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. 2018 Oct-Dec;11(4):202-210.
doi: 10.4103/JCAS.JCAS_124_18.

Recipient Area

Affiliations

Recipient Area

Manjot K Marwah et al. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2018 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Recipient area is the canvas in a hair transplant surgery, where the surgeon can truly display his artistic creativity and deliver an aesthetic masterpiece, after all hair transplantation is as much about art as science. There are four main steps in dealing with the recipient area. Marking the hairline and estimation of grafts is the most important steps to give a natural look. There are multiple anatomical markers that need to be addressed while drawing a hairline. The second step is the anesthesia and it should be as painless as possible. This is followed by implantation, which can be achieved by various techniques. There are multiple technicalities to be considered while implanting, such as density, angle, and direction. Once implantation is done, the final step is appropriate postoperative care. Each of these steps has been discussed in detail in this chapter.

Keywords: Hair transplant; hairline design; implantation of grafts; recipient area.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Anatomical zones of the scalp
Figure 2
Figure 2
Estimation of grafts. A tracing paper is kept on the scalp to get the impression of the recipient area and then placed over a graph paper. The transition zone and lateral tuft area (desired density, 25 grafts/cm2), central tuft (desired density, 45 grafts/cm2), and the entire frontal zone (desired density, 35 grafts/cm2) are marked. Then the total number of grafts is calculated by multiplying the area (cm2) of each zone with the desired density. For example: central tuft (45×24 = 1080), for transition zone (25×22 = 550), and for the rest (35×46 = 1610), so the total grafts required is (1080+550+1610), that is, 3240
Figure 3
Figure 3
Site of injecting for supratrochlear and supraorbital nerve block (Source: www.fpnotebook.com)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Recipient area after implantation
Figure 5
Figure 5
(A) Implantation with 2 forceps. (B) Implantation with a single forceps
Figure 6
Figure 6
Mechanism of Choi implanter (Source: www.hairtransplantmentor.com)
Figure 7
Figure 7
Implantation instruments and implanters (left to right: introducer used with SAVA implanter, SAVA implanters, Choi implanters, and straight forceps used to load the implanters)

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