Donor harvesting has advanced significantly over the years. One of the early advancements was to place two layers of sutures in strip harvests. We found that a single strip scar was easier to resolve and conceal than multiple strip scars. We found that second strip harvests of the same strip scar resulted in wider scars if a two layer closure was not performed.
Subsequently, with strip harvesting, the trichophytic closure was adopted by many with the promise that it would leave undetectable scars. This simply is not the case. In order to overcome the limitations of strip scars, we developed the CIT method of donor harvesting. The development of this procedure has advanced significantly over time in our…

There is a new genetic test to determine your risk for male pattern baldness. The test looks for a genetic marker on the X chromosome. Men who carry a specific androgen receptor gene variant are at a 60% risk of going bald by the age of 40 according to several studies. Men who carry the less common genetic variant of the same androgen receptor gene have a greater than 85% chance of not going bald before the age of 40. It has been determined that 95% of bald men carry the high risk variant in studies to date.   

Patient’s who do their homework prior to a hair transplant procedure know that strip procedures offer few benefits over CIT. The only true benefit up until recently has been the capacity to keep one’s hair longer with the strip procedure. CIT on the other hand required patients to shave their heads in order to perform a larger procedure. For some this required careful planning so that they could shave their head and migrate back into their usual lifestyle. Shaving the head can make the patient nervous because it can result in a drastic change in one’s appearance.

For some, this simple factor became the driving force behind their decision to undergo a strip procedure rather than take advantage of…