The History of Hair Transplantation

The document traces the history of hair transplantation from the first case of auto transplantation in 1822 to the advanced techniques of the early 21st century. It notes key developments such as Dr. Orentreich's concept of "donor dominance" in 1959, the Norwood classification for male pattern hair loss in 1975, and the definition of a follicular unit by Dr. Headington in 1984. The evolution of hair transplantation has led to the current use of follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE), with the latter avoiding the scars associated with strip harvesting. Medical treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride are FDA-approved but have limitations. The document acknowledges that while hair loss affects 50% of men globally, the only proven treatments are Propecia (Finasteride), Rogaine (Minoxidil), and hair transplantation, with FUE and FUT being the most refined techniques available.