early Days

Salman Loosing His Hair

Right After the Hair Transplant

What you see in the Media

The Reality

Hair Weaving

There are rumors that Salman Khan started taking seriods to grow his muscles bigger. This may have cause him to speed up his hair loss.

Dr Mohammad Humayun Mohmand Lectures on Hair Transplant

The doctor says if you are 25, and in the norwood 2 or 3 range then its a bad idea to get a hair transplant. He says the reason is because in 10 years its possible to hit norwood 7.

Problems With Hair Transplants

Currently, there are 2 methods which surgeons use to perform a hair transplants. One method is known as the FUSS (Follicular Unit Strip Surgery), and the other method is FUE(Follicular Unit Extraction). Currently, both these methods have their pros and cons.
In the FUSS method the surgeon cuts in the back of your head and remove hair follicles from there. In the end you are left with a big scar in the back of your head. On top of that, if you continue to lose your hair, there isn't much you can do about unless you want surgeon to slice the back of your head again.

The other method is FUE. This is a better method. In this method individual hair follicles are removed, and transplanted in the balding areas. However, the problem with FUE is it is less economical that FUSS. This means every hair that is transplanted doesn't always survive. Also, the hair which grows from this transplant method is doesn’t grow that long, so in reality you have to keep your hair short.

Personally, for me I am not 30 years old yet, so I have not thought of a hair transplant for myself. Who knows how much more hair I can lose in 5 years. One top of that one hair transplant isn’t enough. You need to go for at least 4-5 transplants before you can meet your goals. Also that same money, I can buy a new car, or make an investment . When a man is in 30's they really don't those same requirements to attract the opposite sex, as they did when they were in their teens or 20's. On the contrary, if the transplant helps when it comes to job market then why not go for it. Besides I’ve heard that Restoration Robotics is coming with a new hair transplant technology for hair transplants. This technology uses a robot to perform hair transplants. Let’s see how that works out in the future. Currently, Restoration Robotics is on trials.

Nizoral

I've tried Nizoral to combat hair loss. This shampoo contains Ketoconazole. I first tried the 1% and then went for the shampoo with 2% Ketoconazole. As for my result, Nizoral did help me slow down the hair loss. Also, it made my thin hair stronger. In order for Nizoral to be effective one must you it 3 times a week. So you can probably apply it on Friday's, Saturdays and Sundays. In the begining it does give you headaces, but for me looking at my hair loss can be a bigger headache.

Propecia

As you noted from my previous posts, my hair loss started at the age of 17. I used to surf on the net, so I can find a solution. Then at the age of 21 I finally visited a dermatologist. The dermatologist gave me 3 options to deal with hair loss. They were:
1) Propecia
2) Rogain
3) Hair Transplant




He said Propecia would be the best option for me. At that time I was experiencing hair loss in the frontal portion of my head. I asked him if Propecia would help recover my hair line. He replied by saying that it wouldn't, and that I would only need to take it for 1 year. Propecia only helps was hair loss in the bald spot area at the back. The dermatologist told me that Propecia has a low level of side effects so he wouldn't have to take a blood test. On top of that I was told that I would have a temporary side effect which would give me a libido loss. At that point I began to get scared. I was 21 and I was expected to take this medicine for year. A man in his 20's has a very high sexual drive, and if one blocks it at this age, the opportunity to enjoy that high drive would never occur again in the future. Sure you can have sex at 30, but it won't be the same as when you were in your teens or 20's. Next the dermatologist lied to me. He told me that I would only have to take Propecia for 1 year. Propecia is pill where you have to be committed to it for a life time. Therefore, in the end I decided to accept my hair loss.

Hair Transplant was another option. However, at that time he told me that it would cost me $10,000. Also, his version of hair transplant only dealt with the top portion of the hair. I was only 21, and most doctors give their patients a transplant at least by age of 30. Well in the end, visiting a dermatologist was useless. When it comes to hair loss these dermatologist don't have any more knowledge then what you can find on the internet.

Laser Combs & Brushes

Yes, I have wasted $100 dollar on laser treatment. I bought from another guy online who called it the amazing brush. At least he sold he for a cheaper price. In the market it cost $600. However, on the internet another person sells for $100. In the end, the amazing brush is a failure. It has no positive effect on hair loss.

Forumula 101

This is another one of those snake oils. I spend over $100 on this medicine and it doesn't work when it comes to hair loss. Beware of this product. Also, inside you will find a before and after pic. They are all fake. The heads of both below to 2 different people.

Chinese Herb 'He Shou Wu'

This was the first medication I tried for hair loss. I've tried in for 6 months, and unfortunately it failed. On top of that, it gave me stomach problems which forced me to use the washroom more often. Overall this medicine does not work. If you are still interested then go to the Chinese medicine store in China town, and you will find it very cheap there. However, I advise you not to waste your money on the internet.

My Hair Loss Story

Hair loss is one of the greatest challenges one can encounter in their life. I myself went through a lot of stressful stages in my life, and sadly on top of that I encountered hair loss at the age of 17. When hair loss was came in it made my life worst. I always questioned myself to why it couldn't be delayed till at the age of 40. In fact, even my father did not experience hair loss until the age of 50. Of course, then I told myself maybe hair loss should be something that I should ignore. At the age of 17, I discovered my hair loss when I went to a barber and told her to cut my hair short. I had wavy hair and it used to be thick. Therefore, with my type of hair either you can keep it long, or cut it short. You can't really chose a middle ground. Worst of all my hair never stayed still. If I had to combed it, in the next minutes it would automatically mess up. This was not the case with people with straight hair. Anyway I told the barber to cut my hair short. Unfortunately, the barber recommended that I would get a thinning, and I agreed. She thinned my hair and I looked horrible. Of course, I was only 17 and I though well it will eventually grow back. Guess what ? After that hair cut, my hair grew back but it left me with a receding hair line. One side of my temple was receded and there was nothing I could do about it. However, I managed to comb it over. On the frontal portion my hair was thin. Then at the age of 18, the other side of the temple started receding. Finally, by the age of 19, I had people telling me that I was balding. I eventually grew long hair, and at that stage nobody noticed my baldness. On the contrary, having waving hair and facing the wind, my hair would mess up and my receding hair line would expose itself. Then decided to get a buzz cut. By this time I was in college and not a lot of people knew about my baldness. However, after I buzzed my head my friend figured out my secret that I was balding. It was horrible. He used to say it to my face, that I was balding. At first, I used to really got hurt, however, after hearing it multiple times, I started getting used to it. I even tried to deal with it , by buying so called cures. In the end those cures turned out to be snake oils. I've tried He show Wu and another Chinese medication which I can't recall the name. I spend hundreds of dollar on these medicines, and they all turned out to be snake oils. Then I finally visited a dermatologist, and he recommended either Propecia or Rogaine. He told me that I would only have to take Propecia for 1 year and never take it again. On the contrary, what he recommended for hair loss was already on the net. Propecia gave people a decrease of Libido, and it was drug you had to take for a lifetime. In the end, he tried to deceive me so he can make money from the prescription. My friend who used to mock me for hair loss had a full head of hair, and he still didn't have the my luck when it came to communicating with girls. In fact he never even had a girl friend in his life, and now he is 27 years old. Therefore, I didn't think treating hair loss was that important that I had to decrease my libido. Besides, I wasn't 17 anymore. I was in my 20's. On top of that most women start hitting their peak of beauty at the age of 22. After that they have to spend hundred of dollar in cosmetics to maintain their appearnce. Therefore, I really didn't have much to worry about. However, I do have to look in the mirror everyday, and hair loss does bother me. Currently, I am 25 and in the norwood scale I believe I am a norwood 4.

This is my first blog. In my next blogs I will give a review on what works and what doesn't.