Hair Transplant Nurse/ Technician Interview Questions And Answers

A graftn is taken from one part of the body and moved to another. In a hair transplant, the follicular unit grafts are autografts.

To separate tissue so that the internal structure can be examined and its function and relationship of its components discerned. In follicular unit hair transplantation, it refers to the isolation of follicular unit grafts from a donor strip using a stereo-microscope.

A hair transplant technique in which naturally occurring, individual follicular units are dissected intact from a strip of donor tissue that is removed during the hair transplant procedure. The technique involves the use of a dissecting stereo-microscope of at least 6-10x magnification to isolate the follicular unit grafts.

A dissection technique used in hair transplants where the donor strip is subdivided to produce grafts of specific sizes defined by the number of hairs they contain and/or the size of tissue that will fit into a specific recipient site. The dissection is usually performed without microscopic control.

A method of hair restoration surgery which uses grafts containing 1-6 hairs, in groups that do not necessarily correspond to the naturally occurring follicular units. In this type of hair transplant procedure, the micro-grafts are generally placed at the frontal hairline and the mini-grafts behind them (for density). Mini-micrografting procedures, although technically easier to perform, do not look as natural as follicular unit transplantation.

Can occur when putting grafts into slits when the existing tissue ‘compresses’ the follicle, which can cause poor growth and/or improper direction of the hair.

This term describes a transplant operation in which a large number of grafts (1000-3000, usually mini and micrografts) is performed in one operation. Proponents of the operation say it prevents multiple operations while still providing good results. Opponents say it may put too much stress on the blood supply and cause a low yield of hairs growing back.

The simplest scalp reduction surgery is one in which small areas of balding scalp are removed in a succession of several small surgeries to reduce the area of balding scalp so that better results can be gained from transplantation.

Commonly known as a flap rotation, this surgery takes strips of surgically removed hair bearing scalp and uses them to form a new hairline and/or cover reduced balding areas of the scalp.

The most common type of hair loss in men. It is caused by the genetic susceptibility of hair follicles to the hormone DHT. It affects the central and frontal area of the scalp and the crown. It may eventuate in a U-shape configuration of hair loss.

The donor area, also known as the safe donor area, is the region in the back of the scalp (occipital scalp) that remains throughout one’s lifetime even in the setting of advanced male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia . This horseshoe shaped area is harvested during a hair transplant by strip harvesting and transplanted into the recipient area. What was discovered in the 1950s was that this occipital hair genetically programmed would not be lost when moved into bald areas of the scalp through a condition known as donor dominance.

A graft that is comprised of a single, intact follicular unit of 1-4 hairs. It is the only type of graft that is used in follicular unit hair transplant procedures.

A specific orientation of recipient sites made so that the length of the slit lies parallel to the hairline. This hair transplant technique is felt to offer better coverage than other recipient site orientations, as the hair from the grafts placed in lateral slits tends to fan out over the scalp.

A tiny hole or slit made in the recipient area by a needle or other sharp instrument to accommodate a graft during a hair transplantation procedure.

A method of removing follicular units from the “Donor Area” where the follicular units are individually removed instead of being removed in one long strip. The method heals the quickest, is less painful with less complications, and has minimal or no scarring. Currently it costs more than the standard strip method.

A flap which isn’t tied to a particular blood supply. Typically used to correct remaining bald areas after remaining after procedures such as a scalp extensions.

Occurs during harvesting of the donor hair or dissection of the grafts when follicles are accidentally cut by the blade, resulting in a loss of the hair, typically anywhere from 3-20% depending on technique. It is currently being debated how important this is since the latest cloning information shows most follicles should regenerate even if transsected.

A graft is taken from one person and grafted to another (i.e. kidney transplant). Immunosuppressive agents must be used with allograft transplants so that the grafts are not rejected by the host.

The phenomenon discovered by the famed New York Dermatologist, Norman Orentriech, in the 1950s that when hair was transplanted from the back of the head into the balding frontal region would continue to grow and not be lost, i.e., the transplanted hair would maintain the characteristic of the donor site and not be influenced by the recipient site. This is the principle of modern hair restoration but is not entirely true as the recipient site can have some influence.

In surgical hair restoration, this term refers to the frontal portion of the scalp that includes the frontal hairline and the area immediately behind it. In a hair transplant, the greatest density is often placed in this region of the scalp. In an average person, the frontal area measures approximately 30-50 cm2.

Also referred to as shock loss, is shedding of some of the patient’s existing hair in the area of the transplanted hair following a hair transplant procedure. The term does not refer to the shedding of the transplanted hair – which is almost universal. The shedding generally begins a few weeks after the hair transplant and can persist for three or four months.

A bundle of hairs that has been removed from the donor area of the scalp for transplant into the recipient zone.

A random flap procedure developed by Patrick Frechet to correct remaining bald areas left over from procedures such as scalp extensions or median scalp reductions.

A type of hair loss that naturally occurs with age. During the process of aging, both the duration of hair growth and the diameter of the hair follicle decrease, producing finer and shorter hairs. The process occurs over the entire scalp and tends to be more uniform than the changes of miniaturization associated with the effects of DHT. The exact mechanism of senile hair loss is unclear.

The dead portion of the hair that protrudes from the surface of the skin. It is made predominantly of the protein keratin.