Up to 50% of women are believed to suffer some degree of hair loss by the age of 80 – yet they account for only 15% of those undergoing surgical hair transplants every year. Now a minimally invasive, multiple hair implantation device is offering a solution to women suffering from androgenetic alopecia, also known as inherited hair loss.
The Hairstetics device offers a procedure that sees the implantation of some 400 to 1,000 synthetic hairs in the scalp under local anaesthesia. It takes place within 40 minutes and with minimal pain, downtime and scarring.
Oren Ne’eman, CEO of Hairstetics, says the treatment is also repeatable and reversible.
“The nature of hair loss in women is different to that in men, making most of them not eligible for hair transplantation due to hair that is too thin in the donating area,” he explains. “Hair transplantation typically uses short hair follicles only a few millimeters long, which is suitable for most men and allows for a natural appearance relatively soon after the procedure.
However, he says, most women would need to wait 18 to 24 months for the transplanted hair to reach their natural hair length.
“It’s a waiting period many women are unwilling to accept. Our procedure provides an immediate hairline-length result, as the implants can be up to 40cm long and are not dependent on the patient’s natural hair quality.”
A Short Procedure Time
Established in 2010, Hairstetics was founded with the vision of offering a fast, safe and reliable solution for women in particular. The procedure is currently being used in France, Israel and parts of China, with the company seeking funds to expand its reach.
The fully sterile device is essentially a disposable cartridge that has been preloaded with artificial implants. These are then injected into the scalp. The implant itself is made from two biocompatible materials already used in medicine: Nitinol, commonly used in surgical applications, such as cardiac stents and valves, and a specialized type of nylon similar to that employed in surgical sutures.
“The short procedure time is made possible by the device’s preloaded design, which requires no preparation,” explains Mr. Ne’eman. “Each injection delivers 12 implants simultaneously in just two seconds.”
Minimal pain, downtime, and scarring are achieved thanks to the miniaturization of the implant anchor (approximately 200 microns) and the needle (300 microns), which, the company says, significantly reduces risk.
Suitable for Some Men
While the procedure is designed for women with androgenetic alopecia, hair loss caused by age or genetics, rather than by autoimmune conditions or other illnesses, it is also suitable for men, provided they have a minimum hair length of 8 to 10cm.
“An average hair transplant procedure in Europe would cost 5,000 to 6,000 Euro, and this procedure is comparable to the costs of that natural hair transplantation,” he says.
“Hairstetics was founded with the vision of becoming for the hair restoration market what Botox and fillers are to the skin market – a quick, safe, and immediate solution for women suffering from androgenetic alopecia.”
