Treatments & FAQ

These pages have been prepared to provide information and answer your questions about our various treatments for problems ranging from cosmetic blemishes to more serious underlying circulatory problems. This guide is not intended to replace a formal consultation with one of our specialists, diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Click here for a list of hair transplantation references.

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Causes of Hair Loss

Follicular Relocation Technique

Process: The Micro Linear Graft Procedure

Before and After - Male

Before and After - Female

Other Hair Restoration Options

Follicular Relocation Technique

How a Follicular Relocation Hair Transplant is performed.

During the Follicular Relocation procedure individual follicular unit grafts are excised one at a time using a tiny one millimeter or less sized punch. Typically the patient's hair in the donor area where these grafts are being removed is cut short so that the physician is able to see the patient's scalp.

The follicular units are extracted using a multiple step process. First a small sharp punch scores the skin around a follicular unit. Then a small dull punch is used to go deeper into the soft tissue surrounding the follicular unit.

Since the direction and angle of the follicular unit beneath the skin can't be seen and can often differ from the direction of the hair on the surface, a sharp punch if used below the surface of the skin might transect or severe the underlying follicular unit. However, the dull punch tends to envelope the follicular unit, while separating it from the surrounding soft tissues. This process is typically referred to as "blunt dissection".

Once the underlying follicular unit is separated from the surrounding tissues it can then be extracted, often by a forceps gripping the hair above the surface.

The small hole left behind after the follicle is extracted then heals over the next few days. This tiny wound contracts as it heals making the resulting round scar smaller and less noticeable. The Follicular Relocation Technique patient typically ends up with hundreds of small round white scars, which are normally not detectable to the naked eye once the patient's hair grows out.

Pictures and Videos of the Procedure:

1. Local Anesthesia

2. Follicular Unit Hair Extraction

3. Follicular Unit Punch Biopsy

Advantages of a Follicular Unit Relocation Hair Transplantation over standard procedures:

Smaller grafts with minimal incisions.

Carefully prepared follicular unit grafts contain a minimum of excess scalp tissue and are very tiny, compact structures. As a result, the grafts fit into very small incisions that produce very little trauma to the scalp.

The use of smaller grafts, with less invasive incisions, permits a larger number grafts to be transplanted in one session. In addition, the small grafts can be placed closer together.

Careful trimming of the donor tissue using microscopes produces more grafts.

By carefully trimming donor tissue into the naturally occurring follicular units under magnification (using high powered microscopes) the maximum number of intact and undamaged grafts are produced from a given amount of donor tissue. And since a patient’s donor tissue is limited, this enables the balding patient to ultimately achieve the fullest coverage possible.

A Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation looks natural, even on close examination.

Because the follicular unit hair transplant procedure replicates, hair for hair, the way hair grows naturally, it produces results that look natural – even under close inspection.

The follicular unit hair transplant also looks natural after only one surgical session. Additional procedures are only needed to increase the density of the hair transplant or to address additional areas of balding if the hair loss progressed.

This is in stark contrast to mini-micrograft procedures, where one session will generally not “stand on its own” and where additional surgical sessions are required in order to refine or soften the appearance of the previous hair transplants.

The Follicular Unit

Each follicular unit is surrounded by small glands, blood vessels, nerves, and a connective tissue sac making it a tiny self contained unit.

If these follicular units are damaged during removal or dissection, the hair may grow poorly.

Therefore it is important to cut only in the loose tissue between the follicular units to keep each follicular unit intact and avoid damaging it.