I want to know more about the Artas hair transplant machine and if it's worth it for me -- any advice? (Photos)

Dear wpmdad123,
Thank you for posting this question. Looking at your pictures it’s pretty obvious you could really benefit from a hair restoration procedure. Perhaps using the ARTAS system. The ARTAS robot is used in one segment of a hair restoration procedure. The process as a whole is not a simple one, and involves an entire surgical team. Just because a given physician has an ARTAS robot is by no means a guarantee of a good, or even acceptable result. The robot is not like a car wash where you stick your head in a “presto” out comes your head with all the hair moved to its new location. It by no means is something in which you can place a patient's head and "minimally supervise" a near-micro plastic surgery. Instead, think of the ARTAS system as a paintbrush….it’s merely a tool. No paintbrush of any value can guarantee a beautiful painting. Same with the ARTAS system. It helps the surgeon perform one of the many aspects of hair transplant surgery; most of the procedure is still done by hand. It is not the technology, but the talent, experience, dedication and long track record of success of the physician and his team of technicians that will determine the cosmetic outcome of a hair transplant procedure. Every single time. So look for a physician who practices only hair restoration surgery with a long track record of success in the field. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Kind Regards,
Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS

ARTAS is one of our wonderful tools that we use here at Advanced Cosmetic.
As long as your hair does not have a lot of wave or curl you should get great results.
You have to be cautious where you go because of the steep learning curve that goes with this technology. Neograft, Smartgraft and Artas are being sold to a lot of doctors that never performed hair transplants before, so do your homework and don't base your decision on price. Experience is everthing in this business. Find clincis that are not working on multiple patients per day to insure they are taking their time so you don't get over harvested in the donor hair.

In looking at your pictures I feel that a hair restoration procedure would be beneficial for you.  The ARTAS robot is one method that is used in obtaining the hair follicles that are transplanted during a hair restoration procedure.  It is important to understand that the robot is only a tool used by the surgeon for a specific portion of the entire transplantation process.  The expertise and experience of the surgeon, as well as the skill of the technical staff are the most important parts of a successful transplant.  The robot allows the surgeon to extract individual hair follicles that are then processed and placed into the recipient sites.  The benefit of the ARTAS system is that it is more precise than the human hand can be when grafts are obtained by manual follicular unit extraction.  There is less chance of damage to the individual hair follicle when extracted by the robot.  So for the best chance of a successful transplant it is wise to seek out a surgeon who is dedicated to the field of hair restoration.  They will most likely have an experienced team working with them to help ensure the best possible outcome.

Let’s clarify all of the information on the ARTAS robot.  Summary is that the ARTAS is the best tool to harvest hair grafts on the market.
The original ARTAS was slow and took as long as 1 hour to harvest 50 grafts!!  The original iPhone had a 2 megapixel camera and 4gb storage.
Since then, the ARTAS is on its 9th version- called the 9x.  With this version, up to 1500 grafts can be harvested in 1 hour!!  The iPhone X has a 12 megapixel camera and a processing chip faster than a high end Macbook pro did in 2007.
The point here is that not all robots are the same- it is a piece of technology that has been updated and improved.  In my experience with FUE, the quality of the graft and the graft yield was low.  I believe most handheld FUE are probably in the 60% quality range rather than the 90% being reported.  With the ARTAS, our graft yield has been high 90s which is a huge difference.
The ARTAS can actually make sites which is important in patients seeking higher density.  When the ARTAS makes sites it can avoid other hairs preventing 1 type of shock loss.
The ARTAS as described is one important tool in the hair making decision.  In my practice, every patient receives regenerative technique (PRP or growth factors), because it makes the results so much better.  In some cases, miniaturized hairs can actually become terminal.  The quality of the hair is also better in our experience (using quantitative software with trichoscope, our data)
Best Dr. Anil Shah

ARTAS is a tool a doctor uses to harvest hairs using the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method.  It does not mean you will get great results.  One analogy would be having a fancy microwave machine for cooking.  It does not mean it will cook your great meal.  You still need a good chef. 

Thank you for your question. Wow, this is an exciting time for you to choose the best pathway for restoring a natural hairline for yourself.  You do have extensive hair loss in your front and back, which means you need extensive restoration. The ARTAS iX robot offers a great solution for harvesting hair follicles from your donor area (back) to the recipient areas. ARTAS is a tool and not the solution. As the physician I am involved in every aspect of the procedure, and use this tool to work more efficient, quickly, and accurately. This FUE procedure has the advantage of no linear scars and quicker healing as compared to a older FUT procedure. A typical harvesting period takes about 4 hours. During this time I am able to harvest between 1,500 to 2,200 follicular units. The number of units will vary based on the patient's scalp donor area.Your hair loss extends the front, middle, and back of your scalp. Under optimal conditions you would need 9,000+ grafts. As you can imagine this will be challenge with a single FUE procedure (with or without ARTAS).  Although I cannot fully visualize your donor area (back) it is reasonable to say that you are unlikely to have 9,000+ follicles for transplantation.Instead you should plan on having two procedures that are 6-12 months apart. Focus on first framing your face with a nice frontal hairline, then follow a second procedure to repopulate the middle-to-back areas.

When it comes to choosing to have a transplant using the FUE method, the ARTAS system is the only robotic device which allows for the most precise graft selection and no physician fatigue. However, like any medical procedure, there are potential risks involved and the outcomes are partially determined by the operator. In our practice we offer both the ARTAS Robotic FUE as well as the traditional FUT method and the surgical portion of each are performed by myself, the physician not delegated to technicians.  We have had exceptional results with both types of transplants.  During consultation, we cover in detail the pros and cons of each method and educate the patient so that they can decide which method is the best option. Hair transplants are not cheap and you should definitely educate yourself and proceed wisely so that you don’t waste your hard-earned money. Meeting or speaking with the doctor before any procedure is also a good idea so that you are comfortable with the plan and their skills. Whether the ARTAS method or a traditional technique is better for you will be something to decide at the time of your consultation.

I believe my colleagues have explained the functionality of the robot and the way that it is very operator dependent quite well. As a carpenter I am sure that you understand having a hammer and some nails means nothing if you don't have the skills and mental capacity to design and build! In your case some very relevant questions to answer that would determine if surgery with the ARTAS, (or any other type of procedure that may be more suitable for your case) would be worth your hard earned money is:
What is your expectation for your procedure? 
What does the back of your head look like (AKA the donor area)?
Would you consider adding nonsurgical solutions such as topical and oral medicines to further enhance the efficacy of your procedure?

As some of my colleagues have mentioned, the ARTAS system is a tool and will not alone determine the success of a procedure.  That said, in a well trained office like ours where we do many ARTAS cases, you can expect very good results.  One thing I would keep in mind in your particular case is the graft planning and design for the new hairs.  I would recommend to keep your hairline quite recessed to keep a natural look and make the best use of the donor hair.  I would also focus mainly on the hairline and midscalp since this is what frames the face.  Also, the role of maintenance is crucial for long term success (ie finasteride vs laser vs serial PRP/microneedling sessions).  I wish you much success in your research and potential procedure.

Great question. You need to keep in mind that Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) involves 5-6 critical steps and each of them are important for a successful hair transplant surgery. Donor harvesting with Strip and/or FUExcision techniques are ONLY one step of the Hair transplantation surgery. Donor harvesting with FUExcision (punch) technique can be performed with manual, motorized and Robot devices (ARTAS) and each technique has pros, cons, side effects and complications. 
The ARTAS or another punch technique is very valuable in great surgeon's hands with experience.
the most important advice is: to check hair surgeon credentials including his/her training and experience in hair restoration.
Good luck.