Follicular Unit Hair Restoration Questions, The Griffin Center of Hair Restoration and Research

HAIR RESTORATION SURGERY: FOLLICULAR UNIT TECHNIQUE

What is a follicular unit?

Close up of hair bundle

A follicular unit is a tiny bundle of usually 1-3 individual hair follicles and possibly 1 or 2 fine vellus hairs. It also contains, nerves, blood vessels, and collagen layers. Typically it is best to keep the follicular unit intact in order to ensure that individual hairs have the best environment for hair growth.

What Is Follicular Hair Transplantation?

A strip of skin is taken from over the ears and extends to the back of the scalp (the donor site). Then a skilled physician and his highly trained team must do the extremely detailed work of dissecting the individual follicular unit grafts from this tissue with the use of a sophisticated binocular microscope. The grafts are then transplanted into tiny custom-sized incisions in bald or thinning areas of the scalp. The single-haired grafts are used to recreate a frontal hairline. The two-haired grafts are placed behind the singles, and so on. Because the hair is kept in its natural follicular units, it grows in the recipient areas in the most natural way possible. These individual follicular units provide a soft, natural look.

Are all transplants the same?

All hair restoration surgical centers are not created equal! Achieving a natural look with hair restoration requires artistic talents as well as meticulous surgical skills. The experience of the physician and the technical staff is critical when deciding which center will perform your transplant. Dr. Griffin has been a hair restoration surgeon since 1974 and he implemented a follicular unit grafting technique in 1994. The key to finding a surgeon who meets your requirements and goals is taking the time to research his/ her experience and the experience of the surgeon’s technicians.

Is the number of grafts equal to the number of hairs transplanted?

No. Each follicular unit graft contains 1 to 4 hairs. This means if a patient has a 2,000 grafts implanted in one session, he may potentially have upwards of 6,000+ hairs transplanted.

Why can’t I have one large procedure instead of two smaller procedures?

At your initial consultation, Dr. Griffin will recommend a surgery session size that is most ideal for your level of hair loss. This session size reflects the number of grafts that can be safely transplanted in one session specifically for you. All areas of loss will be grafted in each hair transplant session, but in order to achieve more “bulk” a second session of grafting may be required. These grafts will be placed next to the original grafts to give the hair more body and volume. If too many grafts are placed in one single session, each graft may not get the adequate blood supply necessary to survive and grow. The percentage rate of graft survival will drop. We want to make sure that every single graft that is transplanted will survive and grow to its maximum potential.

What is Follicular Unit Extraction/ The FOX™ Procedure?

Follicular unit extraction involves removing individual follicular units from a donor area using a 1.0 mm circular punch, instead of a donor strip of tissue. This procedure works well to restore small areas, such as an eyebrow. Also, this may be a good option for someone with a limited donor area, or extensive scarring in the donor area. Patients need to recognize this may not be an ideal option to restore a full head of hair.

If I am unhappy with a hair transplant performed by another doctor, can I have repair work done at The Griffin Center?

Yes. Dr. Griffin has improved many unsatisfactory surgery results from procedures performed elsewhere. He has extensive experience improving the “plugged” look, inappropriate frontal hairlines, and revising multiple or thickened donor scars. Please take the time to consult with Dr. Griffin to improve your previous hair restoration results, and boost your self-esteem. Click here to view Dr. Griffin's improvements upon unsuccessful hair restorations.

How do I know if I'm a good candidate for hair transplant surgery?

Most men and women who have androgenetic alopecia, better known as male or female patterned baldness, are appropriate candidates for hair restoration surgery. A patient whose hair loss condition is a result of scarring caused by an accident or surgery may also be a suitable candidate for hair restoration. The main requirement of hair trasnplant candidates is having an adequate donor region from which Dr. Griffin can harvest hair grafts to restore balding areas.

Will my hair continue to fall out after hair restoration surgery?

The answer to this question is dependent upon the type of hair loss you're experiencing. We typically recommend that patients with genetic patterned balding who are candidates for hair restoration remain on a hair loss prevention program even after their surgery. Androgenetic alopecia occurs in a pattern, which is why it's referred to as patterned baldness. During hair restoration surgery, hair is harvested from donor regions where patterned hair loss does not occur. Although the hair is transplanted to an area where hair loss has occurred, the genetic makeup of the donor hair does not change, so the newly transplanted hairs will not fall out. However, the hair left in the balding regions that's not newly transplanted may continue to fall out if a patient does not continue prevention measures.

What kind of results can I anticipate from my hair restoration surgery?

As stated in the last question, although visible improvement will occur, it's important to continue preventative measures even after your hair restoration surgery and maintain realistic expectations. Be mindful that the hairline may not be as low as it once was and hair may not be as thick as it was originally.

Will my hair transplant surgery result in a full head of hair?

While sufficient coverage of balding regions is attainable, adolescent thickness may never be fully restored. We do recommend a hair loss prevention program to preserve areas that were not treated with surgery.