Depth Control in Follicular Unit Excision: A New Classification from a Detailed Analysis of 30 Patients Undergoing FUE Technique for Hair Restoration

    August 2022 in “ Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ”
    Otavio Boaventura, Cleber Stuque
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    TLDR A new classification for depth control in hair restoration surgery was proposed, dividing it into three grades based on the depth required for successful graft extraction.
    The study "Depth control in follicular unit excision: A new classification from a detailed analysis of 30 patients undergoing FUE technique for hair restoration" conducted by Otávio Boaventura and Cleber Stuque involved 30 male patients who underwent hair restoration surgery. The researchers divided the donor area into 14 zones and determined the minimum depth required for at least three atraumatic extractions of the grafts. Approximately 2000 extractions were performed on each patient to determine depth control (DC). The study found that there is variability in the DC of follicular units within the different areas of the safe donor zone. For some areas, a greater depth (2.54 ± 0.10 mm) was necessary. Fifty-eight percent of follicular units were extracted with 2.0 mm DC, and 3.8% required 3.5 mm DC. Based on these findings, the researchers proposed a new DC classification: grade I ≥ 2.00 mm, grade II from 2.1 to 3 mm, and grade III > 3.0 mm. This new classification could provide a valuable estimation of surgery demand.
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