Bernstein Medical Center for Hair Restoration - Mini-micrografting

Mini-micrografting

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Q: I recently had a hair transplant procedure done in Florida and it has been about 8 months. When I am in direct overhead light and when sunlight is behind me, I see many tiny holes that are not visible under normal light. I know these are where they placed the transplanted hair but need to know if there is a way to remove these tiny holes. I am obviously not getting any answers from the doctor that performed the hair restoration. I am wondering if dermal fillers, dermabrasion, or laser treatment would work to fix this and if so, do you offer these treatments?

A: This condition is often referred to as pitting and occurs when grafts are placed below the surface of the skin. It is more common with large grafts rather than small ones and is almost never seen in Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).

In general, visible holes can result from mini-micrografting hair transplant procedures where the grafts (and thus the recipient sites needed to hold them) are larger than approximately 1.2mm. Recipients sites smaller than 1.2 rarely leave any mark. In follicular unit hair transplant procedures, the grafts will fit into sites smaller than 1.2mm so surface changes are generally not seen (even if the grafts are not placed flush with the skin).

It is difficult to fix the holes directly with the methods you listed as fillers do not fix well defined holes and laser-abrasion and dermabrasion may destroy the surrounding hair.

A properly performed second procedure that places follicular unit grafts in the area should correct the problem.

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Q: I went to a hair transplant doctor for a consultation for my hair loss and he said that it was not that important to use microscopes for hair transplants. I had heard that it was. What’s the deal? — V.F., Hell’s Kitchen, N.Y.

A: It is extremely important to use microscopes when performing hair transplants. It is the only way that follicular units, the naturally occurring groups of hair follicles, can be isolated from the donor tissue without damaging them.

Other techniques, such as magnifying loops and back-lighting are not as precise. Using microscopically dissected follicular units in hair transplants has been the main advance that has allowed doctors to move away from the older mini-micrografting hair restoration techniques to the current procedure that can produce totally natural results.

See the Graft Dissection page.

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Q: What exactly is compression in a hair transplant? — D.O., Short Hills, N.J.

A: Compression refers to the visible tufting of grafts due to the contraction of the grafts from the normal elasticity of skin around it, after it has been inserted into the recipient site. Compression is most commonly seen when minigrafts are used in the hair restoration (minigrafts contain more than four hairs each). Follicular units don’t show visible compression, since they are already naturally compact. However, if more than one follicular unit is placed into the same site, it can exhibit this phenomenon.

Compressed grafts will become less visible as more hair is transplanted to the area, but if they are close to the hairline or in areas where a lot of density may not be planned (such as in the crown) they may have to be removed. In this case, they can be placed under a microscope, divided up into smaller grafts and re-implanted.

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Q: What is graft compression? — E.Z. Wayne, N.J.

A: Graft compression refers to a tufted look resulting from the contraction of grafts caused by the normally elastic skin that contracts around the graft as the hair transplant heals. This was a common occurrence with mini-micrografting where 5 or more hairs from two or more follicular units were placed into one recipient site.

With follicular unit hair transplantation, follicular units won’t show visible compression since they are already naturally compact.

One reason why FU’s are valuable in a transplant is that they are compact enough to fit into a very small site. It is important, however to “customize” the site size to the size of the graft so the fit is just perfect. This speeds up healing, enables the patient to shampoo the day after surgery, and enhances graft growth.

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The Platinum Follicle Award is given by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) for “Outstanding achievement in basic scientific or clinically-related research in hair pathophysiology or anatomy as it relates to hair restoration.” It was presented to Dr. Bernstein at the 9th Annual Meeting of the ISHRS, October 18-22, 2001; in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.

The award is the highest honor given by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. At the ceremony, Dr. Marcelo Gandelman, the President of the ISHRS, stated:

“I proudly present the 2001 Platinum Follicle Award to Robert M. Bernstein, MD. Dr. Bernstein has contributed to the field of hair transplantation in dramatic and substantial ways, revolutionizing the advancement of Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation. His published articles have become ‘Bibles’ for this methodology. Dr. Bernstein’s contributions extend beyond the application of Follicular Unit Transplantation, such as studies in examining the power of sorting grafts for density, yield by method of graft production, local anesthetic use, and suture materials. These studies have added to the specialty’s depth and breadth of knowledge applicable to traditional mini-micrografting techniques as well as Follicular Unit Transplantation.”

Read more about the Platinum Follicle Award

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Dr. Bernstein - Cosmetic Surgery Times - May 1999“We felt it was necessary to clearly define follicular unit hair transplantation and mini-micrografting cut to size,” explained Dr. Bernstein, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York. “Follicular unit transplantation has many theoretical advantages… having standardized definitions of these hair transplantation techniques will allow us to make valid comparisons.”

Dr. Bernstein said the elements defining follicular unit hair transplantation include exclusive transplantation of hair in its naturally occurring individual follicular units.

Read the full article

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