Procedure detail
This 56-year-old patient two years ago desired to have his frontal hairline and
forelock restored. His goals were very realistic in that he wanted to frame his
face, and to have it appear natural. He wanted a hairline that was augmented,
but age appropriate. He was also in situations when he had to shave the back of
his head, and still is.
In discussing the options, I felt he was a
perfect candidate for FUE. He understood that FUE is not a scar less procedure
despite what is falsely advertised on the Internet and TV, or what is read in
highly deceptive airline magazine advertisements - it does leave hypopigmented
areas at the graft extraction site, otherwise known as a scar; however, if the
person wants to cut his hair down to only a few millimeters, then this is a
viable option to cover the scars, but it does not eliminate them. I explain this
in detail to every patient when discussing FUE. The preoperative photos show the
proposed frontal hairline that he desired.
The photos show the results
after 1609 grafts were placed into the frontal hairline and frontal scalp
utilizing the FUE technique. I also have a video that I’m working on which will
be added to this post in the near future which shows the extraction sites.
When performing FUE, I personally do all the FUE extractions on my
patients. Since 2011, I use much stronger loop magnification to visualize the
follicles for a more exact extraction process. Once the grafts are extracted,
they are carefully examined under the microscope for any signs transection or
visualized damage to the grafts. If any damage has occurred, they are rejected.
This patient is extremely happy with the results as it accomplished his
goals.
Bald class
Norwood class 2A.
The class A variation of the Norwood scale is a slightly different and less common progression of hair loss. The main differences are that the hairline recedes back uniformly, without leaving an island of hair in the middle, and there is no bald area at the vertex. Instead, the hairline progresses directly from front to back.
