Follicular Unit Transplantation

ABSTRACT

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) is the culmination of decades of refinement and evolution of hair transplantation techniques. Hair naturally grows in groups of one to four individual follicles separated by intervening soft tissue. These clumps or groups of hairs are termed follicular units. FUT uses microscopic dissection to separate these units for transplantation in a fashion that most closely resembles naturally occurring hair. FUT has grown to become recognized by many prominent hair restoration surgeons as the state-of-the-art method of hair replacement surgery for both male and female pattern alopecia. Although larger punch grafts, scalp flaps, and alopecia reductions may play a role in certain cases, FUT achieves results that are difficult to differentiate from naturally occurring hair. The central attributes of the technique are the provision of natural-appearing hairlines with reasonable density together with low morbidity and minimal “downtime.” Nevertheless, the technique is only as effective as the technician, and results are heavily dependent on the forethought of the architect.

KEYWORDS

Follicular unit transplantation - FUT - hair transplantation - alopecia - male pattern hair loss - female pattern hair loss - male pattern alopecia - female pattern alopecia

REFERENCES

• 1 Orentreich N. Autografts in alopecias and other selected dermatological conditions.  Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1959;  83 463-479
• 2 Okuda S. [Clinical and experimental studies of transplantation of living hairs].  Jpn J Dermatol Urol. 1939;  46 135-138
• 3 Headington J T. Transverse microscopic anatomy of the human scalp: a basis for a morphometric approach to disorders of the hair follicle.  Arch Dermatol. 1984;  120 449-456
• 4 Unger WP Hair Transplantation. New York, NY; Informa Healthcare 2005: 389
• 5 Seager D. Binocular stereoscopic dissecting microscopes: should we use them?.  Hair Transplant Forum Int. 1996;  6 2-5
• 6 Limmer B L. Elliptical donor stereoscopically assisted micrografting as an approach to further refinement in hair transplantation.  J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1994;  20 789-793
• 7 Bernstein R M, Rassman W R. Follicular unit transplantation: 2005.  Dermatol Clin. 2005;  23 393-414
• 8 Brandy D A. An evaluation system to enhance patient selection for alopecia-reducing surgery.  Dermatol Surg. 2002;  28 808-816