Computer system aids hair loss treatment

A US firm said it can harvest follicular (hair) units directly from the scalp to provide hair restoration, using computer-assisted technology. Dr. Jerry E. Cooley, founder and operator of the Carolina Dermatology Hair Center, in Charlotte, N.C., said the ARTAS System is approved by the U.S. government and he is the first to use the system to treat hair loss. Cooley said more than 35 million men are affected by male pattern baldness -- androgenetic alopecia -- in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of U.S. men will experience appreciable hair loss by age 35; by age 50, 85 percent will see significant loss in hair thickness. Genetic hair loss, which typically begins between late adolescence and before or during middle age, is largely untreatable outside of surgery, Cooley said. Restoration Robotics Inc., provides an interactive, computer assisted system that uses image guided technology to enhance the quality of hair follicle harvesting for the benefit of physicians and their patients, Cooley said. "I've always worked to provide my patients with the most effective, comfortable solutions available," Cooley said. "Needless to say, the ARTAS System represents a new and exciting addition to my practice. I'm confident my patients will benefit immensely from the system's advanced, highly sophisticated approach."