SmartGraft
Whether you are a man or a woman, hair loss can lower your confidence and make you look older than your actual age. And while there are many hair restoration options available, many are either ineffective or very uncomfortable.
Dr. Constance M. Barone is the first plastic surgeon in greater San Antonio, TX, to offer SmartGraft™ technology. This method of hair restoration lets you restore your hairline without invasive surgery.
Read on to find out how SmartGraft hair restoration can boost your quality of life...
Top 3 Benefits of SmartGraft Hair Restoration
Treatment can be completed in one office visit, and patients can usually resume washing their hair within just a few days.
During the procedure, you will receive a topical anesthetic. Although the incisions made are tiny, you can also choose sedation.
Dr. Barone uses refined techniques to strategically implant your hair where it will look the most natural.
Hair Loss Affects Many Patients
SmartGraft Is a Great Option for Virtually All Patients with Hair Loss
If you have a receding hairline or baldness at the crown of your head, SmartGraft can help you.
If you have thinning hair, a visible scalp, or a medical condition that causes hair loss, you are likely a candidate.
Our San Antonio practice welcomes transgender patients who want to use this procedure for areas such as their chests.
More Information
Thinning hair and balding can have a significant impact on your appearance and your self esteem. To help clients seeking a permanent remedy for hair loss problems, Dr. Barone uses the SmartGraft™ technology at her San Antonio, TX, practice. This cutting-edge tool gathers donor hair without scarring and keeps hair cells healthy to ensure a more successful graft. With this state-of-the-art technology, you can also avoid the discomfort of traditional hair transplants. With her extensive training and education, she can provide the highest quality of care to help you meet your cosmetic goals.
Dr. Barone is the first plastic surgeon in the San Antonio area to offer the SmartGraft™ technology.
Hair Transplantation
Traditional hair transplants typically use either a follicular unit strip surgery or the follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique. These two methods are used for harvesting follicular units for hair transplantation. In the first method, also known as strip harvesting, the doctor removes a small strip of skin from the back of the patient's head, and the surgical team then divides this strip into hundreds of tiny grafts, each containing one or a few hairs. In the FUE method, the follicular units are harvested one by one directly from the donor site.
How is SmartGraft™ Different?
In the SmartGraft™ process, single hair follicles are removed at a time during a non-surgical procedure using the FUE method. Each follicle is stored in an incubator, which controls both temperature and humidity. This incubation stage helps prevent the cells from dying before implantation. Because the sterile environment protects the health of grafts, the chances of a successful hair transplant increase. NeoGraft® is often considered an alternative, but this technique lacks the incubator stage, hence the success rates of SmartGraft™is higher.
The advanced SmartGraft™device allows Dr. Barone to complete the harvesting part of the transplant procedure in one-third of the time compared to other techniques. This reduced harvesting time promotes graft survival as well. Hair grafts can be used to target balding or thinning hair for both men and women. Additionally, this treatment can be used in other areas such as the chest. These aspects make SmartGraft™ an especially helpful treatment for transgender patients, both male and female.
The SmartGraft™ Procedure
To begin your treatment at our San Antonio office, Dr. Barone will conduct a thorough examination to determine your candidacy and the best area to use as a donor site. She can answer all your questions regarding the SmartGraft™ procedure and give detailed post-operative instructions to expedite your recovery process. On the day of your procedure, you may be given a sedative to help you relax. Next, a small area at the back of the head will be shaved. However, patients do not need a buzz cut, making the treatment a more discreet process than other methods. The implantation area will then be prepped and numbed using a local anesthetic.
Dr. Barone will use the SmartGraft™device to harvest the grafts from the donor area. In the next step, she will skillfully create very small openings, smaller than a pinprick, in which the grafts will be implanted. This step requires the practiced hand of an expert surgeon, such as Dr. Barone, as the angle of the placement will determine how natural the results look. The procedure typically takes five to six hours, depending on your unique requirements.
Your new head of hair can be a permanent improvement for your appearance and confidence.
After Treatment
Patients can generally return to work the day after their procedure and resume other activities in a few days. In the weeks following the treatment, the hair takes root and then begins to shed in a normal growth cycle. The results of the procedure should become visible in a few months when new hair grows out, and a significant difference is noticeable in about six months. Final results can typically be seen after 12 to 14 months, when you can style it completely as normal. Your new head of hair can be a permanent improvement for your appearance and confidence.
Begin Your Hair Transformation
If you want to address your hair woes without surgery, recovery time, and activity restriction, contact our San Antonio practice to learn more about the SmartGraft™ method. You can receive a virtual consultation with Dr. Barone to discuss your options and determine the best treatment for you.
