Hair Restoration

Unlike large impersonal chains, at Renew Medspa; Anti-Aging & Aesthetic Medicine we we provide exceptional service, superior quality of care and consistent attention to detail for every patient.

We combine the latest clinically proven technological innovations in cosmetics with expertise and artistry to produce breakthrough results in Hair Restoration. 

Dr. Kevin Ende works with Dr. Dyer-Goode to bring you the very best in Hair Restoration and Transplant services.  Dr. Ende’s expertise in hair transplant surgery is unique and unparalleled by any Facial Plastic Surgeon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or any neighboring state.  In fact, he is the only Facial Plastic Surgeon in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware eligible to become a diplomat of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery.

Good judgment, experience, and certainly a sense of artistry are required by the directing surgeon in order to get the optimal result with a particular patient.

Follicular Unit Grafts: Hair transplants are much improved - no more of the Vice President Joe Biden "doll's hair" or "corn row" appearances that led to complaints in the past. Special techniques and magnification are used to create hair grafts of the smallest possible size that retain the natural characteristics of hair growth.  Even Dr. Ende may not be able to discern a transplanted hair from your naturally growing hair after transplantation with his techniques.

In recent years great change has occurred in the way many surgeons perform hair transplants. My practice as well as others has adopted the use of the dissecting microscope to create hair grafts of the smallest possible size that still retains the natural characteristics of hair growth.

Micro-grafting
By natural characteristics of follicular unit hair growth, we mean the pattern of hair follicles as they grow out from the skin. If one looks at the scalp with 5-10 powers of magnification, it can be seen that hairs grow out of the skin in clumps of one, two, three, and four hairs. The human scalp averages one follicular unit per 1mm² and each unit averages 2.2 hairs. Therefore a strip of scalp 1cm in width and 10cm in length could yield 1000 follicular unit grafts (2200 hairs) for hair transplant and hair restoration surgery. This is the way nature grows hair, and the closest we can come surgically is to move hair in these follicular units in their natural groups, cutting away the non-hair-bearing skin between them, and then transplanting them into tiny slits on the top of the head. With certain situations, only two or three graft sessions are necessary to give complete results and, if the goals are limited, sometimes one session may suffice.

By keeping hair transplants as small as possible, yet keeping the follicular units intact, one can create a natural-looking appearance. It should be understood, though, that the density with follicular unit grafting will fall short of the normal, pre-bald hair covering.

Teamwork
In performing large sessions of follicular unit hair transplants, it is necessary to have a team of physicians, nurses, and technicians who can do the labor-intensive tasks of cutting the donor hair under microscopes into thousands of these small follicular unit grafts and then inserting them into the punctures that the surgeon makes into the scalp in order to create a natural hairline. At Renew Medspa Anti-Aging & Aesthetic Medicine he has up to four assistants working a follicular unit hair transplant case, often alternating assistants to lessen the fatigue factor. The skill and experience of these assistants is crucial to efficient and successful modern-day follicular unit hair grafting.

Anesthesia
Many clinics perform follicular unit hair transplants under local anesthesia only. This allows the patient to be fully alert through the procedure and be able to drive himself home afterward. In our Medspa we offer oral sedation to patients so they may be sleepy or unaware through a good part of the procedure. If the patients wish to drive themselves or take public transportation without assistance, we offer local anesthesia alone.  With either scenario, the operation is painless once the scalp is anesthetized, and complaint free. If sedation is used, the 3-7 hr. period of work is but a vague memory.

Postoperatively
Dr. Ende often puts a dressing on the back of the head to collect any drainage and the patient leaves the office with a baseball cap. The first night, the dressing is removed.  Most patients can wash their hair gently the second day after surgery; they can gently shampoo on the third day; and they may use their usual hairstyling methods on the fourth day. The stitches or surgical clips used for closure in the back of the head are removed in eleven to fourteen days.

Doll's Hair Look
In the "old days", prior to follicular unit transplant techniques, hair grafting was done with the larger grafts, which have pretty much been abandoned for the smaller follicular unit grafts described in this writing. These older style grafts as seen on VP Joe Biden, often referred to as "plugs”, often resulted in the "corn row" or "doll's hair" look and a multitude of patient complaints. This was due to large grafts standing out by themselves. By dividing the donor source into smaller follicular unit grafts, we spread the hair around more diffusely and, therefore, get a more natural look. We try to prevent an appearance that looks either like a doll's hair or a wall of dense hair.

Individuality
Judgment, experience, and certainly a sense of artistry are required by the directing surgeon in order to get the optimal result with a particular patient. There is a great variety of balding patterns, hair textures, densities, colors, and scalp laxity, all of which are factors that involve certain modifications in an individual plan to get the optimal result. Dr. Ende emphasizes that follicular unit hair transplantation is not an assembly-line type of procedure where you can recommend the same technique for all people.

New Techniques
Lately, patients are doing extensive hair transplant research prior to coming for consultation .  New placement devices and hair stem cell research are the most popular topics that I discuss.  I relate stem cells to hair transplant as Jim Cramer relates the electric car to automobiles.  We believe that new technology will eventually work its way into the hair transplant world.  However, stem cells have been researched for decades and we are most likely many many years away from their usage in hair transplant procedures.  New placement devices for hair have entered the market place each year for the past several decades. 

However, none have ever been shown to be better or even as good as placement with a micro forceps.  While some devices or robots may lead to hair transplant surgery being performed faster, more hairs are often damaged or discarded in the process compared to my techniques.

Live and feel Confident. Call 215.792.6377 to schedule your consultation.