A–Z Glossary

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A

Anagen Phase
Active growth phase of a hair — 2 to 7 years. 85–90% of all scalp hairs are simultaneously in this phase. → Hair Growth Cycle

Alopecia areata
Autoimmune, circular hair loss. Suddenly appearing, sharply defined bald patches. → To the article

Alopecia
Medical umbrella term for hair loss of any cause.

Anesthesia
Our practice combines light oral sedation with local anesthesia — you doze relaxed, your scalp is numb. → To the article

Androgenetic Alopecia
Hereditary hair loss, most common form in men (~80%) and women (~40%). Triggered by sensitivity of follicles to DHT.

Growth Rate
Percentage of transplanted follicles that grow visibly after 12 months. Good transplants achieve 90–95%. Most important quality metric.

Eyebrow Transplantation
Transplantation of individual follicles into the eyebrows — usually 100–400 grafts per eyebrow. Highest precision in angle and direction of growth. We use Sapphire FUE.

Out-of-Body Time
Time a harvested follicle spends outside the body in nutrient solution. The shorter, the higher the growth rate. Under 4 hours is standard, under 2 hours is optimal. → More about this

B

Beard Transplantation
Follicles are transplanted from the back of the head into patchy or scarred beard areas. Typically 800–2,500 grafts. Result is shaveable and styleable like real beard hair.

Blood Analysis
Standard component of hair loss diagnostics. Checks iron, ferritin, vitamin D, B12, zinc, thyroid, and hormone status. Indispensable for diffuse hair loss.

D

DHT — Dihydrotestosterone
Metabolic product of testosterone, produced by 5-alpha-reductase. Binds to androgen receptors of sensitive follicles and triggers miniaturization and hair loss.

DHT Blockers (5-alpha-reductase inhibitors)
Prescription drug class that reduces the conversion of testosterone to DHT by up to 70%. Effective for androgenetic alopecia. Indication and side effects are discussed during the medical consultation.

Diffuse Hair Loss
Even thinning over the entire scalp without a clear pattern. Causes: stress, deficiencies, hormones, medication. Mostly reversible.

Direct FUE
Variant of FUE with implanter pen: channel opening and implantation in a single movement. Particularly suitable for densification and fine corrections. → To the article

Donor Dominance
Biological principle that enables transplantation: follicles retain their genetic characteristics (DHT resistance) even after transplantation to another region.

E

Iron Deficiency
Common, often overlooked cause of diffuse hair loss — especially in women. Ferritin level should be above 70 ng/ml for healthy hair growth. → To the article

Recipient Area
Area into which the follicles are implanted — receding hairline, forehead, crown, tonsure. → More

Exosomes
Cellular messengers in vesicle form, used in regenerative medicine — as an alternative or supplement to PRP. Research is still sparse.

F

FFA — Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia
Scarring form of lichen planopilaris with band-like hairline recession, often postmenopausal. Treatment goal: stop progression. → To the article

Ferritin
Iron storage protein in the blood, most important marker for iron supply. For hair loss, a value above 70 ng/ml is desirable — the general laboratory normal range is often insufficient for healthy hair production. → To the article

Folliculitis
Inflammation of individual hair follicles, often bacterial. Can occur after transplantation — must be treated promptly to prevent follicle loss.

FU1, FU2, FU3, FU4 — Follicular Units
Natural growth groups of 1, 2, 3 or 4 hairs. Determine the architecture of a transplantation. → To the article

FUE — Follicular Unit Extraction
Individual follicles are extracted with a microneedle and transplanted individually. Current standard. → To the article

FUT — Follicular Unit Transplantation (Strip Method)
Skin strip is removed and divided under a microscope. Leaves a linear scar. Largely superseded by FUE today.

G

Receding Hairline
Bilateral recession of the frontal hairline at the temples. Typical early sign of androgenetic alopecia. Usually well correctable with 800–1,500 grafts.

Graft
Synonym for follicular unit. One graft = 1 hair follicle = 1 to 4 hairs. Offers are often calculated per graft — which says nothing about quality. → More about this

H

Hair Follicle
Anatomical growth unit of a hair. Reaches 3–5 mm deep into the scalp, contains hair papilla, hair matrix, stem cells, sebaceous gland, hair muscle. → To the article

Hairline (Frontal Hairline)
Front edge of the hairy scalp area. In men, often gently curved with temporal angles, in women deeper and more rounded.

Hairline Design
Artistic-medical planning of the new hairline. → To the article

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Autoimmune thyroid inflammation, most common thyroid disease in women. Can cause hair loss, even with TSH values within the general normal range. → To the article

I

Implantation Depth
Depth at which a transplanted follicle is placed — typically 4–5 mm. Too shallow: graft falls out. Too deep: pitting (crater-like depressions) occurs.

Implanter Pen
Pen-shaped instrument with a hollow needle (0.6–1.0 mm) that performs channel opening and implantation in a single movement during Direct FUE. Advantage: very short out-of-body time. → To the article

K

Catagen Phase
Transition phase between growth and rest — 2 to 4 weeks. The follicle shrinks, the root detaches from its supply.

Complications
Rare with careful surgical technique — typical risks: swelling, infection, folliculitis, shock loss. → To the article

Correction
Follow-up procedure for unsatisfactory initial results. → To the article

L

Local Anesthesia
Hair transplantations are performed as outpatient procedures under local anesthesia — no general anesthesia needed. In our practice, combined with light sedation. → To the article

Ludwig Scale
Classification for female hair loss — three stages of diffuse thinning in the crown area. Preserved hairline. → More

M

Mesotherapy
Micro-injections of an individually composed active ingredient mixture (vitamins, minerals, amino acids) directly into the scalp. Strengthens follicles.

Microneedling
Treatment with fine needles that create controlled micro-injuries and stimulate skin regeneration. Often combined with PRP.

Miniaturization
Gradual shrinking of a hair follicle — shortened anagen phase, increasingly thinner and shorter hairs, finally no more production. Core process of androgenetic alopecia.

N

Nicotine & Transplantation
Nicotine impairs scalp microcirculation and thus significantly reduces the growth rate. Ideally, reduce or pause 4 weeks before surgery.

Norwood Scale
Standard classification of androgenetic alopecia in men — seven stages. → To the article

P

Aftercare (Post-OP Care)
The growth rate is determined in the first 14 days. Special cleansing, no scratching, no sports until week 2–4, sauna from week 6. → Day-by-Day Plan

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
Most common endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age. Elevated androgens lead to menstrual irregularities, hirsutism, and androgenetic alopecia in the crown area. → To the article

Phototrichogram
Quantitative determination of hair density and growth phases through standardized photo documentation at weekly intervals.

Pitting
Crater-like depressions at implantation sites — result of too deep implantation. Difficult to correct.

Postpartum Hair Loss
Increased hair loss 2–6 months after birth due to hormonal changes. Usually reversible within 6–12 months. → To the article

PRP — Platelet Rich Plasma
Autologous blood treatment. Platelet-rich plasma is isolated from the patient's own blood and injected into the scalp/skin. → To the article

Punch
Microneedle with 0.7–1.0 mm diameter, which cuts around the follicular unit in FUE and Sapphire FUE. Size is chosen according to hair structure. → Technique

R

Shaving Before Transplantation
For classic FUE, usually a 1–2 mm full shave of the donor area. For smaller procedures, partial shaving is conceivable — we discuss the possibilities individually.

S

Sapphire FUE
FUE variant using sapphire blades instead of steel blades for channel opening. Finer channels, denser implantation, faster healing. Standard in our practice. → More

Thyroid & Hair
Hashimoto's and other thyroid disorders often cause diffuse hair loss, even in subclinical stages. → To the article

Sedation (Oral)
Light oral sedative therapy before and during surgery. Patient remains responsive but is in a relaxed twilight state. → To the article

Shedding Phase
Natural shedding of transplanted hairs 2–6 weeks after surgery. The roots remain active, new growth starts from month 3–4.

Shock Loss
Temporary shedding of adjacent, non-transplanted hairs due to surgical trauma. Regrows in 3–6 months. → To the article

Sinclair Scale
Extended classification for female hair loss with five stages — more precise than Ludwig. Often standard in modern practices.

Donor Area
Area at the back of the head between the ears, from which follicles are extracted. DHT-resistant. Capacity: 4,000–8,000 grafts. → More

Sports After Transplantation
Light cardio from day 14, full training from week 4, contact sports/sauna/swimming from week 6. → To the article

Stress Hair Loss
Telogen effluvium due to psychological or physical stress. Occurs 2–3 months after the trigger. Usually reversible. → To the article

T

Telogen Phase
Resting phase of the hair — 2 to 4 months. At the end, the hair falls out and a new one starts again in the anagen phase.

Telogen Effluvium
Diffuse hair loss due to a shifted growth cycle — often triggered by stress, childbirth, illness, or medication. Usually reversible within 6–12 months. → To the article

Tonsure
Circular thinning area at the back of the head, typical from Norwood III Vertex. Requires 1,500–3,000 grafts depending on size.

Topical Hair Growth Therapy
Over-the-counter or prescription active ingredients for topical application to the scalp — prolong the anagen phase and improve microcirculation of the follicles. → To the article

Transection Rate
Proportion of damaged follicles during FUE extraction. Most important quality metric. Good surgeons: under 3%. Without microscopic control: 15–20%.

Trichoscopy
Digital microscopy of the scalp — up to 200x magnification. Detects follicle density, miniaturization, inflammatory changes. Basis of every diagnosis.

V

Vampire Facelift
Colloquial term for PRP treatment in the face. Plasma is injected into the dermis and stimulates collagen and elastin production. Biological skin rejuvenation without foreign substances. → To the article

W

Growth Factors
Messengers contained in blood platelets (PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, EGF, IGF) that stimulate cellular regeneration. Principle of PRP treatment.

Z

Second Opinion
Always recommended before a hair transplant — especially for young patients and high graft counts. → To the article

Second Session
Follow-up transplantation after 12+ months — for progression, densification, or new areas. → To the article