Although we at Tempus Hair Restoration often caution against technicians performing hair transplant procedures, they do have a legitimate, vital role in the process. Knowing why their involvement is necessary and which aspects of the procedure they can legally perform will give you the information you need to make an informed decision about choosing your surgeon wisely.

The Responsibilities of Hair Transplant Technicians

In the practice of an ethical hair transplant surgeon, technicians are a valuable part of the team. They allow the surgeon to focus on his/her responsibilities in providing the best possible aesthetic outcome for patients while maintaining medical standards for patient safety. They also allow procedures to be performed in a time-efficient manner.

The team of Dr. Marco Barusco—Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Tempus Hair Restoration—is highly trained and plays an essential role in maintaining the quality and precision that defines his work. Their responsibilities include the following:

Hair graft dissection and preparation—Technicians carefully dissect follicular units under high-powered microscopes to ensure that each graft harvested from the donor area of the scalp is intact and viable for implantation.

Hair graft handling and organization—Technicians are responsible for properly hydrating, storing and organizing the grafts in preparation for implantation, maintaining strict sterility and efficiency at each step.

Surgical setup and breakdown—Technicians prep the surgical suite before each procedure, manage instrument sterilization and ensure a smooth, hygienic environment throughout the day.

Assisting during hair graft implantation—While Dr. Barusco makes all incisions and determines graft placement, technicians assist by placing grafts, allowing the process to remain seamless and efficient.

Providing patient care and support—Technicians play a supportive role by helping patients stay comfortable during the procedure and assisting with post-op instructions.

Recognize the Differences Between Responsibilities of the Surgeon and Technicians

Unfortunately, too many hair transplant and cosmetic surgery practices allow non-medical technicians to perform key aspects of a procedure—most commonly, the Follicular Unit Excision (FUE). Advertising and marketing by such practices and clinics falsely imply that this a typical, legitimate situation—which is definitely not the case!

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), the following aspects of hair restoration surgery should only be performed by a licensed physician:

• Preoperative diagnostic evaluation and consultation.
• Surgery planning.
• Surgery execution, including:
  • Donor hair harvesting
  • Hairline design
  • Recipient site creation
• Management of other patient medical issues and possible adverse reactions.
• Post-operative care.

Moreover, Florida has passed legislation which deems that harvesting hair and making incisions on a patient are functions that only a physician, a Physician’s Assistant (not the same as a technician or nurse), or a Nurse Practitioner are allowed to perform. A doctor who allows others to do it in their practice is aiding and abetting the illegal practice of medicine, and may lose his or her medical license and/or face felony charges.

We always emphasize that hair transplant surgery is surgery. Even though the patient receives a topical anesthesia and is awake during the procedure doesn’t mean that a hair transplant is without the potential for a bad outcome or even permanent damage if performed incorrectly. Our blog post—“Don’t Let a Technician Perform Your Hair Transplant Surgery”—covers this topic in detail.

How Dr. Barusco and His Technician Work Together During a Hair Transplant Procedure

To provide you with better insight into how Dr. Barusco’s commitment to excellence involves every aspect of our practice, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the relationship between surgical technique and technology—and the critical role of his technician.

You may have heard of implantation pens. The best-known is the Choi implanter pen, which is the tool used to implant the hair follicle back into the scalp once it has been removed from the donor area. One drawback to the Choi implanter is that it creates the recipient site and implants the follicle in a single action. This at first may seem an advantage, but opens the possibility for a technician being allowed to make the incision, rather than the surgeon.

Dr. Barusco uses a dull-edge implantation pen, which offers some unique advantages and differs from the standard approach in the following ways:

Preserves site integrity—Using this technique, Dr. Barusco makes all the recipient sites himself—determining the exact direction, angle, and depth for natural-looking results. The dull-edge pen allows the technician to gently “drop” the graft into the site without altering the direction or damaging the surrounding tissue.

Minimal graft trauma—Since the grafts are not forced into the scalp and are placed without excessive manipulation, the risk of damaging the follicular units is greatly reduced, thereby supporting higher graft survival rates.

Controlled two-step process—Unlike the one-motion pens that combine incision and placement in a single step, our approach separates the two. This allows Dr. Barusco full control over the artistry and planning of the implantation, while the technician assists by placing the grafts into the pre-made sites using the dull implanter.

Enhanced precision and consistency—The dull-edge design helps ensure that the site’s direction remains untouched, which is key to achieving consistent and natural growth patterns.

Knowledge is Power! Ask the Right Questions and Choose Your Surgeon Wisely!

Dr. Barusco and his technician work together during hair transplant procedures to create the look of natural growth while keeping patient safety the utmost priority. The role of a technician in an ethical practice is to assist and support the surgeon, not perform the surgery. When you schedule a consultation to learn your options for a hair transplant, ask the surgeon the follow questions recommended by the ISHRS:

• Who will evaluate my hair loss and recommend a course of treatment? What is their education, training, licensure, and experience in treating hair loss? Only physicians, Physician’s Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are legally allowed to diagnose a patient and to recommend medical treatments. Otherwise, the person recommending procedures and/or treatments is practicing medicine without a license, a felony crime in Florida and many other states.
• Who will be involved in performing my surgery, what role will they play, and what is their education, training, licensure, and experience performing hair restoration surgery?
• Will anyone not allowed by the State Medical Board be making incisions or harvesting grafts during my surgery? If so, please identify this person, explain their specific role and why they are legally permitted to perform it.
• Is everyone involved in my surgery covered by malpractice insurance?

Ultimately, choose your surgeon based on experience, results and integrity. Dr. Barusco’s long list of accomplishments, his notable artistic ability and his successful surgical team make Tempus Hair Restoration a renowned practice. We understand that the main concern you may have is cost, which is why we offer financing options that can place this important goal within reach.

Contact us to schedule your free virtual consultation. Dr. Barusco conducts every consultation himself, giving you the opportunity to learn your options in the comfort of your home – or any location, on any internet-enabled device. 

Dr. Barusco conducts consultations in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For your greater convenience, Tempus Hair Restoration offers a two-night complimentary hotel stay to out-of-town clients who travel 100 miles or more to our Port Orange, Florida, surgical center. No matter how far the distance, we welcome the opportunity to help you on your hair restoration journey!