The most widely used terminology in hair transplantation these days is probably the term "Follicular Unit Extraction".  So exactly who first publicized the term "Follicle Unit Extraction" which now becomes the de facto terminology for cutting edge hair transplant technique? This prompts me to steal the famous line used in the National Spelling Bees Contest: "May I have the origin of the word please?"

Interesting enough, the concept of follicular unit extraction was first published in The Sun Herald in Australia on October 15, 1995. It was an advertisement for Dr. Woods & Dr. Campbell's top-up microsurgical technique where the donor extraction is done one follicular unit at a time. In the advertisement, the concept of FUE was actually described as "Hair Follicle Single Unit Extraction" which accurately depicts the purest form of the technique, i.e: one follicular unit at a time. 

The essence of Single unit extraction is important because technically doctors who are extracting follicles with a 1 mm punch can claim that they are doing Follicular Unit Extraction even though the 1 mm punch may be coring multiple units at a time and damaging surround follicles. 

Anyone who is considering FUE should inquire how the extraction is performed and whether the donor hair is extracted ONE single follicular unit at a time. As subtle as it may seem, ignoring this important variation in FUE techniques may cost patients valuable donor follicles. 

HAIR TRANSPLANT FORUM

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