Hair transplantation is a surgical process in which follicles from one area are moved to areas with no or thin hair follicles, typically by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Modern techniques use two primary methods for harvesting and transplanting hair follicles into natural groups of one to four, known as strip harvesting and follicular unit extraction.

1. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular unit extraction (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/cosmetic-surgery/hair-transplant/) is a popular surgical hair restoration method. One of the more time-efficient techniques, FUE can reduce baldness through either one session or several smaller ones, leaving no linear scar. Unfortunately, this may take more time than other transplantation techniques.

At the start of your procedure, your doctor will apply a local anesthetic to the back of your head before using a tool to create small holes in your scalp that allow them to extract individual follicles. They may use either sharp or blunt punches depending on personal preference and patient need; sharp punches require more twisting while blunter ones offer more stability while decreasing risk of transection.

Grade 2 patients often have fewer available follicles for extraction, which reduces the overall yield. Their viability depends on how long they remain outside the body; studies indicate that viability declines by about one percent per hour, but there are a lot of variables to take into consideration.

No matter which surgical approach is chosen, patients must understand that hair loss is a gradual process and may take several months or more for full results to emerge. When meeting with your physician for consultations, it is also essential that they discuss goals and expectations with you so they can find out which technique will be the most beneficial solution.

2. Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

It’s essential that you understand the differences between FUT and other hair transplant procedures before choosing which is best. Your surgeon at Sierra Robotic can assess your needs and recommend an FUT procedure that meets them. In addition to counting how many follicles may need transplanting, they’ll take into account your medical history as well as any other relevant details when helping you select an ideal restoration technique.

FUT differs from other transplant techniques in terms of where the donor site follicles are harvested. A surgeon will remove a linear strip of skin from the back of your head and divide it into sections that contain one to four follicles each, before dissecting these units into smaller units for transplanting purposes.

Once extracted, these follicular units can be implanted using a special needle or blade into areas of your scalp with hair loss or thinning using local anesthesia for added safety. Your surgeon may apply local anesthetic as an added safeguard before beginning this procedure.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) can reduce risks while being less invasive than other methods of hair transplantation, since it involves extracting individual follicles rather than surgically extracting and transplanting an entire strip from the donor area. FUE may therefore be ideal for individuals looking for faster recovery time after their procedure.

3. Follicular Unit Expansion (FUE Expansion)

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) involves transplanting individual follicular units extracted from the scalp into areas of thinning hair. It is the most widely utilized hair restoration surgery used by people suffering from baldness; it is typically used to cover up balding areas on both heads and bodies with relatively lower costs than alternative techniques. FUT’s popularity can be attributed to its high success rates and cost-effective approach compared with other techniques used for restoration.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique harvests individual follicular units from your scalp and body using a punch measuring between 0.7 and 1.2 mm in diameter – it’s the only minimally invasive way of harvesting individual follicular units available today for hair transplantation.

Your surgeon will first numb your scalp with local anesthesia before using a special extraction tool to harvest hair follicles from the back of your head and transplant them in areas of thinning or balding on your head as desired. In some instances, transplanted units may even be placed elsewhere on your body, depending on what works for you.

FUE has become increasingly popular, yet it still comes with some limitations. Notably, for surgeons unfamiliar with FUE it can be an extremely time-consuming procedure that demands skill, stamina and determination from them, as well as being able to make rapid decisions based on experience and intuition.

Some FUE surgeons have modified their instruments in order to avoid damaging follicles during harvesting (source:https://www.dermatoljournal.com/articles/commentary-using-the-combination-of-kerure-clamp-and-serrated-punch-to-decrease-transection-rate-in-follicular-unit-extraction.html). This modification is based on Harris’ concept that reduces risk when scoring and dissecting epidermis from dermis with hair grafts attached around it.

4. Micrografting

Hair transplantation is a surgical process performed on both men and women to replace or improve areas of thinning or balding hair with healthy new follicles, creating fuller heads of hair as well as correcting numerous other problems like scarring from previous procedures (flaps, scalp reductions, etc.), asymmetry, or genetic or age-related balding. There are various techniques available that can achieve the desired outcome, with micrografting being one such method.

Under this technique, small slits are created in the scalp using a thin flat-bladed surgical instrument, and small grafts are then inserted through these slits into their recipient areas of the scalp. The surgery is minimally invasive, and the slits heal quickly. Results with this technique look more natural as the transplanted hair grows out from within itself than those produced with traditional large plug grafts (plugs).

With the aid of stereo microscopes and other advanced equipment, graft preparation has become much more refined. Dr. Panagotacos utilizes this advanced equipment to maximize yield and survival rates from his limited supply of donor follicles; including using powerful stereo microscopes with backlighting trays as well as chilling solutions to keep his grafts as cold as possible.

Mechanical disaggregation to extract growth factors from healthy skin tissue samples has also proven effective, with the resultant mix then being injected directly into thinning or balding areas to promote hair regrowth and reduce thinning or balding areas. It can be used alone or combined with transplantation to speed healing time and increase the retention rates of transplanted grafts.