Methods of Modern Hair Transplant

There have been various methods in the past to recover baldness on the human scalp which turned out to have more risks and to be less effective and inappropriate for the later appearance of the patient. To see how high the risks can be overall, check out Hairforlife’s pictures and info on hair transplant risks.

The only effective method still practiced by numerous physicians around the globe is the Strip Surgery, or as it is technically named: FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) or FUE – Follicular Unit Extraction but done correctly and with the right instruments to reduce the risks as much as possible

FUT – Strip Harvesting (biggest risk is a wider scar)

The name stands for Follicular Unit Transplant and has significantly marked a big improvement for the hair transplant industry. Hair loss can be treated by cutting out a wedge of tissue from the horsehoe-shaped back of the scalp being then slivered into little pieces under a microscope with the help of medical assistants. Single grafts can delicately be isolated in order to artfully relocate them to the recipient site later.

One of the biggest disadvantages of this method is the telltale linear scar it leaves, as the doctor has to stitch and staple the wound in the back. This method somewhat increases the overall risks and recovery time for the patient, who in most cases can recently conceal the scar with regrowing hair. Depending on the patient’s genetic predisposition and the doctor’s skills, the scar can be larger or wider in any individual. In addition, the patient’s skin tension must be suitable for surgery in order to remove as much tissue as possible.

Many patients undergoing a strip surgery continued to ask for a further repair lately as they wanted to comouflage the scar by modern transplant methods such as BHT – Body Hair Transplant – using hair follicles from other parts of the human body to be placed into the linear scar. Furthermore a depleted donor area has often been embarrassing for numerous patients as it most often publicly reveals the results of a hair transplant. Experts for hair transplant started to recharge the donor area opening another area for hair transplant methods (Donor-Recharging).

FUE – Follicular Unit Extraction / CIT ®

This has merely become possible due to the latest state-of-the-art method in hair transplant: FUE. Follicular Unit Extraction has first been discovered by Dr. Inaba and is being transformed into modern transplantation methods by pioneers like Dr. John P. Cole. FUE is a less invasive method to individually extract grafts with single or multiple follicles from a much wider area than the strip surgery allows. The whole fringe of remaining hair can be harvested with the supporting use of a single punch. The FUE-extractor has to be placed delicately onto the top of the shaved donor area in order to pick the follicular units being prepared for the transition to the recipient area next. As with FUT the balding area will be prepared by single slits in order to artfully place the extracted follicles lately.

FUE allows to harvest a wider range of the horseshoe-shaped fringe of the donor and thus leaves no linear scar behind which has finally lead to emotional distress and an unsatisfied outcome for the patient. As manual extraction of single grafts has become more time-consuming and labour intensive than an average strip-surgery the daily workload has necessarily turns out to be lower than with FUT. This also has risen the average costs for the procedure in the past as every physician and his medical team have spent more time on the extraction process.

With the latest technology of automated punches a new era started to revolutionize the extraction process in order to achieve a higher yield of hair follicles on a daily basis and minimize the efforts for the medical team. Unfortunately a number of automated punches failed to individually meet the patients disposition in the past. This has been leading to a higher transection rate and a rising injury of grafts and was thus responsible for poor results.

Minimise risks: The PCID motorized and automated FUE Hair Transplant Punch extraction Device

Dr. John P. Cole has continously been interested in advanced methods for hair transplant, minimise risks and started to develop an automated and motorized fue hair transplant device (tool) to reduce injury and transection in order to preserve the patient´s most valuable “treasure” and benefit from the easy and fast process of motorization.