A-C

Alopecia
The scientific term for hair loss. There are many causes and many patterns.

Alopecia Areata
An autoimmune disease which attacks hair follicles. It appears as patches of hair loss in the scalp, beard, eyebrow or eyelashes.

Alopecia Totalis
Alopecia areata progressing to total loss of scalp hair.

Alopecia Universalis
Where every hair on the body has been lost.

Anagen
The actively growing phase of the hair follicle. Two to six years on the scalp but much shorter for body hair.

Anagen Effluvium
Loss of hair that is actively growing, such as in chemotherapy.

Androgen
Male sex hormones such as Testosterone and Dihidrotestosterone (DHT).

Androgenetic Alopecia
Inherited hair loss such as male and female pattern hairloss brought about by sensitivity to the androgen DHT.

Antiandrogen
Medications which interfere with the action of androgens by various means, the result of which is reduced androgen influence.

Aromatase
An enzyme in the body which converts testosterone into oestrogen. Apoptosis: Cell death programmed in the begininning.

Atrophy
Medical term for shrinking or wasting.

Autoimmune Disorder
Any of a large group of diseases characterized by abnormal functioning of the immune system that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against your own tissues.

Biotin
The immune system which normally protects the body, starts attacking various tissues.

Body Hair Transplants
A recent innovation where body hair follicles are harvested, one follicular unit at a time and planted into the scalp or other areas of need.

Bonding
Hair pieces “bonded” to the scalp with strong adhesive.

Benign Prostactic Hyperplasia (BPH)
A non cancerous condition in older men when the prostate swells under the influence of DHT restricting urinary flow.

Braiding
Tightly woven plats popular in African-Americans.

Catagen
At the end of the anagen growing cycle, catagen lasts two weeks before the final stage, telogen begins.

Chemotherapy
Anti cancer treatments which can cause temporary hair loss (Anagen Effluvium).

Clinical Trials
Methods of determining a drugs efficacy where its action is closely monitored in a clinical setting.

Chubby Grafts
A term used to describe a follicular unit left with scalp tissue surrounding it.

Club Hair
The shape of the root of the hair in the telogen phase. Indicates the hair has stopped growing and will soon fall out.

Cobble Stoning
Uneven healing in outdated punch graft procedures, resembling street cobble stones.

Compression
The healing process brings closer together any hairs planted larger than a follicular unit, compressing them. The effect is an increased tufty or corn row appearance.

Copper
A trace element essential in the healing process. Some post operative hair products contain copper.

Cortex
The main structural part of the hair fibre made of interwoven keratin fibres which gives it its strength.

Corticosteroid (Cortisone, Steroid)
A drug used to suppress inflammation and the immune system.

Couvre
Coloured camouflage cream used to improve the appearance of thinning areas.

Crown
The part of the scalp which starts to slope downwards at the back of the head. Contains the “whorl” and often loses hair before anywhere else.

Cuticle
The outer cover of the hair shaft made up of overlapping scales. Gives shine and manageablity when sitting well on each other like tiles on a roof but when lifted or injured produce dull, lifeless, tangled hair.

Cyclosporin
Supresses the immune system. Used in organ transplantation. Has been shown to stimulate hair growth.

D-F

Deramal Papilla
Located inside the root of the hair follicle and supplies nutrients for the duration of the anagen phase. It is also involved in starting up the next cycle, producing a new hair.

Dermotoscope
Magnified light to view hair and scalp.

Dermis
The layer of the skin inside the epidermis.

DHT
Dihydrotestosterone implicated in BPH, hair loss and possibly excessive body hair and acne.

Diazoxide
Used in high blood pressure and found to have a mild effect on hair growth.

Donor Site
Back and sides of the head containing hairs that are not affected by DHT and therefore suitable for harvesting in hair transplantation.

Double Blind Study
Neither patient or doctor are aware who’s taking the active drug who’s taking the placebo. Eliminates bias.

Dutasteride
A new medication that inhibits both Type 1 and 2, 5-alpha Reductase. More effective than Finasteride in reducing DHT but also has more side effects.

Epidermis
The outer layer of the skin.

Estrogen (Oestrogen)
Female sex hormone.

Exogen
A time in the follicle cycle where the telogen hair is lost but the new hair is not yet visible. Such a follicle can be lost in graft preparation because its not visible.

Five Alpha Reductase
There are type 1 and 2, both convert testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar)
Inhibits 5 alpha Reducatse type 2 reducing DHT to about half normal levels and reducing DHT effect in the body including hair loss.

Flap
A long thin strip of hair bearing scalp which is lifted at its far end and rotated on its rear end to sit in the hairline or other area requiring hair. Was a popular hair replacement technique in the 70’s and 80’s.

Follicle
That part of the hair that sits below the skin surface.

Follicular Isolation Technique (FIT)
A name registered by hair transplant doctors to describe their particular technique of harvesting one hair follicle at a time.

Follicular Unit
Hair grows in groupings of 1,2 and 3 or rarely more hairs. This is seen as an identifiable unit with its own connective tissue surroundings separating it from the next follicular unit.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
The name given to the extraction of one hair follicular unit at a time.

Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
Transplanting grafts that contain only one follicular unit.

G-L

Gene Therapy
Manipulating a persons genetic make up to correct a genetic disease.

Grafts
Small pieces of scalp containing hairs from the donor area and planted into the recipient area.

Gynecomastia
Large male breasts due to excessive eostrogen production or eostrogenic effect of other substances.

Hair Cloning
Hair stem cells multiplied in a laboratory and re implanted into the scalp to produce many hairs from one. Not yet a viable solution to hair loss.

Hair Lift
Name given to an extensive form of scalp reduction giving massive lift of the back and sides.

Hair Matrix
Near the bulb before it differentiates into the structures that become the hair shaft.

Hair Pieces
Human or artificial hair attached to a base which is then stuck onto the scalp or attached to existing hair. Can be small to cover limited zones of hair loss or larger to cover all the scalp.

Hair Shaft
That part of the hair that exists above the skin.

Hair Pluck Test (Hair Pull Test)
A group of hairs are pulled to see how many come away. Normally none or one come away but many more do so in telogen effluvium.

Hair Weaving
A method of attaching a hairpiece to existing hair through interweaving the two.

Hamilton Scale
A baldness scale designed by Dr Hamilton. Since added to by Dr Norwood and now known as the Hamilton-Norwood scale.

Hirsutism
Excessive growth of facial or body hair in men and women. Genetic in males and abnormally high androgen levels or androgen sensitivity in females.

Hormones
Secreted by glands in various parts of the body, they are chemical messengers that control body organs.

Inflammation
Pain, swelling, redness and heat caused by infection, irritation or injury.

Keratin
Made by keratinocyte cells in the epidermis into the outer horny layer of the skin protecting against loss of hydration and modified into other structures such as hair, nails and teeth.

Ketoconazole
Antifungal agent used to treat dandruff. Has some antiandrogenic effect. Active ingredient in Nizoral shampoo.

Linear Graft
Donor hair material made into long thin grafts.

Ludwig Scale
A scale to communicate the severity if Female Pattern Hair Loss.

M-R

Male Pattern Baldness
Also known as Male Pattern Hair Loss and Androgenetic Alopecia. Common inherited male hair loss caused by DHT.

Medulla
The inner most part of the hair shaft.

Megasession

Melanin
Pigment produced by melalin cells in the deepest layer of the epidermis colouring skin and hair. Loss of melalin in older age leads to grey hair.

Micrograft
A small graft containing one or two hairs.

Miniaturization
The effect on the hair follicle of DHT. Each cycle sees production of a hair that’s smaller in diameter, lighter in colour than the one before and one who’s anagen phase is also shorter. This miniaturization continues until the hairs are so small that they produce no coverage at all.

Minigrafts
Grafts that are smaller than punch grafts but bigger than micrografts. Typically contain about 5 hairs.

Minoxidil
An anti blood pressure medication which has been shown to grow hair on all parts of the body in some people. Now used as a scalp lotion, known as Rogaine.

Multi Unit Grafts (MUGs)
Grafts that contain more than one follicular unit.

Non Scarring Alopecia
Where the hair loss is reversible if a cure can be found as the follicle has not been completely destroyed.

Norwood Scale
Hamilton Norwood scale sometimes abbreviated to Norwood scale.

Pitting
The effect seen in the recipient area when grafts are placed too deeply so that the hair grows out from within a pit. Attracts attention in certain light.

Placebo
A “dummy” tablet, cream or injection which looks, tastes, feels exactly the same as the “real” medication used in clinical trials to eliminate bias and determine the true effect of the medication.

Popping
Grafts that pop up again after being placed into the recipient area. Can make the transplant procedure difficult especially when associated with excessive bleeding.

Propecia
Marketing name for Finasteride approved by FDA for hair loss. Proscar: The original marketing name of Finasteride when it was released to reduce DHT’s effect on the prostate in cases of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH).

Pruritis
Medical term for itching, commonly experienced in the scalp by sufferers of hair loss.

Pseudopelade
A scarring alopecia which kills hair follicles in irregular patches. Usually gets worse with time and may be impossible to treat.

Psoriarsis A scaly condition of the skin often worse in the scalp. Severe cases can cause hair loss.

Punch Graft
Outdated large grafts containing 10-20 hairs each. Q R Recipient Site/Area: Where hair transplants are planted.

Retin A
A derivetive of vitamin A which has been used extensively in early wrinkle reduction through its skin irritation and peeling properties. Has been mixed with Rogaine to enhance its absorption.

Ridging
Seen mostly with punch grafts where excessive fibrous tissue is laid down at the hair line causing a ridge.

Rogaine
The marketing name of Minoxidil lotion.

S-Z

Saw Palmeto
A herbal extract which is a weak 5 alpha Reductase inhibitor. It is popular with patients wanting a “natural” treatment for Male Pattern Hair Loss but it only has a very limited effect.

Scalp Reduction
Also known as Alopecia Reduction where the bald scalp is excised and the back and sides brought upwards to cover the area excised. Gained popularity in 70’s and 80’s due to the obvious “plugginess” of punch grafts which was the only alternative at that time. Almost completely eliminated now by follicular unit transplants.

Scarring Alopecia
There are many varieties, some treatable and some not. Dermatologist opinion and biopsy are needed to establish which condition it is. Delay will involve more follicles with possible permanent destruction.

Sebacious Glands
Small glands near the upper half of the hair follicle which produce a fatty secretion onto the hair and surrounding skin. Acne results form blocked sebaceous glands.

Seborrhaeic Dermatitis
Looks like severe dandruff with a mild skin redness associated. Can be controlled but rarely eliminated.

Sebum
The fatty secretion of sebaceous glands. Senescent Alopecia: Also known as Senile Alopecia. It is a thinning of all hair which happens in older age.

Shock Fallout
Also known as Anagen Effluvium, it is the shedding of anagen hairs which occurs in chemotherapy , in the transplanted hair and in severe physical injury.

Skinny Grafts
Used to describe follicular units trimmed of all surrounding scalp tissue.

Slit Graft
A slit made by a scalpel accommodating a graft usually long and thin containing 3 to 10 hairs.

Spironolactone
Marketed as Aldactone, it has a mild anti androgen effect. Commonly used in Female Pattern Hair Loss. Stretch Back: A term used to describe the loss of improvement after scalp reductions.

Suture
A filament used to close a wound. Some need to be removed, others dissolve.

Telogen
The resting phase of the hair follicle after anagen and catagen. Lasts about three months after which a new hair is formed and begins its anagen phase. This is hair cycling.

Telogen Effluvium
Loss of hair randomly in the scalp as a result of emotional or physical shock which sends anagen hairs randomly into telogen. Usually noticed three months after the incident and can go on or a year or longer. If the shock or stress fades, the hair usually regrows completely.

Temporal Recession
Hair loss in the temples is often the first sign of male pattern hair loss.

Tenting
An effect in the recipient area when the grafts are planted too superficially. The hairs exit from a little mound or tent.

Terminal Hair
Strong, healthy pigmented hairs.

Testosterone
Male sex hormone. 5 alpha Reductase converts a small proportion of Testosterone into DHT. A low level of Testosterone is also present in females.

Tissue Expansion
Used to maximize the coverage available from scalp with permanent hair. A balloon is implanted under the scalp and then removed allowing the loose scalp to be moved to the desired position. It expands the scalp containing the hair but not the number of hairs.

Topical
A medical term for application of a medication to the surface.

Traction Alopecia
Hair loss from constant pulling on the hair by braids, pony tails or form hair piece attachments.

Transection
Cutting across a hair follicle furing the harvesting and preparation of the grafts.

Trichology
A non medical study of hair biology by ex hairdressers or other interested individuals.

Trichotillomania
Obsessive compulsive fiddling with hair usually in one area, worse at times of stress. Hair is either pulled out or broken near the base. Will regrow if left alone.

Trichophytic Closure
A small change in closing the donor area after strip hair harvesting that can result in completely camoflauged invisible scars. One edge of the wound is trimmed, deepithelialising one or two follicular units which then grow up through the scar, dispersing it.

Vellous Hair
Fine hair without pigment found over most of the body surface. Terminal hairs can miniaturize into vellous hairs such as in male pattern hair loss and vellous hairs can expand into terminal hairs such as on the chin of menopausal women.

Vertex
Can be synonomous with the crown, although others think of the highest point on the skull as the vertex.

Vitilligo
An autoimmune disease which attacks pigment cells in the base of the epidermis leading to irregular white patches. If it happens in hair growing skin, the hair will also lose pigment.

Viviscal
A hair growth product not scientifically proven to be effective.

X-Factor
A term used to describe an unknown factor which causes poor growth of hair transplants.