The hair restoration industry has trodden a long path, from experimenting with hair donor grafts on a small scale in the 1950s to becoming colossal and widely stretched. Thanks to innovations, this industry may grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12% from 2023 to 2033.
Existing technology and innovation have helped improve the efficiency and practicability of hair restorations. This article offers insight into the innovations in hair restoration that you should know:
- Robotic Hair Transplantation
Accuracy and precision define robot hair transplantation technology. The technology helps to quickly identify ideal follicles for transplantation, extract from the donor, and implant them into the recipient.
Hair restoration through this technique does less damage to the surrounding tissues and doesn’t scar treatment areas. It’s also a minimally invasive procedure with fewer incisions and resulting trauma, making it more comfortable with quicker healing spans.
Here are the robotic hair transplantation methods today:
- NeoGraft system: This robotic hair transplant procedure involves using handheld devices to identify and extract individual hair strands. It uses pneumatic pressure to remove hair follicles with minimal damage and a specialized tool to transplant them into the recipient’s scalp.
- ARTAS System: This robotic hair transplant process combines real-time imaging and computer algorithms to map the donor’s scalp to identify and extract hair follicles. It then uses a specialized tool to transplant extracted hair follicles into the recipient’s scalp with minimal damage.
Currently, many facilities use these two robotic hair transplantations in their practice. However, there’s still the prospect of more advanced robotics rolling out. Recovering from a hair transplant after these procedures is quick as they’re minimally invasive with fewer incisions.
- Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
LLLT uses low-level laser light to stimulate hair growth by enhancing the blood flow to the scalp, facilitating nutrient supply and oxygen to the hair follicles. This device emits a low-intensity laser, which the scalp hair follicles absorb, stimulating cell activity and health.
This technology also helps stimulate adenosine triphosphate production. This helps produce and supply energy to the hair follicles, improving hair growth.
This hair restoration technique is relatively new and may still have gaps. There’s still an argument on whether or not this hair restoration technology is effective. However, this innovation offers a sneak peek into the future of the hair transplant industry, which is becoming safer and more practical each day.
- Hair Cloning
Hair cloning is a clever hair restoration technique and a valued innovation that involves replicating hair strands from a hair sample. The sample hair usually gets cultured in the laboratory before transplanting into the recipient’s scalp.
This hair restoration technology is still in its early development stages. And as the global hair transplant market reaches USD$53.17 billion by 2028, developments in hair cloning are yet to improve.
This procedure may offer a permanent hair loss solution as the cloned follicles grow. That means people with extensive hair loss can find reprieve in this hair restoration technology more than the traditional procedures and perhaps won’t have to worry about the results being short-term.
- Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP)
Tattoos on the head were never imaginable in the past, but it’s a reality we already live in. More men with pattern baldness are turning toward this hair restoration option.
The percentages are higher in males than females, including artists, who, from a broad perspective, make up 75% of tattoo lovers. Scalp micro pigmentation forces ink under the scalp’s upper layer to stimulate hair follicles’ appearance.
The most notable advantage of micro scalp pigmentation is its low maintenance. It’s also less noninvasive than other hair restoration methods. The technique doesn’t involve creating incisions and sutures and only takes a few hours to complete. And while you may require ink refills and retouches over time, they aren’t overly demanding and may not happen too frequently.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
Until recently, no one had ever thought that blood platelets could stimulate hair growth. And interestingly, it’s a pretty efficient technique that 84% of studies on individuals with Androgenetic Alopecia showed that it works.
The procedure involves using a patient’s blood with a dense platelet concentration. The blood usually goes into a centrifuge that separates the platelets from the blood, injecting plasma into the spots that need hair restoration.
PRP has quite a history, as it’s not a very recent technique because it has existed since 1954. It’s a procedure that leverages the restorative and remediating properties of platelets to support wound healing and help individuals. PRP has recently gained traction for helping men counter pattern baldness and may perhaps be more sophisticated in the future.
- 3D-Printed Hair
Printing in the past had never gone beyond the 2D stretch, but 3D printing came in as awe in the 1980s. Unsurprisingly, this technology is steadily encroaching on the hair restoration industry, with a few companies developing 3D printers to create hair follicles in what’s referred to as ‘bioprinting hair follicles.’
The follicles resemble the original hair as they arise from bioengineered follicles. This hair restoration technique is entirely procedural, using a bioprinter that bounces a pulsing laser beam through a lens from a mirror.
That creates a ribbon that contains a cell-based bio-ink. The bioprinting device creates living tissues with over 95% cellular activity, and the tissue should mature around three weeks. The hair restoration technique is still in its infancy and has yet to develop entirely.
- Hair Loss Prevention Medications
Some medicinal innovations show success in developing medications that seem to help with hair restoration. They’re primarily topical and include finasteride, the most commonly prescribed hair loss medication, and minoxidil. They are also available in various brand names. They are also available in various brand names.
They primarily work by inhibiting testosterone conversion to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), contributing to hair loss. Moreover, these medications improve scalp blood flow, helping stimulate follicles and hair growth.
Conclusion
The hair restoration industry is evolving, and technology is streamlining its growth. What appeared as rocket science before is here. Individuals with pattern baldness and hair loss issues are getting the reprieve they need.
Undoubtedly, more hair restoration techniques will emerge as the industry grows. However, you already know what to expect as technology continues to restructure this industry.