Unfortunately, we canít re-engineer the genetic program within each hair follicle, but we can take advantage of genetics in another way. Fortunately, hair within the balding pattern has a different genetic program than hair outside the balding pattern. For details, go to Hair Loss Explained. This fact permits us to use the genetically superior hair outside the pattern to restore balding areas within the pattern.

Stunningly natural results have been achieved in our practice with the use of an advanced micro-follicular hair transplantation technique, namely ìfollicular unitî hair transplantation. By using ìfollicular unitî hair transplantation, natural hair can be restored to areas where significant hair loss has occurred. The key word here is natural. If you are like most people, the mere mention of hair transplantation immediately conjures visions of unnatural plugs, corn rows and odd looking hair lines. That is definitely not what I am referring to here. Traditionally, hair transplantation has involved punching out bald skin and replacing it with hairy skin. Until recently, the only change (over the past 25 years) has been that the plugs containing ìhairy skinî have been fashioned progressively smaller.

Follicular unit hair transplantation is a completely different process. What this advanced micro-follicular technique involves for our practice is as follows. A thin linear segment of hair-bearing skin is first harvested from areas where there is a surplus of follicles that are genetically superior. The thin linear opening in the skin is then carefully and meticulously closed with sutures. The remaining pencil line incision is typically easily hidden by the hair. Using magnification, ìfollicular unitî grafts are then fashioned from the tiny naturally occurring groupings of hair follicles.

Please note: scalp hair follicles actually grow in small groupings or units of 1, 2, 3 or occasionally 4 hair follicles per unit. This naturally occurring grouping of follicles is called a ìfollicular unitî.

These grass seed size ìfollicle graftsî (not ìhairy skin graftsî), each containing a single ìfollicular unitî, can then be transplanted into closely spaced needle size openings, within the areas of hair loss.

In our experience the follicular unit hair transplantation process, including many refinements and techniques unique to our practice, enables us to now virtually duplicate nature.

There are several obvious advantages to this type of procedure over older methods. As you would expect, the process is much less invasive and heals faster and better since a small needle size opening heals more easily (virtually undetectable in our experience) than a large punch hole. Also, follicular unit grafts can be placed very close together (about 2 mm apart), and since these grafts are made from the same groupings of hair follicles that naturally occur, the results for our practice have been stunningly natural.

Also, with the use of magnification in fashioning these grafts, the number of hair follicles that are injured or wasted is significantly decreased. This has several benefits; there is more donor hair available, the procedure is less invasive since it requires a much smaller donor area for graft creation, and the process is overall easier.

• Easier
• Less Invasive
• Faster and Better Healing
• More Donor Hair Available
• Smaller Donor Area Required
• Natural Results

All of this simply means that we now have an excellent way to restore natural hair to areas of hair loss. In fact, we routinely hear from our patients that their stylist / doctor / family / friends are amazed, unable to tell the transplanted hair from the non-transplanted hair, even with close inspection.