A
Alopecia
The medical term for hair loss.
Alopecia Areata
Round patches of hair loss anywhere on the body caused by an Autoimmune disorder where white blood cells attack the hair follicle. This condition is usually temporary.
Androgenetic Alopecia (pattern baldness)
Genetic hair loss where thinning or balding occurs everywhere except the back and sides of the head.
ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplant
Computer assisted robotic device used in precision FUE hair transplants.
C
Cicatricial Alopecia or Scarring
Hair loss caused by scarring as a result of a skin disorder where follicles are destroyed by scars.
Crown
The area on the top of the head in the back.
D
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
The hormone that blocks the absorption of vital nutrients to the hair follicle, which interferes with healthy growth cycles and causes hair loss.
Diffuse Pattern Hair Loss
When hair thins exposing the scalp throughout the entire head excluding the sides and back.
Diffuse Unpatterned Hair Loss
When hair thins exposing the scalp throughout the entire head including the sides and the back.
Donor Area
In patients with pattern baldness, this area on the sides and back of the head is where hair follicles are resistant to DHT (the hormone that causes hair loss). Follicles taken from a DHT resistant area can be successfully transplanted and grow indefinitely.
Donor Dominance
Dr. Norman Orentreich speculated that balding men typically have a ring of healthy hair growing on the sides and the back of the head. When hair is harvested from this area and transplanted to a balding area it survives indefinitely in the new location. This is the premise of donor dominance.
F
Female Pattern Hair Loss
Females typically don’t go completely bald. Instead they experience hair thinning which exposes the scalp. This hair loss typically starts just behind the frontal hairline and continues throughout the top of the head but does not include the sides and back of the head.
Follicle
A sack that contains a single strand of hair.
Follicular Unit
A bundle of 1-4 hairs that grows naturally together. The average size of a follicular unit is 2.5 hairs.
Frontal Hairline
The hair that frames the face.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
A hair transplant that is done by harvesting hair one follicular unit at a time directly from the donor area with a punch device eliminating the need for a linear scar.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
A hair transplant that is done by harvesting a strip of tissue from the safe zone, which is then dissected into individual grafts.
G
Genetic Hair Loss
Hair loss traits passed down from relatives.
Graft
Tissue containing one or more follicular units.
H
Hair Cloning
A future prospective method of hair restoration that has not been successfully developed yet.
Hair Loss Phases
Anagen – hair growth stage lasting 2-8 years
Catagen – hair resting stage lasting 2-4 weeks when hair stops growing
Telogen – new hair stage lasting 2-4 months when a new hair grows
Hair Plug
Terminology first created in the last century when referring to oversized grafts of hair used in hair transplants. The results resembled that of a toy doll head.
Hair Shock
When existing hair near a transplanted hair falls out temporarily due to trauma to the area.
Harvesting
Removing healthy hair from the Donor Area to be used in a hair transplant.
M
Male Pattern Baldness
Genetic hair loss passed down from family members resulting in hair loss in all areas of the head excluding the ‘safe zone’.
Max Growth Hair Transplant
Specially developed FUT procedure, which results in twice the hair when compared to an FUE procedure. Scarring is minimal due to special harvesting technique.
Micrograft
A single hair graft.
Miniaturization
When hairs become weaker and finer after each growth cycle resulting in a wispy thin look.
R
Recipient Area
Any balding area where hair needs to be transplanted.
S
Safe Zone
Donor dominant area on the sides and the back of the head where hair is resistant to DHT, which is the hormone that causes hair loss.
T
Telogen Effluvium
When some shock to the system due to illness, trauma, psychological stress, surgeries, unusual dieting, thyroid problems and a whole host of other situations cause hair to prematurely enter the resting stage which results in accelerated temporary hair loss.