Gary S Hitzig, M.D., a NY Hair Transplant Surgeon developed a new technique called Micro Linear Grafting that combines the best features of all of the above methods, while preserving their individual advantages. Hairs naturally grow from the scalp in groups of 2 to 4 hairs called follicular units. Coupled Follicular Units (CFU) describes natural linear groups of 2 or more follicullar units.
With over 30,000 male and female hair transplant surgery procedures in the New York area, including NYC and Long Island, Doctor Gary Hitzig is considered one of the best hair transplant surgeons in the field. Both men and women from around the world have benefited from his years of experience and innovation in hair transplant surgery and pioneering research in the utilization of ACell Matristem for the treatment of hair loss.
Follicular Unit Transplantation is the current standard of care for Hair Transplantation in the United States, whereby individual hair follicles are transplanted from the donor area to the areas of balding. Those hair follicles are actually minute and highly specialized organs and we can transplant over 2000 of those in one session.
Hair grows naturally in bundles of 1, 2 3 or 4 hairs per bundle, on the average. These hairs, along with their associated structures are known as the Follicular Unit.
Hair usually grows abundantly at the back and sides of the head as those hair follicles are not influenced by the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This horse-shoe shaped area is called the donor area.
During FUT the hair from the donor area of the scalp is removed in a strip. The donor area is closed with a fine suture. The strip in then dissected so that the hair follicles are identified, separated from each other with meticulous microscopic dissection, and then transplanted to the recipient area or areas of balding.
Hair follicles can also be extracted individually for patients who prefer a virtually scarless donor area by Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
By meticulously dissecting and trimming the Follicular Units the doctor and the medical team ensure that the grafts are comprised of healthy intact hair follicles as they naturally occur in the scalp. The ultimate goal is to achieve natural looking results.
In simple words, there are 4 steps in Follicular Unit Transplantation.
Step 1 – Graft Removal
- The donor area is anesthetized using local anaesthetic. Hair bearing tissue is removed painlessly form the back and/or sides of the scalp.
Step 2 – Slivering
- The hair bearing tissue is divided into slivers approximately 1mm thick.
Step 3 – Microscopic Dissection
- The slivers are dissected using stereoscopic microscopes and/or loupes into Follicular Unit Grafts (FUG’s) containing 1,2, 3 and 4 hairs per graft, on the average.
Step 4 – Placement
- Tiny openings are made in the recipient area. The Follicular Unit Grafts are transplanted into these openings. Grafts containing 1 hair are placed in the frontal hairline. Grafts containing 2 or more hairs area placed behind the hairline as needed to achieve the desired density in those areas
- Old techniques of Hair Transplantation used 4mm diameter cylinders of hair bundles which cut through the healthy hair and usually led to a ‘doll’s head’, ‘corn crow’ or ‘toothbrush’ effect. These old methods are now obsolete.
- Follicular Unit Transplantation is an excellent procedure to repair the ‘dolls head’ effect of old punch graft techniques.
- It is important to note that Follicular Unit Transplantation does not create new hair but re-distributes existing healthy hair from the back and sides of your scalp to the thinning or bald areas. This hair grows naturally and for life, as it was programmed to grow in the donor area.
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To schedule a consultation with Dr. Prasad to determine the best procedure for you, submit the form below or call our Manhattan office at (646) 461-8547 or Garden City Long Island Office at (516) 535-9479. Our phones are open 24 Hours a Day / 7 Days a Week. Patient Financing options available for qualified candidates.
