Hair Transplant Technologies: What Does the Chairman of the ASHRS Have to Say?

PORT ORANGE, Fla., Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- There are many new technologies available for hair transplant surgeons today. But with so many technologies available and so many hair transplant surgeons claiming they have the best technology, how can one know which one is the best? The new chairman of the American Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ASHRS), Dr. Marco Barusco, gives his opinion on some of the latest and upcoming technological advances in this field.

HypoThermosol™
Perhaps some of the most important technological advances are the ones dealing with tissue preservation. According to Dr. Barusco, once the donor hair is taken from the back of the head the clock starts ticking. "The quicker we re-attach the hair to the scalp the better the chance it will survive", Dr. Barusco said. Traditionally, surgeons have used regular saline solution to preserve the tissue, but HypoThermosol™ has been showing to have the best composition. It is easy to work with and preliminary observations suggest that it improves hair survival and overall results.

ACell™
ACell™ is used for wound healing and hair growth. It is rich in growth factors and collagen. This technology significantly benefits the patient but given its high cost very few surgeons use this material. When a doctor uses ACell™ the donor area of the scalp heals better, leaving a smaller and thinner scar, and the transplants grow better.

Robotic Surgery
Although much buzz has been given to robotic hair transplant surgery, Dr. Barusco does not see it as a revolution but rather as another tool. The idea behind the robotic surgery is that a robot harvests hair automatically from the patient's donor area. The doctor and the team still need to perform the rest of the procedure.

Stem Cell Research
Although not yet available, Dr. Barusco believes that the most important technological advance to come is the use of stem cells to "clone" hairs. This is a technology that should be available in the next few years and it is currently on phase II trials. Dr. Barusco believes that this technology will give people who previously weren't candidates for hair transplant because they lacked enough donor hair, the opportunity to have the surgery since less hair needs to be harvested.

About Dr. Marco Barusco: Dr. Barusco is a hair transplant surgeon with over 12 years of experience. Given his dedication to research and advancement of the profession, Dr. Barusco is not only the chairman of the ASHRS but he also is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), a member of the Board of Directors & Examiner of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS), and Chief Section Editor for Hair Restoration of The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery (AJCS). Dr. Barusco also founded Tempus Hair Restoration with the goal of providing clients with education about their hair loss and state-of-the-art treatments.

SOURCE Tempus Hair Restoration