Hair Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction.

This article introduces the reader to the key components of hair transplantation, including evaluating the surgical patient, deciding whether to perform follicular unit transplantation (FUT) or follicular unit extraction (FUE), understanding the key components of these procedures, and establishing practical preoperative and postoperative protocols.

Robotic Hair Transplantation.

Contemporary hair transplant surgery creates natural appearing transplanted hair. The procedure is performed as an outpatient under local anesthesia. Donor harvesting can be performed by either elliptical donor harvesting or follicular unit extraction. An experience surgical team is needed for a high-quality, efficient procedure. Robotic hair transplantation allows precise and efficient removal of follicular units. The robot allows for minimally invasive surgery. Robotic hair transplantation is an important tool for hair transplant surgeons, but does not replace appropriate candidate selection, hairline design, and the judgment of where to place and not place transplanted hair for optimal short- and long-term results.

Hair Transplantation Controversies.

BACKGROUND: Hair transplant surgery creates consistently natural appearing transplanted hair for men. It is increasingly popular procedure to restore natural growing hair for men with hair loss. OBJECTIVE: To review some current controversies in hair transplant surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of the English PubMed literature and specialty literature in hair transplant surgery. RESULTS: Some of the controversies in hair transplant surgery include appropriate donor harvesting technique including elliptical donor harvesting versus follicular unit extraction whether manual versus robotic, the role of platelet-rich plasma and low-level light surgery in hair transplant surgery. CONCLUSION: Hair transplant surgery creates consistently natural appearing hair. As with all techniques, there are controversies regarding the optimal method for performing the procedure. Some of the current controversies in hair transplant surgery include optimal donor harvesting techniques, elliptical donor harvesting versus follicular unit extraction, the role of low-level light therapy and the platelet-rich plasma therapy in the procedure. Future studies will further clarify their role in the procedure.

Robotic follicular unit extraction in hair transplantation.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a shift toward minimally invasive procedures. In hair transplantation surgery, this trend has manifested with the emergence of follicular unit extraction (FUE). Recently, a robot has been introduced for FUE procedures. OBJECTIVE: To determine the transection rate of a robotic FUE device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors discuss the procedure, technical requirements, optimal candidates, advantages, and disadvantages of robotic FUE compared with the standard ellipse. RESULTS: Optimal candidates for robotic FUE are those with dark hair color who can sit for 45 to 120 minutes and are willing to shave a large area for donor harvesting. The main advantages of robotic FUE compared with the standard ellipse are its minimally invasive nature and the lack of a linear scar. The average transection rate with the robot to date is 6.6% (range, 0.4%-32.1%). CONCLUSION: The robot is a new and innovative method for FUE hair transplantation of which hair transplant surgeons should be aware.

Hair transplantation.

Hair transplantation is a purely dermatologic surgical procedure that dermatologists should be able to perform in appropriate candidates with hair loss. Hair transplantation techniques performed in the 1960s through the 1990s utilized large grafts that created an unfortunate public image of unnatural-appearing transplanted hair. Over the last 15 years, hair transplantation has been performed using follicular units to create consistently natural-looking transplanted hair in both men and women. This article provides an overview of candidate selection and state-of-the-art techniques for performing hair transplantation.

The use of low-level light for hair growth: part I.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a new therapy for the treatment of hair loss. It has received enormous media attention and tremendous marketing budgets from companies that sell the devices, but no independent, peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated its efficacy in this application. Here we investigate the efficacy of LLLT in enhancing hair growth. METHODS: A total of seven patients were exposed to LLLT twice weekly for 20 minutes each time over a period of 3-6 months. Five patients were treated for a total of 3 months and two were treated for 6 months. Videomicroscopic images were taken at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, and analyzed for changes in vellus hair counts, terminal hair counts, and shaft diameter. Both videomicroscopic and global images underwent blinded review for evidence of subjective improvement. Patients also answered questionnaires assessing hair growth throughout the study. Neither patients nor physicians conducting the study received any financial compensation. RESULTS: The results indicate that on average patients had a decrease in the number of vellus hairs, an increase in the number of terminal hairs, and an increase in shaft diameter. However, paired i-testing indicated that none of these changes was statistically significant. Also, blinded evaluation of global images did not support an improvement in hair density or caliber. CONCLUSIONS: LLLT may be a promising treatment option for patients who do not respond to either finasteride or minoxidil, and who do not want to undergo hair transplantation. This technology appears to work better for some people than for others. Factors predicting who will most benefit are yet to be determined. Larger, longer-term placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings, and demonstrate statistical significance, or refute them altogether.

Medical treatments for male and female pattern hair loss.

UNLABELLED: Male and female pattern hair loss affects a large percentage of the population, and patients frequently present for treatment of this to their dermatologist. Here we review the many treatments available for hair loss. We review the evidence for each, and outline the most effective treatment strategies for both men and women. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: At the conclusion of this article, the reader should be able to describe the most effective treatments for hair loss, understand their mechanism(s) of action, and explain which treatments are the best in different settings.