More than half of all men and one third of all women in the United States are going bald. But in the past, hair transplantation procedures were not designed for everyone. Now, new technology has arrived to give all patients a shot at “good hair,” according to a new study published by James Harris, M.D., of the Hair Sciences Center of Colorado.
Published in the January 2006 issue of Dermatologic Surgery, the article examines a study piloted by Dr. Harris to determine the efficacy of the SAFE – Surgically Advanced Follicular Extraction (SAFE) System. The SAFE System SM, developed and patented by Dr. Harris in 2004, utilizes a small, self-contained device to isolate, extract and transplant singular units of hair without the trauma associated with other types of hair transplantation surgery.
Prior to the development of the SAFE System, hair transplant surgeons had to rely on traditional, invasive surgical procedures that required the surgeon to surgically remove strips of scalp from the sides or back of the head, resulting in a linear scar and a lengthy healing time. In recent years, technological advancements have led to the development of Follicular Unit Extraction. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) involves the removal of singular follicular units of hair. While less invasive than traditional transplants, traditional FUE is time consuming, more expensive and only appropriate for a small percentage of patients. The SAFE System was developed to improve upon the difficulties associated with this system of FUE.