Asian Female Hairline Surgery Using Follicular Unit Extraction

Yi, Sung Jae

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Asian female hairline surgery is unique part among hair transplantation surgerys. Most of Asian female hairline surgery had been done by single strip harvesting technique which leave noticeable linear scar. As follicualr unit extraction is introduced1, female hairline surgery can take advantage of the Follicular Unit Extraction technique;leaving no linear donor scar. There has been a belief among surgeons who are somewhat reluctant to use follicular unit extraction for female hairline surgery that the inspection of the naturally occurring curl direction of hair, which is believed one of the critical steps for appropriate operative result in Asian female hairline surgery, is impossible in follicular unit extraction. So follicular unit extraction has to be 'plan B' in respect of Asian female hairline surgery. But author thought differently about this belief.
METHODS
From December 2012 to May 2013, 78 consecutive cases of female hairline surgerys were done by follicular unit extraction. The ages of patients were 18 to 57 and mean was 34.5. The cases can be categorized in 3 groups; 1) Correction of fronttemporal recession only. 2) Whole hairline correction (including fronto-temporal recession, temporal recession and lowering of the central hairline). 3) Correction of the hairline with scar by previous aesthetic surgery just like forehead lift or forehead reduction surgery. Donor hair was harvested by follicular unit extraction and preparation of donor area was done by micro-strip shave pattern, by which no short haircut window was needed. Follow up periods were 4 months to 8 months.
RESULTS
Aesthetic results of the all cases were satisfactory. There were three cases which needed small session (less than 100 hairs) for relatively less survival area (all of these areas were the anterior part of hair part) and two cases of small 'moth-eaten pattern' on donor area which need no treatment or another session for aesthetic improvement. There was no lumpy graft which can be look unnatural or literal wall of plug graft in anterior part of corrected hairline. There was no linear harvesting scar, which is in-evitable in single strip harvesting, on donor area.
CONCLUSIONS
Follucualr unit extraction can be versatile technique for hair restoration surgery and also hold good for Asian female hairline surgery.