Page 73 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Science

5 Cleaning up
The resulting
micrografts are
trimmed of underlying
fat and excess tissues
4 Stripping back from the side.
The strip is carefully How hair is lost
cut into small
blocks of two to The most common type of
four hair follicles. baldness is male pattern baldness,
which can affect 50 per cent of
men over the age of 50. Typically,
the hair on the temples thins while
the hair on the top of the head
recedes. It usually takes around
ten years for the hair to recede
6 Size fully, leaving a small rim around
Different sized grafts the sides and back.
are used depending Changes in signalling of the
on where they are male sex hormone
placed along the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is
‘new’ hairline. primarily responsible. The hairs on
the head become susceptible to it,
which causes thinning and then
hair loss. Why the chest or beard
hair isn’t affected is unknown.
This type of age-related baldness
Compare the two types of procedure can affect women too, but is
less common.
The two most common techniques are FUE is done under local anaesthetic
3 The strip strip harvesting and follicular unit takes longer; sometimes two to three Different types of hair loss also
This strip contains all extraction (FUE). Strip harvesting treatments are needed on separate exist. These include patchy hair
of the hair, follicles involves a strip of skin and hair is days. Individual hair follicles are stripped loss on the scalp (leaving tufts),
and underlying loss of all body hair (head, chest,
tissues, containing surgically removed from the back of the out using a special device and then are arms and legs), and universal hair
1,000-4,000 follicles scalp. Although it is successful and fast, implanted in the front of the scalp. There loss (all hair including eyebrows
dependent it requires a general anaesthetic and is no resulting scar or need for general and eyelashes).
on size. leaves a small scar. anaesthetic, and it is very precise.

Hair transplant science
has improved greatly in
the last 20 years

7 Donor site
In the area to receive
the graft, tiny holes are
made with a needle,
just large enough to
receive the micrografts
prepared earlier.

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How It Works 73