TLDR The "open punch" technique for hair transplantation can help reduce damage to hair grafts and may be especially useful for beginners and in cases with curly hair.
In September 2016, Otavio Boaventura introduced a new method in hair transplantation called the "open punch" technique, a part of non-shaven Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). This technique, which uses an oscillatory movement to prevent hair from wrapping around the punch, was designed to harvest intact long hair grafts. The open punch has a slit that accommodates the long hair shaft while the graft is being punched, with an optimal 0.125mm slit width and a 4.5mm slit depth. In a case study of a 36-year-old male with traumatic alopecia, the technique resulted in a 12.7% transection rate and 300 grafts harvested per hour. Boaventura concluded that the open punch technique could be beneficial for beginners performing traditional shaven FUE and could potentially improve transection rates in difficult cases, such as with curly hair patients.
45 citations,
August 2013 in “Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America” Using sharp tools and the right techniques in hair transplant surgery leads to less damage to hair follicles.
19 citations,
April 2010 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Partial hair follicle extraction can effectively double the number of hair follicles for transplants, with most surviving and growing normally after a year.
19 citations,
September 2009 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Dr. Shoji Okuda was a pioneer in hair transplant surgery, but his work was initially overlooked and is now recognized alongside Dr. Norman Orentreich.
153 citations,
August 2002 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a less invasive hair transplant method with minimal scarring, suitable for about 60% of patients, especially those needing fewer grafts and quicker recovery.
August 2023 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” The new hair transplant device reduces damage to hair follicles and makes surgery more comfortable for the surgeon.
1 citations,
May 2021 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Long hair follicular unit excision is effective for hair transplants, providing quick, natural-looking results with less pain but needs more time, staff, and skill.
13 citations,
November 2018 in “Annals of Plastic Surgery” Nonshaven follicular unit extraction is a good hair transplant option that doesn't require shaving and can transplant up to 3000 grafts daily.
6 citations,
March 2017 in “Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open” Both pretrimmed and direct nonshaven methods are effective for hair transplants; pretrimmed takes longer but yields denser, longer hair.
1 citations,
April 2019 in “Aesthetic Plastic Surgery” Secondary hairline correction surgery can be effective and satisfying when customized to the patient's needs.
