Hair restoration surgery is a medical procedure where hair is taken from areas of the scalp with thicker, stronger hair and then placed in areas of the scalp with thinning or balding. There are advantages and disadvantages of hair restoration surgery, like any other procedure or treatment option, so it is important to see a hair restoration surgeon to discuss the benefits, risks, and alternatives.
Our surgeons at Root Hair Institute are known to be the experts for hair restoration surgery in Greater Seattle. They help patients gain their hair and confidence back by creating the best possible plan to help them achieve their goals.
The surgeons at Root Hair Institute have unmatched expertise, training, and dedication to patient care.
Both Dr. Natalie Kash and Dr. Rahil B. Roopani are fellowship-trained hair restoration surgeons who have experience treating all types of hair. This skill and level of training is only matched by a select group of surgeons world-wide who are trained in both FUE and FUT techniques and have the confidence to address any type of hair loss.
In order to provide all patients the best opportunity of restoring their hair, the surgeons at Root Hair Institute are one of the few hair restoration centers proud to offer both Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) and Follicular Unit Excision/Extraction (FUE).
However, there has been increasing evidence and understanding of the appropriate uses of both FUT and FUE in different clinical scenarios as each offers unique advantages depending on your hair loss and ultimate hair restoration goals.
Furthermore, FUT is sometimes considered a lost artwithin the realm of hair restoration as it is not as widely available as FUE due to the fact that there is greater skill and technique required to offer FUT to patients. Fortunately, Dr. Natalie Kash and Dr. Rahil B. Roopani are experts in both FUT as well as FUE allowing them to truly offer the best hair restoration option to fit the individual goals and needs of their patients.
In the first phase, the surgeon will identify the most optimal hairs in the aforementioned regions of the scalp and estimate how many grafts can be safely removed.
After that, this area will be numbed using local anesthetics.
The strip of the scalp is then safely removed, followed by one or two layers of sutures (stitches) that will bring together the incision marks in a manner that typically leaves a thin linear scar. The overlying hairs above the incision helps hide the presence of the scar. Ideally, hair should be kept at least 1.5 cm or greater in length to allow optimal concealment of the incision and resultant scar.
The patient will then return in 14-21 days to remove the sutures once the area has healed.
Second phase: microdissection; the medical team will then take the strip of tissue and dissect it into hundreds to thousands of 1 to 4-haired follicular grafts.
And here’s how the remaining phases will be performed (these phases are the same for both FUT and FUE procedures):
Once the hair grafts are transplanted, the patient will receive post-op instructions (fifth phase) and appropriate medications to relieve any short-term pain which usually resolves by the next day.
During the first seven days after the procedure, we caution the patient to modify their daily routine to improve post-operative healing such as modified showers, being conscious of anything touching their scalp (recipient area), no exercise, etc.
Patients, in most cases, are allowed to return to normal daily activities and exercise 7-14 days after the procedure. Your surgeon will discuss your specific post-operative instructions based on your case.
Furthermore, the hair restoration surgeons at Root Hair Institute take great care to never “overharvest”from any one particular donor region so that during the post-surgical period, the remaining donor hair follicles, which were not harvested, can start to grow in and help camouflage the donor region of the scalp as early as five to seven days post procedure.
The ideal candidates for FUE are patients who keep their hair short on the sides, which is not ideal for FUT (due to the presence of a thin, linear scar) or those wishing to avoid a linear incision altogether.
FUE can be combined with FUT as a subsequent surgical procedure option when patients are no longer candidates for FUT harvesting.
One thing to note is that FUE is NOT a scarless procedure. Small pinpoint scars result, but in most patients, they remain relatively hidden as the surrounding native hairs (not extracted) in the donor area grow.
The remaining steps of the surgery after harvesting are identical in both FUE and FUT hair restoration procedures (See 3rd-5th phases above).
Here are some of the benefits our patients enjoy:
To help our patients return to their normal activities sooner, the team at Root Hair Institute educates patients on post-operative routines to help ensure the recovery process is as smooth and quick as possible. Our team understands that hair restoration surgery can sometimes be difficult to understand and to some, even scary. That is exactly why the surgeons and team at Root Hair Institute remain available to their patients and create good follow-up plans so that patients can feel confident in their post-operative process.
At Root Hair Institute, we make sure to tailor the exact treatment plan for each patient based on their individual needs. Generally, hair transplant fees largely depend on how much hair is needed to cover the thinning or bald areas, the techniques used, the clinic facility and location, and the doctor and team.
At Root Hair Institute (RHI), our pricing depends on the number of grafts required among other factors. Most cases at RHI range between $7,000 to $20,000. To get an idea of how much your hair transplant procedure is going to cost, talk to a specialist at Root Hair Institute to get evaluated.
Choosing the right hair surgeon is one of the most important, if not the most important, factor to consider when deciding to go through hair restoration.
It’s crucial to choose the best and most trusted hair restoration surgeons and team who will put your best interest first, and Root Hair Institute is undoubtedly the best choice in Greater Seattle, here are the reasons why:
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) is a hair restoration surgery where a doctor makes a small cut in the skin on the side or back of your head and removes a few hair follicles at a time. The balding areas of the scalp are then filled with these follicles.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a less invasive hair restoration surgery that’s done by transplanting individual hair follicles from the skin to areas of the body with sparser or nonexistent hair.
The precise time frame varies from patient to patient. However, most people commonly notice new hair growth in around three to four months, and the full effects appear after a year.
Most patients continue to make gains between 12 and 18 months after the treatment as the thickness and texture of the newly generated hair grafts improve.
After surgery, it’s best to take 10–14 days off from work. If at all possible, try working from home, even for a few days. And when going back to work, if necessary, put on a hat to safeguard your hair transplants.
A local anesthetic and sedative are typically used during a hair transplant, so you’ll be awake but won’t experience any pain. There should be nothing to worry about as the physicians will make sure to make it a great and painless procedure.
Medical Therapies
Hair Restoration Surgery
Beard Restoration Surgery
Eyebrow Restoration Surgery
Scalp Injections
Scalp Microneedling
Low-Level Light Therapy
Scalp Micro-pigmentation
