Arch Plast Surg.  2017 Mar;44(2):170-172. 10.5999/aps.2017.44.2.170.

An Innovative Scalp-Dyeing Technique with Gentian Violet Solution During Follicular Unit Extraction for White-Haired Follicular Units

• Moon MS
• Choi JP

• KMID: 2373094
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5999/aps.2017.44.2.170

Abstract

There exist some restrictions and difficulties in performing follicular unit extraction (FUE) in white-haired patients, for several reasons. In this paper, we introduce a novel technique for visualizing white hair during the punching procedure and graft preparation in FUE for white-haired patients. In white-haired older male patients, we dyed the surrounding scalp skin purple with a gentian violet solution-stained toothpick. Our method has several advantages: surgeons can easily focus on the center of the follicular unit and rapidly perform punching, they can recognize the condition of the harvested follicular units during FUE, and the hair transplant team can secure a clear view for trimming and loading into the implanter. We suggest that scalp dyeing in difficult FUE procedures, especially in patients with white hair, may be a simple method that provides a good visualization for donor site harvesting and for microdissection.

Keyword

Hair color; Androgenic alopecia; Gentian violet

MeSH Terms

Alopecia
Gentian Violet*
Gentiana*
Hair
Hair Color
Humans
Male
Methods
Microdissection
Scalp
Skin
Surgeons
Tissue Donors
Transplants
Gentian Violet