Dr. Melissa Toyos is an oculofacial surgeon specializing in FUE (follicular unit extraction) hair and eyebrow transplantation, CO2 facial resurfacing, and sculpting faces with injectables. A summa cum laude graduate and board-certified Ophthalmologist, she is a partner at Toyos Clinic and formerly was a partner at one of the largest eye care practices in the country. Dr. Toyos is a national researcher and lecturer. She trains other doctors on surgical techniques as well as cosmetic procedures. Her clinical research has been instrumental in many FDA approvals. She is the former President of the Missouri Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. She has held various leadership positions with the AAO. Dr. Toyos has served as a mentor to young female surgeons, helping them understand how to balance a career and motherhood.
Learn more about body expert Dr. Melissa Toyos in this introductory Q & A.
Photo Credit: Mary Phelps
My greatest achievement:
Being part of the team that first brought SmartGraft FUE to market in the United States. Also, being able to deliver superior results in hair transplantation compared to all other modalities in the field while delivering a high level of service to our patients.
What is the future of your field?
Minimally invasive procedures will continue to dominate all aspects of the aesthetic world. In the world of hair transplantation, I envision 3-D printing and replication of your own hair follicles (maybe on an app on your phone!) which will overcome the barrier of having enough donor hairs for transplants and nanoparticular scaffolds that will be embedded in the scalp to serve as incubators for the transplants to deliver even better results.
The biggest misconception about my field is...
That all hair transplantation procedures are long, painful and the results look fake. With SmartGraft, nothing could be further from the truth: transformations can take a day or less, patients are extremely comfortable through the whole process and with SmartGraft technology, even your hairdresser won't be able to tell that you've had the procedure.
My most requested procedures:
SmartGraft FUE, hands down. Patients really appreciate that it is minimally invasive, comfortable, deliver the most natural results and does it all without the unsightly linear scar of older types of transplant.
What surgical advancement are you most excited about?
I am most excited about the SmartGraft FUE procedure. It offers higher efficiency of transplants - better than 95% versus the best-case scenario of about 75% for other types of transplants. It's safe, easy and convenient for our patients with minimal downtime.
What are you best known for?
SmartGraft FUE for hair and eyebrow transplantation and MIXTOLaserLift for facial rejuvenation. I wrote the book on both!
What is your most memorable patient reaction?
I work on a lot of high-profile individuals who appear on HD television, on stage or just generally in the public eye. Without giving away any details, being able to restore the confidence of a specific performer with SmartGraft. He was most excited about no longer being self-conscious about his appearance, being photographed or being on stage with the lights and best of all, he could wear his hair short in the back without having to worry that a scar would show through. He said we gave him back his life!
What sets my practice apart?
Toyos Clinic is unique in that we have a see better, look better philosophy and we invest heavily in technology to stay at the forefront. Whether it's small incision LASIK (back to makeup and sports the next day), intraocular lenses that can help you see better than you ever did at all distances, MIXTOLaserLift for a non-invasive facial rejuvenation and now SmartGraft for the smartest option in hair transplantation.
We are also heavily involved in research which helps us ahead of the game with new and emerging technologies and gives our patients early access to treatments that are not available to the general public.
What I love most about my profession:
I never get tired of helping people look and feel their best. Using science, technology and my skills to solve problems for people - restoring what has been lost or maybe making them feel and look better than they ever have before - it never gets old.
Career-defining procedure?
Definitely the SmartGraft FUE. We were one of the first in the US to bring it to market and we are very proud of being part of the innovation team to bring it to our patients around the country.
Service I am excited to offer:
We are so excited to offer SmartGraft FUE for hair and eyebrow transplants (like Chrissy Tiegen had). We also offer small incision LASIK (SMILE which allows you to wear makeup, exercise or go to the lake the next day), refractive lens options to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and allow you to read all without glasses and the best non-surgical facelift on the market, MIXTOLaserLift.
