During the assessment of the donor zone, Dr. Wallik will review factors such as scalp laxity, hair density, caliber, curl and color.

These factors will enable him to determine the dimensions of the harvestable zone of hair and from which area harvesting would be most ideal.

A device named a hair densitometer is held against the scalp and is helpful in ascertaining the number of hairs per square centimeter. The density is checked in several locations along the anticipated donor zone and thus the required width and length of the donor strip can be accurately calculated. Every session undertaken at the Advanced Hair Transplant Clinic will involve the transplantation of follicular unit grafts.

If you happen to take a very close look at a person's scalp, you will notice that the hair arises from the pores in one, two, three and occasionally four haired groupings. These hairs that can be readily seen are termed the terminal hairs, and their roots or follicles have been unaffected by male hormones. Follicular units also contain miniaturized (vellus) hairs attached to the root (or follicle), sebaceous (oil) glands, a tiny muscle, small blood vessels, fine nerves and connecting tissue (collagen) that surrounds the follicular unit. Because of the complex interaction of all of the various parts of the follicular unit, it is important to keep it intact during the transplant.

As the technicians dissect the follicular units out of the slivers, they will place the 1 haired follicular units into a petri dish containing chilled saline, the 2 haired follicular units into a second petri dish and the 3 haired follicular units into a third petri dish (on occasion, there will also exist 4 haired follicular units that will be placed into a fourth petri dish).

The tiny # 19 and # 18 gauge needles will be used to make 3-4 mm in depth recipient holes into the region of the scalp where the hairline will be constructed. Several rows at the front of the hairline will receive the 1 haired follicular units, several rows behind these will receive the 2 haired follicular units, and then further rows behind these will receive either 1, 2, 3 or 4 haired follicular units. Positioning the grafts in this way creates a natural “feathered” hairline that creates an undectable final result.

Despite the fact that Advanced Hair Transplant Clinic prides itself in the utilization of follicular units during hair restoration, not all grafts must be exclusively of follicular unit size. When we are working in an area that is already several centimeters behind the hairline (actually, away from any hairline), we may consider the inclusion of grafts that contain 2 follicular units. If you imagine hairs exiting the scalp (from holes we will term “pores”) either individually or in grouping of 2, 3 or 4, then you have an understanding of what a follicular unit actually is. Now, if we have a 1 haired follicular unit beside another 1 haired follicular unit, and the technicians don’t divide the two hairs from one another, we end up having a 2 haired 2 follicular unit graft. Similarly, if we have a 1 haired follicular unit beside a 2 haired follicular unit, and these are not divided, we end up with a 3 haired 2 follicular unit graft. Because follicular units come in 1, 2, 3 and 4 haired sizes, in theory, a two follicular unit graft may have up to 8 hairs. However, the 3 and 4 haired follicular units are quite infrequent and thus the chance of having a 3 haired follicular unit beside a 4 haired follicular unit is quite remote. In addition, the technicians have the option of keeping a 3 haired follicular unit beside another with less hairs (eg 1 or 2 hairs) such that most 2 follicular unit grafts will be comprised of 3, 4 or 5 hairs.