Why ARTAS with Dr. Shah, Dr. Sameea and the Aesthetic Scalp Team?
We are the ARTAS Hair experts of Chicago. At Aesthetic Scalp, we pride ourselves on precision, accuracy, and most importantly: our patients. When choosing a hair restoration clinic in Chicago, IL there are several things to keep in mind.
First, patients need the right blend of artistry and technology. Cutting edge technology (involving the latest robotics) as well as the what’s new in regenerative techniques have led our team to have superior results than older traditional approaches. Having a two physician team ensures that you have an incredible design experience to have your hair literally customized to your scalp. Each graft’s position and orientation are meticulously planned by our doctors to help ensure natural hair directions and appearance.
Finally, our boutique style office allows for only one hair procedure per day, eliminating some of the assembly practices seen at other facilities.
Why ARTAS with Dr. Shah, Dr. Sameea and the Aesthetic Scalp Team?
The ARTAS 9x Robot and Aesthetic Scalp is the obvious choice for hair restoration in Chicago, IL as it is the ONLY hair restoration robot in the world! In fact, it is the only robot in all of the world of aesthetics. The main advantage of ARTAS is hair harvested from your scalp is removed with a higher success rate than hair that is removed by hand. ARTAS robot uses the latest technology to preform a minimally invasive procedure remove the hair and the underlying tissue to allow for minimizing scarring and improving graft survival.
Dr. Shah, Dr. Sameea and the Aesthetic Scalp team have over 30+ years of combined hair restoration experience. At Aesthetic Scalp you will not only get the most accurate hair transplant, but you will also get the care and attention you deserve. Our detail driven staff will be by your side throughout the entire procedure. With complete patient care, streaming television, and even lunch on us; Aesthetic Scalp is the top hair clinic in Chicago.
Benefits of having two physicians during your hair procedure
With two physicians and a multiple highly trained technicians, you are in the best hands! We understand all your concerns and are here to make sure your procedure is simple and worry free. With two expert physicians, we can ensure maximum comfortability and results!
The ARTAS 9x Robot – The most advanced hair restoration technology
The latest upgrade from ARTAS (the 9x Robot) takes already great technological equipment and makes it even better. Only a handful of hair clinics have the ARTAS 9x upgrade. Below is a list of upgrades seen on the 9x.
- Automatic Scar Detection- Allows for the robot to avoid these areas and prevent overharvesting
- Fine needle harvesting – allows for hairs to be removed from an even smaller incision than before.
- ARTAS hair studio – Allows for 3D planning of the hair procedure
- Newer arm – increased patient comfortability and makes the procedure even shorter than before.
- Assisted Force Drag – This allows for the patient positioning of the robot to be minimized.
- New LED camera system- Allows for even more precision and accuracy of the system
- Recipient Blade Holder- A blade holder or needle holder can be used to make recipient sites.
The ARTAS Hair Restoration Consultation
The first step toward your new hair is your hair consultation in Chicago IL. During the consultation you will have one of our highly trained technicians perform a Trichoscopy.
The Trichoscopy takes a look at the donor area, and examines the hair follicles. At this time the number of donor hairs that are available are calculated and verified by one of our specialized hair surgeons. We do everything to make you comfortable and confident in our hair consultation
Preparing for Your ARTAS Hair Transplant in Chicago IL
When Preparing for your new head of hair, there is several things you want to keep in mind. The procedure typically takes as long as a work day, so remember to clear your schedule. We suggest you eat a hearty breakfast, but a lunch menu will be provided to you. We also recommend you wear comfortable clothes for full relaxation during your hair restoration.
Hairline Design
The patterns of the hair growth, angle, and direction are different in every patient. A true master of hair design can understand how the hair differs from person to person and design a customized solution with seamless transitions from transplanted hairs to native hair. The most obvious sign of an artificial hairline will be a straight obvious line with unnatural angles. Dr. Shah and Chughtai will discuss the qualities of a natural hairline design and how they achieve natural looking results.
The goal of the hairline is to frame the face. The anterior hairline has a transition to the temporal recession. The position of the hairline will depend on the number of hairs grafted and need to keep the patient’s age and history of hair loss in mind. Placing a hairline too low can lead to difficulty in framing the face while a hairline which is too high can always be lowered.
Graft Harvesting and Recipient Site Creation with the ARTAS Robot 9x
Manual FUE (follicular unit extraction) was a great start to modern hair transplants, but with the ARTAS Robot we can fine tune every aspect of FUE hair transplants. The graft selection accuracy on the ARTAS Robots graft selection accuracy increases the number of follicular units
Artas allows for complex algorithms from not just hundreds but thousands of cases to be compiled to create an improved ability to remove hair grafts using stereoscopic vision. The robot is not fatigable (never gets tired) and improves after each case with additional data and updates leading to less transections and better graft yield. In addition, hairs should only be taken in the proper phase of the growth cycle. If hairs are taken in the wrong phase of the growth cycle, hairs will likely not “take” in the other area. The Artas can recognize this better than the human eye allowing for not just less transections, but grafts which are more likely to physiologically work.
The updated Artas will actually create donor sites based on complex algorithms to help determine where the best location of placement is due to angulation of hair and hair density.
Length of procedure
The length of the ARTAS procedure has been dramatically decreased for the latest update 9x. Users with a non-updated system will notice less than 500 grafts per hour while the updated system can harvest as much as 1000 graft or more per hour. With the new updates, the system is able to reliably obtain grafts at a much higher speed than the older versions of the ARTAS.
Recovery from the ARTAS Hair Transplant Procedure
Every patient, and situations is different. However with the ARTAS 9x Robot an overwhelming majority of our patients have stressed how short and easy the recovery process was. Most patients return to work in a day or two.
Washing your hair after your hair transplant
Washing your hair after a hair transplantation is important to survival. We usually have our patients start spraying hair with lactated ringers with liposomal ATP as well as other growth factors twice a day to help your hair process start ASAP. Actual hair washing usually takes place several days after the procedure. There are several advantages to this approach:
- Healing improved
- Decreased inflammation and redness
- Improved blood supply and uptake
Frequently Asked Questions about Hair Restoration in Chicago, IL
Why did Dr. Shah and Dr. Sameea Chughtai chose ARTAS?
We chose ARTAS because it is definitively better than any other technique we’ve studied. We have used a variety of techniques in the past and we only want the best for our patients. Manuel FUE has higher transection rates (unusable hairs damaged during harvest) which caused wasting of precious reserve hairs. Even physicians claiming to get higher yields often inflate viable harvest rate percentage upon observation. The strip procedure limited hairstyles and also wasted precious donor hairs by harvesting at least 10% of hairs in the wrong phase of hair process! ARTAS allows for fuller grafts which can be extracted, which in our experience is the best quality grafts, and decreased transection rates dramatically. Seeing the ARTAS in person demonstrates that this technological advance is not just right a small step forward for medicine, but a major advance in the field of hair transplantation.
Why is the Strip Method Commonly Criticized?
One of the criticisms of the strip method is that it leaves a permanent scar. All scars are permanent and can be attempted to be lessened in appearance. Some techniques to decrease appearance of scars from the strip method:
- Steroid injection- can thin a scar and make it more likely to accept hair grafts
- Direct excision- best for thick scars and unsightly scars
- Tissue expansion and direct excision- Used for rare cases with multiple harvest and especially poor scars
- FUE placement– Here only the best of the best grafts will survive and ARTAS for patients with donor hairs still available as well as body hair can be options
- Scalp Micropigmentation- An increasingly valuable tool in hair transplants to help hide scars and improve hair results
What is the difference between Artas and Neograft?
Neograft is a handheld manual FUE with suction built into the device. Based on this design there are several flaws in harvesting hairs including human error, and suction injury that can lead to trauma to the harvested hairs. ARTAS is the state of the art robotic system used to help eliminate human mistakes using stereoscopic cameras, computer algorithms, and continual updates. The ARTAS can actually detect which hairs are in the anagen phase of growth while it is extraordinarily difficult with the naked eye. While there are a host nuances to hair transplantation, harvesting issues are nearly eliminated with ARTAS.
Is ARTAS Cost Effective?
The true cost of hair transplantation is based on a variety of factors and issues.
- Economics –There is no better analogy than ‘You get what you pay for!’ with hair transplantation. While finding low cost options at chain providers is an option, patients are often left with visible scars, poor graft yields, and aesthetically unappealing graft placement. ARTAS represents the state of the art and a huge advance in hair transplantation. Patients should expect to pay more for a better procedure than a lower quality one.
- Hair Reserve – We often think only terms of economics but for a few thousand more, obtaining hair grafts with a higher yield (i.e. lower transection, proper growth phase, etc) will allow the patients to have a better result with less donor hairs.
What is the best type of hair for the ARTAS procedure?
The best hair type for the ARTAS is black, straight hair. However, the ARTAS can work on a variety of hair types. For white or grey hair, hair dye can be used for improved detection. For curly hair, the ARTAS can be adjusted to help it remove hair with increased precision.
Can I wash my hair right after the procedure?
We give detailed instructions for each patient. Our patients can use a proprietary rinse formula exclusively at Aesthetic Scalp for the first 7 days. Our proprietary rinse, called AS rinse, is designed to decrease the shedding phase of hair transplantation. We have found a significant degree of our patients will now only have minimal shedding. Normal hair washing can occur 7-10 days after the procedure.
Can the ARTAS harvest beard hair or body hair?
Currently the ARTAS does not harvest body hair. The body hair harvest is the one area where we use manual FUE since the reserve of hairs and quality of hairs are considered second line. Body hair harvesting is difficult with higher transection rates and lower yields.
Can I watch TV during the procedure?
Yes, most of our patients will watch TV, use their phone or iPad, finalize business deals, study for exams and more during the procedure. We know that you want to be entertained so we provide you with multiple options to make your day as enjoyable as possible.
How low should an ideal hairline be in the center?
An ideal hairline will vary from person to person. Patients should understand that hair position will vary from ideal based on the number of donor hairs. The central point of the forehead is critical to creating an appropriate frame to the face
Rule of 1/3’s- The hairline should be the same distance from your glabella (brow line) as the browline is to your base of nose. This proportion is often too low for most patients.
45 degree angle rule- The intersection of horizontal forehead and vertical forehead meet a 45 degree angle will be the ideal starting point of the forehead.
How should the hair transition to the temporal recessions?
Male patients typically have subtle temporal recessions present. The lateral temporal recession should correlate with the lateral canthus (lateral corner of the eye).
What should my hairline look like?
The hair should never be a straight line. The hairline created is based on a slightly irregular contour of slight eddys and dips to mimic a natural hairline. There are different patterns to direction and hairs can run in different directions. Typically in a male hairline the run anteriorly and away from the midline. The angle of male hair should be lower. Too high an angle can create an unnatural appearance and also is not efficient use of hairs. Along the temporal tuft the hair should run inferiorly to create a natural temporal action. Transitions are critical and should utilize a series of microtransitions to help hide the change in direction of hair. We have studied thousands of ideal heads and hair transitions to help create a natural pattern fitting for your head.