HAIR TRANSPLANTS: THE PERMANENT SOLUTION TO HAIR LOSS

At Hair Restoration Institute of Minnesota, we are exclusively dedicated to the treatment of hair loss, offering the latest in medical hair transplant and restoration procedures for both men and women.

At HRI, we realize that every hair transplant candidate has unique needs and desires. Therefore, each individual hair restoration patient's treatment plan is customized to their specific situation, including age, hair type, general health, degree of hair loss, lifestyle, and overall expectations.

We have one simple set of goals for each of our hair transplant patients:  to achieve as much naturalness and density as possible. We feel these two goals are best achieved when the plan is individualized for each patient, depending on what we are presented with.

There are a host of factors that must be taken into account with each patient before formulating the best plan: Some of the more important factors are: the patient’s age, the hair-to-skin color contrast, the caliber of the hair, the patient’s goals for later styling, and, perhaps most important, the ratio of available donor hair in relation to the recipient area in need of coverage.
 
 

Dr. Gregory Shannon, M.D.

“Nearly all people with male or female pattern hair loss are candidates for hair restoration surgery. What we can do is limited by the amount of donor space that we have. But 85 percent of the cosmetic effect of hair restoration comes from the front and the two forty-five degree angles just off of the front. We can achieve a great cosmetic look even with a small amount of hair. Many people will be happy with one procedure reframing the face, and some will want a second procedure.”

“Understanding patient expectations are crucial to the success of hair restoration. You cannot take someone who has had several years of hair loss and replace it from the back and sides of his head and make them look like they were 18 again. The density will just not be the same. However, you can have an extremely successful hair transplant with a great cosmetic effect utilizing smaller amounts of hair transplanted in an artistic way.”

“Besides the surgical skill required of the surgeon and the hair transplant team, a large part of the procedure is one of artistry.  It is extremely important that each procedure be done on an individual basis and look natural throughout a person’s life. The physician has to anticipate the future hair loss of the patient and that each procedure can achieve a natural appearance on its own should a second procedure not be done.

When someone comes in after hair transplantation, we’ll often hear incredible stories about how they feel much more confidant, look younger and feel healthier than they did with hair loss”.
 

“At HRI you will receive premium patient care, surgical
artistry and compassion that really is second to none.”
 

 
Dr. Nancy Shannon, M.D., PhD

The relationship between Dr. Nancy Shannon and each one of her patients is a very personal one. Each patient is treated as a unique individual.

Doctor Shannon personally conducts each consultation, and performs each hair transplant procedure in an unhurried manner, one at a time, with no other distractions. The results have been extremely high patient satisfaction and an reputation for excellence among her peers.

We try very hard to match the realistic expectations of our patients with what we can actually achieve.  Before any surgery is ever scheduled, Dr. Shannon always makes certain that a strong sense of mutual trust exists between herself and the patient.

Everything we do – the time and care with which we approach each procedure at our office – is geared toward creating a natural result that is both priceless and timeless.

CREDENTIALS

• Board Certification
  Diplomat, American College of Physicians

• Education
  Internal Medicine Residency, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  Doctor of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human
  Medicine, East Lansing, MI
  Doctor of Philosophy, Michigan State University Department of
  Pharmacology and Toxicology

• Affiliations
  International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (Pending)
  American College of Physicians
  Michigan State Medical Society

• Appointments
  Adjunct Clinical Professor, Michigan State University Department of Medicine

• Print
  Numerous publications in well respected scientific and medical journals
   

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Following years of scientific research and private practice in internal medicine, Dr. Nancy Shannon sought answers to improving the external appearance of her patients in response to their requests. “My patients were interested in looking as good as they felt and I wanted them to achieve the best results possible through a combined approach,” she said. Gratified by the successes she saw with Botox, dermal fillers, and laser therapy, she soon realized that hair replacement surgery could make the most dramatic difference in people’s lives. She began training in the field in 2003 and now devotes her practice entirely to surgical hair restoration and cosmetic procedures.

While she is highly regarded for her precise work and has received numerous professional accolades, Dr. Shannon’s patients know her human side. Comments like “you have been a most competent, caring, and considerate doctor,” “you are the smartest person I have ever met, but you never made feel inadequate,” and “you have been such a wise and humane doctor” are from the many sincere letters of appreciation she has received.

Dr. Shannon is a firm believer in education not only for the medical students she teaches, but especially for her patients. She said, “I feel it is important to educate my patients for shared decision making. We work together to arrive at a plan that will fulfill their goals. I share their delight at the life-changing results we can attain!”
 

What Kind of Techniques are used in
Hair Transplant Surgery?

Simply put, the hair transplant procedure involves moving healthy hair follicles from the back and sides of the head to areas that are bald or thinning due to male or female pattern hair loss. The hair transplant takes place by surgically transferring these genetically-resistant hair follicles in the form of follicular grafts into the balding areas. 

The investment in surgical hair restoration varies greatly depending on the techniques used, as well as your individual hair loss situation. Your investment will last a lifetime. There is a great amount of flexibility in the manner in which sessions are set up and spaced, in order to best ease the patient's financial burden.

Over the past decade, there have been monumental changes in the way hair transplantation is performed. Both the techniques of hair transplant surgery and the instrumentation have been refined and sophisticated to a point that it is possible in most patients to consistently achieve results that are undetectable to the public.

At Hair Restoration Institute of Minnesota, we constantly strive to stay as up-to-date as possible with the advances in the field, so that our clients realize the highest quality results possible.
 
 

Does Hair Transplantation really work?

Yes. The transplanted hair is removed from one area known as the donor site (typically the side or back of the head) and transferred to another (recipient site). The transferred tissue is not "rejected" as it is not foreign tissue. The transplanted hair maintains it's own characteristics; color, texture, growth rate, and curl, after transplantation and regrowth.

The day of the "pluggy" doll hair look is long gone. The main limitation to hair transplantation is density. While hair is moved from one location to another, there is no overall increase in hair density as a result.

Therefore it is important to determine whether you qualify as a candidate for hair transplant surgery. This can only be determined during an initial examination by a qualified specialist.


THE PROCEDURE

Hair transplantation is considered a “minor” outpatient surgery that takes from 3–8 hours. Patients are kept pain-free and comfortable with a gentle oral or IV sedation medication. Within 10–14 weeks hair transplant patients will begin to realize significant growth.


Skill, Artistry, Technique and Teamwork

The decision to take action against hair loss can be, for some individuals, a difficult one. By choosing the most qualified hair restoration expert, the decision becomes an easier one to make.

Knowledge of technique is obviously not sufficient in itself. That technique must be specifically applied with meticulous attention to detail to produce superior results. And this is our goal.

However, no surgeon can achieve this goal alone. Hair transplantation, perhaps more that any other surgical procedure, depends on the assistance of skilled medical personnel in a ‘team’ framework.

 

Book Your Free, Confidential and Private Hair Loss Evaluation Appointment Today