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Hair Transplantation
There are two recent innovations that have revolutionized hair transplants. The first is transplanting each individual natural grouping of hair as a unit and the second is the use of the stereoscopic microscope to dissect the hair to be transplanted into follicular units.
Hair does not just come out of the scalp individually, one by one, but actually grows naturally in groups of one to four hairs with a fibrous sheath surrounding the group. Dr. Paul J. McAndrews transplants the single hair grafts on the hairline and the natural groups, with three and four hairs, farther behind for density. The benefit of transplanting individual, "natural hair groupings" is the completely natural look Dr. McAndrews achieves and the higher survival rate of the transplanted grafts.
To try to obtain a natural look, many doctors now perform transplants with what is called "single hair micro grafts." They separate the "natural hair groupings" into single-unit hair grafts and transplant the hairs individually. By separating the natural groupings of hair, the transplant surgeon is going against nature. A study published in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery showed that the survival and quality of these grafts markedly decreases.
The stereoscopic microscope is probably the most important innovation in hair transplants. The "natural hair groups" must be preserved intact during dissection to insure increased survival and growth. Many doctors dissect with the naked eye or with minimal magnification. That leads to increase transection and destruction of the hair. When dissecting the donor hair without the stereoscopic microscope, it is nearly impossible to ensure that the "natural hair groupings" will remain intact.
For a balding man seeking a transplant, his most precious commodity is his donable “hair bank.” The use of the "stereoscopic microscope" to dissect the grafts enables Dr. McAndrews to visualize each and every individual "natural hair grouping." By using the "stereoscopic microscope", the trauma to the surrounding hair is greatly reduced and patients receive superior quality grafts with a much higher incidence of survival. Dr. McAndrews can now achieve survival rates of 95 to 100 percent, as compared to other techniques where the survival rate is much less. The "stereoscopic microscope" also enables him to trim excess tissue away from the hair follicle, therefore, smaller incisions can be made, which enables him to pack the grafts closer together to give a denser, more natural look.
