|
Sometimes, looking at the density issue mathematically is helpful.
In my experience, the majority of men have approximately 70 to 80
follicular units per square centimeter in the donor area. These
are dissected down to individual follicular units and then re-implanted
into the recipient area of the scalp. The average number of follicular
units per square centimeter in the recipient area after transplantation
is usually around 20, although at times we will make it much denser.
The density in the transplanted area after regrowth then is approximately
25% full density (20 being 25% of 80). However, as noted above,
if the patient can get
approximately 50% of the original number of hairs transplanted,
then he may begin to look like he has full density. All of this
is a gross generalization. Many factors influence how closely the
follicular units can be packed during transplantation, and the packing
density of 20 follicular units per square centimeter is not necessarily
used throughout the entire transplanted area or in every scalp.
A look at the math is also helpful in dealing with the distribution
of the transplanted hair. Many patients hear me refer to thousands
of follicular units and mistakenly assume that more of the scalp
can be covered then is realistic. Before the average person begins
to lose hair, he has approximately 100,000 hairs on his scalp. Using
an easy number to work with, if I move 2000 follicular units during
a transplant, this means that I am actually moving about 5000 hairs
on
average. I get 5000 by multiplying the 2000 follicular units by
the average number of hairs in a single follicular unit, which is
approximately 2.5. Thus, if a very large transplant is performed
with 2000 follicular units, in reality I am only moving 5% of that
patient’s original volume of hair (5000 being 5% of 100,000).
In most cases, the balding area in advanced stages of male pattern
baldness will exceed 50% of the scalp. Thus it becomes obvious that
moving 5% of a patient’s original volume of hair, even three
separate times, will not yield enough to give full coverage. That
is just another reason why I stress to the patient that I need to
make sure that the front looks good first.
Next Topics:
After The Hair Transplant
Choosing a Hair Transplant
Surgeon
Possible Hair Transplant Complications
|
