Everyone loses hair on a daily basis at a rate of approximately 50 to 150 individual hairs per day. Usually the hair will grow back. If the hair follicle is thinned, however, this re-growth does not occur. All men experience some degree of gradual hair loss in their lifetime as a result of natural aging and changes in the male hormone androgen. Women also may experience hair loss.

There is no proof that male pattern or female pattern baldness is related to tight scalp muscles, mental stress, washing frequency, type of shampoo or skin conditions. Certain medical conditions can cause hair loss, however. The Penn team will advise you on the type of hair loss you are experiencing.

The ideal candidate for hair restoration surgery has healthy hair on the sides and back of the head. These sites are used as donor areas for the grafts. Men and women with well-defined baldness, thinning hair and those with limited hair loss due to scalp injuries or repeated cosmetic procedures are generally good candidates for hair restoration surgery. The Penn team will advise you of treatment options during an initial consultation.

With the use of local anesthesia and intravenous sedation, discomfort during the procedure is eliminated.

You will be able to participate in any of the activities you enjoy within five to seven days after treatment. Your transplanted hair is permanent and may be washed, cut and dyed.

When you have hair grafted from the back and sides of your scalp to your balding areas, called an autograft, the hair will grow for the rest of your life.

Your desire and motivation for a more attractive hairline, as well as increased hair density, are the keys to success in treating hair loss. At the initial consultation, your surgeon will advise you if there are any factors that could limit your ability to benefit from our hair replacement techniques.

In general, age or sex is not a limiting factor for our hair restoration techniques. Patients age 70 and older have had successful procedures. Individuals in their 30's who are experiencing male pattern or female pattern baldness also can be successfully treated. Even younger patients may be candidates, but should be managed conservatively. Women with specific patterns of hair loss also may qualify as candidates.

The ideal candidate for hair restoration surgery has healthy hair on the sides and back of the head -- the areas from which grafts are taken. It is often better to start when you are not completely bald so that you can use existing hair to help camouflage the early stages of the restoration.

The following individuals may be good candidates for hair transplantation:

• Individuals with well-defined male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness.
• Individuals with hair loss from scarring, scalp injuries or cosmetic surgery procedures.
• Individuals who wish to restore or thicken eyebrows, mustaches or beards.
• Individuals who had prior hair restoration procedures.

Male or female pattern baldness affects the top and front of your scalp. Fortunately, the back and sides of your scalp are genetically programmed to grow for life. These "horseshoe" areas around the back and sides become your donor area. Hair grafted from these areas (called an autograft) to your balding areas will eventually begin growing and keep growing.

Donor dominance is the ability of autografted hair from healthy donor sites on your scalp to take root and grow normally when transplanted into the balding (recipient) areas of your scalp.

The grafts may be either “micro” (follicular) grafts or “mini” (follicular groupings). Each micrograft contains one to three individual hair follicles. Follicular groupings have four to six hairs. Older “punch” grafts contained 10 to 20 follicles.

Advantages of follicular grafts - Micro/mini grafts produce delicate, fine hair that more closely resembles your hair growth prior to balding. Since the hairline is a true transition zone from the forehead to denser hair further back, the use of one to three hair grafts creates the most natural appearing hairline.

Multiple sessions at various intervals are usually required. Most patients can achieve a full, natural look with a minimum of procedures. In Cutis, our effiecient team, works to earnestly to complete the process on the same day. The procedure usually takes a maximum 6-7 hours and you are good to go back home.

Multiple sessions at various intervals are usually required. Most patients can achieve a full, natural look with minimum procedures. At Cutis, our efficient team works earnestly to complete the process on the same day. The procedure usually takes a maximum of 6-7 hours and you are able to go home.

Micrografts leave virtually no scaring. They also conserve much of the hair that will be needed for future transplantations. The amount of coverage that is achieved depends on the extent of your hair loss, the density of your donor hair, as well as the number of procedures.

Much of the transplanted hair will shed within a month. Approximately three months later (90 to 100 days), new hair starts to grow and continues to grow at a normal rate. About six months after a hair transplant session, the transplanted hairs begin to take on a natural appearance and will continue to grow for a lifetime. The donor site from which the hair was taken shrinks to a small, barely noticeable incision line that is completely hidden in the surrounding hair.

View our online hair transplant gallery of before and after pictures.

As with all surgical procedures, there is always some risk. However, complications from the surgical treatment of hair loss are rare and generally minimal. Bleeding and/or infection are infrequent and minor. In general you should avoid aspirin or certain drugs or some herbal remedies before surgery. If you have specific concerns please discuss them with your physician.

At initial consultation, your surgeon will advise you if there are any factors that could limit your ability to benefit from our hair replacement techniques.

In general, age or sex is not a limiting factor. The ideal candidate for hair restoration surgery has healthy hair on the back and sides of the head, the areas which the hair grafts are taken. It is better to start when you are not completely bald so that you can use the existing hair to help camouflage the early stages of restoration.

Suitable candidates for hair transplantation include individuals with well-defined male or female pattern baldness, individuals with hair loss from scarring, scalp injuries or cosmetic procedures, individuals who wish to restore/thicken eyebrows, moustache or beards, and individuals who had prior restoration procedures.

Sapphire FUE hair transplant is an innovative hair transplant technique dedicated to men and women suffering from localized hair loss due to trauma, androgenic alopecia, traction alopecia, or marginal alopecia.

Sapphire FUE hair transplantation is an innovative hair transplantation method that provides natural and precise results. This procedure combines the popular FUE technique with new medical devices. Indeed, the FUE technique of hair transplantation with Sapphire blade uses blades made of this precious stone.

A small strip of scalp with hair is taken from the back and sides of your head. The area where it's removed is carefully closed, leaving a thin, hidden line among your remaining hair. Our skilled team divides the strip into smaller pieces to replace hair in areas where you're balding.

These pieces of hair can be made into different sizes, depending on what you need and the condition of your scalp. The transplanted hairs grow like normal hair and are hard to spot. We use groups of hair follicles with more hairs to add density behind your hairline.

During the procedure, local anesthesia and IV sedation ensure you won't feel any discomfort. Afterward, our staff checks that the new hairs are growing in the right direction to create a hairline that blends seamlessly with your natural one, while also increasing overall hair density.

Micro-grafts offer minimal scarring and preserve future donor hair. Coverage achieved depends on the extent of your hair loss, donor hair density, and the number of procedures.

The transplanted hair will shed within a month, with new growth starting after approximately 3 months at a normal rate. After 6 months, transplanted hairs appear natural and continue to grow for life. The complete result can be expected after 1 year. The donor site shrinks to a barely noticeable incision line that is completely hidden in the surrounding hair. View our online hair transplant gallery of before and after pictures