We are excited that LoHud.com, a division of USA Today News network featured Unique Hair Concepts owner, Flora Fuentes and client Micheal Perlaza. The following is an article written by Karen Roberts:
When Michael Perlaza started losing his hair in his 20s, he searched for options to replace what he had lost.
“I was young and losing it too soon,” says Perlaza of Manhattan. “I started losing my hair at 23 to 24 years old.”
Perlaza's solution might seem unusual: His treatment uses 3-D technology.
In essence, the technology creates an exact "scalp replica" of a client's hair. It's a non-surgical, non-invasive and less painful way to treat hair loss.
Perlaza has been using it for over two years and says he was able to get a fuller head of hair that has taken years off his age.
"I swim, shower with my hair and I’m a marathon runner,” says Perlaza.
Flora Fuentes, owner of Unique Hair Concepts in Ardsley, is the exclusive provider in the New York area of the CNC 3-D Printed Hair System, a medical-grade, dermatologically-tested, full or partial hair replacement system.
It's available for men, women, and children facing hair loss. Fuentes says the average age of her male clients is between 22 and 35 years old with female clients averaging between 30 and 55 years old.
“We start by looking at the area of hair loss and then create a map of the area we are going to fill,” she explains.
The process involves making a mold of the head using a precise measurement of head shape and the area of hair loss area to create the new "scalp."
"These molds are taken so we have an exact measurement and contour of the clients’ head," explains Fuentes.
A lab uses a client's hair sample and those parameters to create a prosthetic.
The measurements and hair sample are sent to the CRLAB in Italy, which developed the technology. The lab uses 3-D cam scan technology to read the mold and create a second scalp with the client's skin color. The lab then uses 100 percent healthy human hair matched to the client’s hair sample, with the same texture, denier and weight.
The scalp, made of biochemical medical materials, adapts to the wearer’s body temperature and because of the technology, is a perfect fit for the client.
Fuentes says every precaution is taken to make the wearer comfortable and the product, which is a prothesis, look as real as possible.
This non-surgical product starts at $3,000.
Perlaza says he searched for a hair replacement system for years.
“I selected this option because I didn’t want to go through the knife,” he says. “I was a nervous wreck.”
He’s open about going through the process and doesn’t keep it a secret that it’s not his own hair.
“I like to be open, so that is it’s nobody’s weapon against me,” he says.
Perlaza went so far as to post a YouTube video of himself having the process. “It’s because people have so many questions and it’s just considered taboo,” he says of his hair replacement procedure.
Fuentes says clients can get the length they want and the process lasts longer, with breathable medical adhesive tape that protects the scalp from infection.
For clients like Perlaza, being able to do basic things are key. “I want to comb my hair in a certain way and be able to go on a roller coaster.”
“I’m proud of it and I want men to know about it,” he says. “I spent my whole life hiding it — it’s there to make me feel great.”
Contact the hair specialists at Unique Hair Concepts to learn more.
