1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to technique for extracting a target hair follicle from a donor site. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to extracting the hair follicle from underneath an external surface of the skin.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Hair restoration may be carried out by extracting hair follicular units from the patient's donor area and transplanting them in the patient's recipient area, which may be a thinning area. Generally, the donor area is at the back and sides of the scalp.
Conventionally, a strip of tissues may be removed from the donor area. The strip may be then dissected into individual follicular units. The units may then be transplanted into the recipient area. It has been observed that application of this technique results in a linear scar formed at the donor area.
In another conventional technique, a hair follicle is extracted by punching a hole around the hair follicle, and then extracting the hair follicle. The hole is punched through the external surface of the skin. It has been observed that application of this technique may result in dotted scars formed at the donor area. Further, in this technique, the hair follicle may be transected, as the punch may not be aligned with the alignment of the hair follicle.
In light of the foregoing discussion, there may be a need to reduce scarring in the donor site, and reduce transection or denuding of hair follicle during extraction.
After the preparation of follicular unit grafts doctors make tiny holes in the patient's scalp at the recipient area where grafts are placed. The positioning and arrangement of follicular units depends upon aesthetic qualities of a hair transplant, case-by-case basis, depending on the patients' history of hair loss and likelihood of future hair loss.
Francisco Jimenez, MD, Ander Izeta, PhD, and Enrique Poblet, MD. “Morphometric Analysis of the Human Scalp Hair Follicle: Practical Implications for the Hair Transplant Surgeon and Hair Regeneration Studies” Dermatol Surg 4021; 37:58-64. This document is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.