Though we do allow links to third party sites when they aren't blatantly promotional, the Hair Loss Learning Center is our website, so you are still linking to one of our sites. I just thought I'd point that out. :-)

Onto the topic, members have already given a number of excellent replies.

Though I'm personally a fan of custom cut blades (which are cut and prepared the day of the surgery), several leading clinics do use pre-fab needles.

Joe made some excellent points both in his post and his video however, I thought it might be interesting to read an alternative point of view.

Below, Ailene from Coalition member Dr. Jerry Cooley's clinic shares their experience with needles verses flat blades.

See Do Needles or Flat Blades Cause Less Trauma?

Best wishes,

Bill

__________________
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog and the Hair Loss Forum and Social Community

View our hair loss articles on EZineArticles.com

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletters | How We Recommend Physicians

-----

To learn about how I restored my hair, view my my hair loss website.

Remember, true beauty radiates from within, not from the skin.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

The key to a good result with your hair transplant is to see no visible scaring where the new hair is growing. In order to do this, you have to take the up most care in causing as little trauma to the area as possible. This can only be done with a custom cut blade, cut as small as possible to get the graft in safely. If you look at the shape of a follicle you will notice how well the chisel custom blade resembles the shape of the follicle. There is no reason to use a sharp needle because you have to penetrate too deep in order to get the graft to sit properly. This will cause undo trauma to the deep vascular bed. Also, the cut of the custom cut blade is very clean and straight allowing the edges to heal quickly and beautifully. Needles are round and beveled so not only do they dilate the area, but they can also tear the skin's surface microscopically. This can cause more unnecessary trauma. The other great attribute is that it's custom and cut during the surgery. If your follicles are big, you can cut your blade to the appropriate size. On the other hand, if your follicles are small, you can cut your blades smaller to help cause even less trauma to the scalp.

__________________
----

Dr. Alexander is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

Post-op from all my surgeries, I had the typical scabs form. My last HT, w/ custom blades, I had no scabs form, only some dry, flaking skin a week later. Other surgeries were with needles and what ever they used in the mini/micro days (though it sure wasn't custom). This leads me to realize how little trauma was caused from cc blades.

__________________
My Hair Loss Website - Dr. Hasson

Posted by Ailene, a member of our hair transplant community and personal assistant for Dr. Jerry Cooley of Charlotte, NC who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.
" we prefer the needles because the sharp point can be directed precisely and the larger caliber of the needle 'pushes' the hair apart, minimizing the risk of hair transplant shock loss. We use different size needles ranging in size from 19 gauge being the largest and 22g or 23g be the smallest." Thanks for posting this opinion Bill. Maybe that is why I had no shockloss? Anyway in the end it is all about the result.

Thanks for posting the video Jo.
It was insightful to see the lower amount of trauma inposed by blades as opposed to needles.

__________________
take care...

I have used both needles and blades for over ten years. Sometimes I prefer one over the other. In many cases, I use both and when the patient returns in a year for followup, there is no difference in the appearance of the hair growing from one site versus the other. If I'm working on slick bald skin, I tend to use custom cut blades. If I'm working in existing hair, I prefer needles. Most of my patients don't want to shave their head and I find that needles allow me to more easily make sites in between existing hair. The quality of results has to do with graft preparation and handling, careful creation of sites in the natural direction and angle of natural hair growth, and gentle graft placement. It has nothing to do with needles versus blades.

__________________
Dr. Cooley is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

Our choice of whether to use needles or custom-cut lateral slit blades is identical to what Dr. Cooley stated. When I want to "dense pack" in a limited area, which is usually up front or in the temples, I like the small custom blades, but when making FU sites amongst existing native hairs, we also prefer the solid core needles for the exact reasons Dr. Cooley stated - the fact that they are more precise than the blunt, squared end of a lateral slit blade and they push the hairs away from the path of the needle. Also, there is the benefit that they slightly dilate the hole more than a lateral slit does, which facilitates in visually seeing the site when the tech or I are placing grafts.
Mike Beehner, M.D.