Surgical hair replacement techniques have come a long way. In 1955, Dr. Norman Orentreich performed the first hair transplant in the U. S. At that time, he used a small round punch to remove the donor hair from the back of the scalp. While early transplants looked “pluggy”, the process worked. In the early 90’s, we realized that scalp hair grew from groups of follicles containing 1 to 4 hairs, which were labeled “FOLLICULAR UNITS”. When these units were transplanted, they grew hair in a way so natural that you could not see any difference between transplanted and original hairs.

The removal of follicular units from the back of the scalp (donor area) can be done by cutting out a strip of scalp and removing the follicular units under a microscope (Follicular Unit Transplant or FUT) or by removing the follicular units directly with a tiny punch (Follicular Unit Excision or FUE). This process is known as “HARVESTING”

The second part of this surgical hair replacement procedure is called the “PLACEMENT”. Tiny incisions are made in the bald “recipient” areas. and the follicular grafts are inserted manually.

THE SCIENCE

If hair follicles are removed from the scalp and placed anywhere on the same person’s body, whether it’s the bald scalp or the top of one’s hand, the follicles will thrive and produce hair. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work if someone else is the donor, even if it’s a family member. Hair Transplants For Men

In a surgical hair replacement transplant, the follicles removed from the back of the scalp have the ability to grow hair for a lifetime. Because they cannot be rejected, they can be placed in the bald scalp where they will survive and thrive.