5 alpha-reductase - Enzyme within hair follicles

ABHRS - American Board of Hair Restoration Surgeons

Alopecia - General medical term for hair loss. Many sub categories of alopecia exist.

Alopecia areata - Hair loss disorder characterized by patchy smooth areas of hair loss on scalp.
Affects about 2% of population. Can occur slowly or with a sudden onset. Believed to be an
immune disorder, although the exact cause is unknown, where mistaken signals are sent to
the body and the hair is rejected.

Alopecia totalis - Hair loss affecting the entire scalp

Alopecia universalis - Hair loss on entire body. Hair follicles present but devoid of hair.

Anagen phase - Active growth

Androgenetic alopecia - Hair loss related to gender. Usually occurs in a specific pattern

CAG's - Coronal Angled Grafting. Angling the recipient sites to get the most natural growth.

Candidate selection - Determining qualities an individual has that would make them
suitable for hair restoration.

Crown or vertex - Mid back or top of the scalp

DHT - Dihydrotestosterone. The by-product of testosterone that is responsible for male
pattern baldness.

Dissection - Cutting down the strip of donor tissue into follicular unit grafts

Donor area - The area in the back of the scalp from which the grafts are harvested.

Donor strip - The piece of tissue harvested from the back of the scalp containing the
necessary grafts.

Follicle - Single unit of hair

Follicular unit - A hair graft containing between 1-3 hairs per follicle. The amount of hair per
follicle depends on the individual.

Frontal forelock - Isolated area of existing hair in the front hairline where surrounding
hair has been lost. Also called an "island" or "frontal tuft".

Frontal recessions - Frontal loss of hair presenting as deep "V"s in the front hairline

FUE - Follicular unit extraction

Graft - A hair follicle unit containing between 1- 3 hairs

ISHRS - International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons

Ludwig scale - Typical Female pattern hair loss scale

Microscopes - Devices used to dissect the tissue into follicular unit grafts

Miniaturization - The process of hair loss by which the follicle begins to shrink and the hairs
become smaller, finer textured and eventually the follicle dies.

Norwood Scale - Typical Male pattern hair loss scale

Prone pillow - Pillow used during removal of donor tissue. Similar to a pillow used for massage.

Recipient area - Area where the grafts are placed during the hair transplant.

Session - A hair transplant surgery of grafts.

Site - Tiny incision, made with a needle, where the follicular unit grafts are inserted.

Surgical staples - Used to close the surgical incision where the donor area was removed.

Technician - Medical assistant to the hair transplant surgeon. Duties are varied, but include
dissecting the tissue into single follicles and inserting the grafts into the recipient sites.

Telogen effluvium - Acceleration or "shock" loss of hair following a transplant. Diffuse hair
shedding. Any condition that shifts the normal distribution of hair follicles in active phase to
a higher percentage of hair follicles in the resting phase.

Sudden - Rapid or abrupt onset due to bodily stress or high fever.

Delayed - Following several months of physical or emotional stress, such as illness,
childbirth, etc.

Chronic - Occurring over several years or months

Telogen phase - Resting phase

Terminal Hair - Large, normal hair not affected by male pattern baldness

Traction alopecia - Hair loss due to tension on scalp from tight braids, ponytails, hair
extensions, etc.

Trichodynia - Painful hair. Hair loss associated with painful needle pricked feeling.

Vellus Hair - Small fine textured hairs. Lighter in color, smaller in diameter, finer textured
than terminal hairs.