PHL Clinics - Art of hair restoration

Alopecia
The medical term for baldness.

Androgenic Alopecia
Hair loss usually at the crown or front of the scalp caused by the male hormone testosterone. It is also known as male pattern baldness although it is prevalent in both males and females.

Donor Area
The fringe above the ears and around the back of the head where hair follicles are genetically programmed to remain intact and grow throughout life.

Donor Dominance
The concept that hair follicles transplanted from the donor area will continue to grow in the recipient area.

Female-Pattern Baldness
A pattern of baldness found in women characterized by a diffuse thinning of hair, or hair loss at the front portion of the scalp in a rectangular pattern.

Follicular Unit
A natural "clump" of typically up to 5 hair follicles that grow together.

Hair Economics
A theory that states only a limited or decreasing supply of hair exists, but the demand for hair increases as balding patterns develop.

Hair Flaps
Techniques to transfer large volumes of hair on the sides and back of the scalp to the front and central areas of the head. Most effective when used with a tissue expander. Hair flaps represent the fastest and most complete technique to eliminate baldness for appropriate patients.

Hair Follicles
A component of the skin which creates a growing hair. It is extracted from the donor area and transplanted to the recipient area during hair restoration surgery.

Hair Grafts
The smaller element or component of the donor tissue that is transplanted. This could range from a single follicle micro-graft to several follicles on a micro-graft

Lifecycle
The life cycle of a hair consists of three phases: anagen (active growth), catagen (transition) and telogen (resting). The anagen phase lasts about 1000 days, the catagen phase lasts a few weeks, and the telogen phase lasts about 100 days. At any given time, about 90% of hairs are in the anagen phase.

Hair Transplant
A surgical technique that transfers hair follicles from the donor area to the recipient area.

Male-Pattern Baldness
See Androgenic Alopecia

Micro-graft
A hair graft with 1-3 hair follicles.

Mini-graft
A hair graft with more four or more hair follicles.

Norwood Scale
A seven tier baldness rating system created by O'Tar Norwood in 1975.

Recipient Area
Area of the scalp where hair loss occurs and hair will be added in hair restoration procedures.

Scalp Reduction
A procedure that removes bald scalp and brings the hair bearing scalp closer together. Scalp reduction is most often used in patients with posterior baldness.

Tissue Expander
A reconstructive balloon-like device which can be used to enlarge hair-bearing scalp on the sides of the head, providing a larger supply of hair with which to replace the bald areas. Often used in hair flap techniques and scalp reductions. It has to be reinflated by a doctor every 3-4 days.

Tissue Extender
A device used to stretch scalp. Often used to speed up the process of scalp reductions by stretching the sides of the scalp that contain hair to achieve rapid elimination of bald areas. The tissue extender is temporarily inserted below the scalp and remains in place for a no longer than 30 days. After this amount of time a new extender is put in (if necessary) or the bald area removed and the edges of the hair bearing areas are aligned and sutured together.

micro-grafts
There is a common misconception that human hairs grow out of the scalp one at a time. This is not true as human hair is naturally clumped together in small clusters of up to 5 hair follicles.

mini-grafts
These clumps are called follicular units. The difference between follicular units and a mini-graft or micro-graft is that the grafting is a process. For example, a mini-graft contains up to 6 hair follicles but they may not necessarily from the same follicular unit.

follicular units
At PHL Clinics our Rapid Precision Delivery (RPD) method takes follicular units into account by identifying them in the donor area and grafting them complete. This emulation of how nature originally grouped your hair means that your hair transplant will look exceptionally realistic and natural.