Dr. Shoji Okuda (1886-1962): The Great Pioneer of Punch Graft Hair Transplantation
September 2009
in “
The Journal of Dermatology
”
punch graft hair transplantation alopecia areata leprosy cicatricial alopecia female pubic atrichosis female pubic hypotrichosis androgenetic alopecia donor dominance eyelash transplantation punch grafting hair loss scarring alopecia pubic hair loss male pattern baldness donor area eyelash transplant
TLDR Dr. Shoji Okuda was a pioneer in hair transplant surgery, but his work was initially overlooked and is now recognized alongside Dr. Norman Orentreich.
Dr. Shoji Okuda, a Japanese physician, was a pioneer in the field of hair restoration surgery, having reported the punch graft hair transplantation technique in 1939, which was 20 years before Dr. Norman Orentreich, who is widely recognized as the "father" of hair restoration surgery. Okuda's work, which included 30 long-term follow-up cases of punch grafting for conditions such as alopecia areata, leprosy, cicatricial alopecia, and female pubic atrichosis or hypotrichosis, was initially overlooked due to language barriers and the outbreak of World War II. It was not until 1970 that Dr. H.C. Friederich acknowledged Okuda's contributions, coining the term Okuda-Orentreich technique. Despite Dr. Orentreich's significant contributions, including the application of punch graft for androgenetic alopecia and the concept of donor dominance, the authors of the letter to the editor argue that Dr. Okuda's originality and precedence should also be respectfully appreciated, and he should be considered "another father" of hair restoration surgery. Additionally, Dr. Franz Krusius was mentioned as another pioneer for his work on eyelash transplantation in 1914.
