Interested in NeoGraft Hair Restoration? Here’s How It Works! Interested in NeoGraft Hair Restoration? Here’s How It Works! By Joe Murphy NeoGraft Hair Restoration Hair loss is an issue that causes embarrassment, insecurity, and shame for men and women alike. About 80 million people in the United States experience hereditary hair loss, meaning that the market for hair loss restoration is huge. The hair restoration industry has grown by 76% since 2006, and it is globally worth an annual $2.5 billion. Because of the demand, there are many options on the market to try and help mitigate hair loss. Efforts to restore hair range from simple but less effective (like topical creams) to invasive and highly effective (like transplants). The reality is that invasive procedures are much more expensive than non-invasive ones, but the results speak for themselves. Some considering drastic measures to achieve hair restoration are wary of the results looking obvious. For those interested in using their own hair to create a natural looking result, NeoGrafting could be a great choice. The NeoGraft process occurs in 4 distinct steps. The first step is to collect hair follicles; these are collected from the back of the patient’s head, above the neck and below the crown. For this process, the head must be shaven. The NeoGraft device gently collects each individual follicle through suction after coring it. This system of individual follicle extraction lands NeoGraft in the category of Follicular Unit Extraction Hair Transplant (FUE), which is the most popular type of hair transplant today. Next, the NeoGraft doctor goes about counting, separating, and sorting the individual hairs collected from each harvested follicle. It is important that this process is completed with care, as separating the individual hairs is crucial to achieving a natural looking result. The third step involves the surgeon preparing the graft site. This essentially means forging openings in which to place the follicles. Factors like the patient’s age, gender, and the severity of the thinning will determine how involved this step is. Finally, the individual hairs are placed in the prepared sites. A skilled doctor with a proven record in the hair restoration industry is critical in order to place the hairs at the proper depth and angle in relation to their position on the scalp. The benefits of FUE Hair Transplants like NeoGraft over older methods like the hair strip include the fact that FUE leaves no visible scar in the donor region, and there is virtually no pain following the procedure. Since the donor region will not be obvious, it is also possible for patients to wear their hair short following the NeoGraft procedure if they should so wish—something not previously possible. This benefit is particularly appealing to men, who make up the bulk of hair transplant patients. Additionally, follow up for NeoGraft is minimal since there will be no stitches to remove from the donor site. With these and many more pros associated with FUE Hair Transplants, it comes as no surprise that the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s most recent census found that 52.6% of all hair restoration surgeries performed in 2016 were FUE transplants like NeoGraft, and if the year over year trend has continued, that percentage is likely even higher today. What’s more, 92.5% of responding surgeons stated that they had completed FUE transplants on patients that year. These statistics indicate that not only has FUE taken over as the preferred hair transplant method, but they also suggest that FUE has been almost universally adopted by surgeons in this specialized field. So, what sets NeoGraft apart from other FUE transplant procedures? The NeoGraft device itself. It allows practitioners to painlessly and efficiently complete the transplant procedure with a high degree of accuracy and natural looking results. Of course, the surgeon plays a large role in the quality of results as well, so those considering NeoGraft should also do their due diligence in selecting someone to perform their procedure. Before a NeoGraft procedure, patients are advised to cut their hair very short because of the fact that the donor area will have to be shaven prior to the procedure. This is the only action needed before undergoing the NeoGraft procedure. The NeoGraft process itself will likely take between 3 and 8 hours, depending on the number of grafts harvested. Immediately following the procedure, the donor and recipient areas of the scalp will be thoroughly cleaned, but since there’s no incision, sutures are not necessary. The only real aftercare to speak of is avoiding strenuous activity for several days following the transplant in order to minimize swelling in the transplant area. For a few weeks following the NeoGraft procedure, the area may be slightly raised, but this will dissipate. The transplant area will scab over in the first few days, so care should be taken interacting with the scalp. After the initial period following transplant is over, there is no long term special care or pain associated with NeoGraft hair. The surgeon may supply patients with special shampoo to use for a few weeks, but this is not always the case. Since the region from which donor’s hair is harvested is resistant to testosterone, patients can rest assured that their grafted hair will not fall out, but it may be necessary to revisit restoration options for other parts of the scalp at some point if hair loss continues. For millions, hair loss is simply a fact of life, becoming more prevalent with age. Hair restoration procedures are nothing new, but with time they have become more effective and less burdensome. With technological advancements have come procedures like NeoGraft, just on the cusp of being considered non-invasive. For those dissatisfied with hair thinning or loss, NeoGraft hair restoration can bring back confidence without creating a scar or forcing patients to endure pain.