Follicular Unit Extraction by Robert M. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.A.D.
Introduction

The follicular unit (FU) was first defined by Headington and the conceptual framework for using FUs in hair transplantation was laid out by Bernstein and Rassman. It became clear to most surgical hair restoration practitioners that the single-strip harvesting and stereomicroscopic dissection techniques developed by Limmer in 1988 were the best way to both harvest and isolate FUs.

Although single-strip harvesting is an extremely efficient means of obtaining tissue for subsequent dissection into FUs, it results in a linear scar. Careful technique with thin donor strips will produce very fine scars, but if the strips are taken too wide, the scar can widen to an unacceptable degree. Covering the donor area with longer hair was the only solution to widened scars, as surgical repairs of these wounds generally proved to be ineffective. As a result, a number of patients became hesitant ... Read more »