The process starts by taking a mold of the client’s scalp and carefully mapping the areas of hair loss. The mold is used to create a 3D model, which is then printed in a patented micro-thin, breathable bio-polymer material, creating a membrane or “second scalp” perfectly customized to the client’s head. The membrane is antibacterial and antifungal, and even adapts to changes in the wearer’s body temperature. A hair sample is also taken from the client and used to find a perfect match – color, curl, texture – from CRL’s large supply of donated virgin (never dyed or otherwise processed) hair. Once a match is found, a technician carefully sews the hair, piece by piece, into the membrane, replicating the hair’s natural direction of growth. The membrane is then attached to the scalp of the client using a special medical adhesive.
The original Cesare Ragazzi Laboratories is located in Italy, but their CNC system is becoming more widely available. Currently, it’s available in certain hair salons and treatment clinics in 12 countries, and in 12 states within the US. It’s a bit on the pricey side, upwards of a thousand dollars depending on the severity of your hair loss – mostly because the scalp models taken at the clinic actually have to be shipped to CRL in Italy to be 3D printed in the special biomaterial. If you’ve lost your hair due to disease, burns, or some other traumatic event, however, the cost may be worth it.
“A custom prosthetic CNC is actually a thin skin material that hair is injected into,” said Leslie Robinson, who owns Mane Image Hair Restoration Center in Merrillville, Indiana, describing the process one of her clients recently went through to get her hair piece. “What we do is we design the CNC to fit into the thin area, which is usually on the top of the head. These two go to Bologna, Italy, where a 3-D imaging machine makes a custom CNC prosthetic. When the CNC comes back to Mane Image, we custom style it to … a client’s specifications.”
Below is a look at Robinson’s use of CNC in her Indiana salon. Is this something that interests you? Discuss in the 3D Printed Scalp forum over at 3DPB.com.
Below, you can see the process in more detail in a video produced by Cesare Ragazzi Laboratories: