Normal hair is made up of about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs implanted at an angle in the scalp and at a density level of 150 to 250 hairs per centimeter squared.
This hair doesn't grow in a continuous manner; it grows over a period of many years, falls, only to be replaced by new hair. This is known as the hair cycle. Each hair matures according to its own cycle, its own "growth/fall" rhythm.
Male hormones, those produced in large quantities by men and, of course, in smaller quantities by women determine this "growth/fall" cycle.
In certain cases, the regulatory system is interrupted and the hair disappears faster than it is replaced. This produces areas of the scalp with less hair density, also known as thinning hair, which is soon followed by balding zones.
Loss of hair or baldness is formally known as androgenic alopecia. The name clarifies the phenomenon's origin, male hormones (andros = man in Greek), as well as its genetic family.
Sometimes hair loss spreads leaving only the crown of the head covered, from the nape of the neck to the area between the two ears. This is known as "hippocratic crown" because the famous physician of Ancient Greece, Hippocrates, first introduced this type of alopecia. Hair on the crown, often dense, never falls.
Capillary grafting developed from the idea of redistributing capillary resources more equitably along the scalp. For over 30 years, these techniques have been evolving ultimately leading to the sophisticated micrografting procedures currently in use. Contrary to the trial and error of the early years, these techniques produce extremely satisfying aesthetic results.
