Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair transplant surgery is a procedure in which hair is moved from the back and/or sides of the scalp, where the hair is permanent (donor area), to areas that are thinning or bald on the front, top, or crown of the scalp (recipient area). Once transplanted, the hair will continue to grow for a person’s lifetime. Read Why A Hair Transplant WorksWhy A Hair Transplant Works
A hair transplant works because hair that originates in the permanent area, or donor area, is not subject to the effects of DHT.
DHT is a hormone that causes hair to become progressively shorter and finer until it eventually disappears — a process called “miniaturization.”
Since the genetic susceptibility to DHT resides in the hair follicle, and not the surrounding skin, a follicle that is moved from the permanent area to a balding area will continue to be resistant to the effects of DHT and will continue to grow..
All modern hair transplant procedures are based on the concept proposed by Dr. Bernstein, in his 1995 landmark publication “Follicular Transplantation,” that the most natural results are produced when hair is transplanted exclusively as naturally occurring follicular units. These tiny bundles of 1 to 4 hairs each are “harvested” from the donor area by removing a single, thin strip that is further dissected into individual follicular unit grafts with the aid of special microscopes. This technique is called Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). The grafts can also be removed, one by one, directly from the donor scalp in a technique called Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
Once harvested, thousands of these tiny grafts are placed, in a single session, into needle-sized holes, called recipient sites, which the physician makes in the balding area.
The transplanted follicles will begin producing new hair in 2-3 months and the hair transplant will be fully grown-in, or “mature,” after about one year. It is the aesthetic arrangement of these individual follicular unit grafts that enables the surgeon to create the most natural results possible from a hair transplant procedure.
Who Is A Candidate For A Hair Transplant
In order to be a candidate for a hair transplant four basic criteria should be met. These are to have:
- Sufficient hair loss to affect the way you look “now”
- Been unresponsive to medical therapy (for those who choose to use medication)
- Realistic expectations on what a hair transplant can accomplish
- Enough donor hair supply to satisfy current and future needs
A hair transplant should not be used as prevention, but rather as a treatment once your appearance had been changed from your hair loss. A hair transplant does not prevent the progression of genetic hair loss. Unlike medical therapy, which is used for prevention and is best started early, there are no medical or surgical benefits to having a hair transplant early, other than for cosmetic purposes. In other words, if someone is a candidate for surgery there is never a window that will be lost by waiting. See the Hair Transplant Blog for more on the topic of Age.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
In Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), hair is harvested from the permanent (donor) area in the back and sides of the scalp, by removing a single, thin strip of tissue. The area is then sutured or stapled closed to produce a fine-linear scar. The strip is placed under a series of special stereo-microscopes, where it is dissected into thousands of individual 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-hair follicular units. These follicular unit grafts are then placed into tiny recipient sites that the surgeon makes in the balding area. This process allows quick healing and leaves no scarring in the transplanted area. Read more in our FUT section. »»
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
In Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), grafts are removed one-by-one from the back and sides of the scalp using a small, round cutting instrument guided by hand or robotic control. The small holes that remain are left open to heal. Healing usually takes about one week. There are a variety of punches used for this procedure, each having its advantages and disadvantages, with new ones continually being developed. As in a follicular unit transplant, grafts are placed into tiny recipient sites that the surgeon makes in the balding area. Read more in our FUE section. »»
Robotic Hair Transplantation
Robotic hair transplantation is a natural extension of improvements in the technology of Follicular Unit Extraction since its first description by Rassman and Bernstein in 2002. The automation of the standard FUE procedure contributes to the overall improvement of the surgery in a number of ways. The ARTAS System for FUE, in use at Bernstein Medical, employs an image-guided robot to separate follicular units from the surrounding tissue. This allows this step to be accomplished with great precision. Read more in our section on Robotic FUE. »»
Hair Transplant Photo Journal
In our Hair Transplant Photo Journal you can follow the progress of a hair transplant patient from the planning of the surgery, to the creation of the recipient sites, to the maturation of the hair transplant over time. »»
Eyebrow Transplant & Restoration
Eyebrow transplant surgery is similar to other types of hair transplant procedures; however, the special anatomic features of the eyebrow require that special techniques are used to create natural, aesthetically pleasing results in this cosmetically important area.
Eyebrow transplants are used to treat hair loss from a variety of causes. Fortunately, due to the limited amount of hair needed, most patients will have adequate donor hair if they are candidates for this procedure. Read more in the Eyebrow Transplant & Restoration section. »»
Hair Transplant Repair
A variety of hair restoration techniques can be used to correct the appearance of poorly executed hair transplants, old “plug” procedures, scalp reductions, flaps, or widened donor scars. The main methods involve camouflage or graft removal with re-implantation in smaller units. In a combined repair, both procedures are used to obtain the most natural results. Many patients needing repair have very limited donor reserves, so each step in the repair process must be done with extreme care. Read about corrective methods of hair restoration, and the situations in which each would apply, in the Hair Transplant Repair section. »»
Hair Transplant History, FAQ, and More Information
Hair transplant surgery in the United States began in 1959 with Dr. Orentreich’s famous publication in which he first described hair transplants using large 4-6mm plugs. The procedure has evolved dramatically since that time. Dr. Bernstein’s pioneering research and publications on Follicular Unit Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction have revolutionized the field and have led to the modern techniques that are now used by physicians around the globe.
Visit our History, FAQ & More Information section for a detailed history of hair transplantation, answers to frequently asked questions about hair restoration, milestones in the development of FUT, a timeline of innovations at Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration, a hair transplant glossary, and much more. »»
