June 3 2009, 12:35 pm PT | Posted in: Hair Transplantation
Why do so many “consumer advocates” on the forums and other so-called “experts” advise when choosing a hair transplant surgeon to avoid one who uses a multi-blade scalpel?Everyone says a surgeon will obtain better results when using a single-blade scalpel and that all the better surgeons use them. I found this not to be true, because I know at least a few “world class” hair transplant surgeons who prefer the multi-blade knives.
Does it really matter? What do you use and what are the pro and cons, if any, to the use of each tool?
When a strip is cut out, there is a cut on the upper edge of the strip and on the lower edge of the strip, so one or two blades will accomplish the same thing provided that the double blade knife is designed to cut along the angle of the hairs. When additional blades are used (8 blades for example) there is more damage created, because the inner blades are blind cut and the surgeons has no control of them. I generally estimate that the upper and lower cut lose about 2% of the total hairs in the strip, so if you use 8 blades, then 16% loss could occur from the blind cutting.
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Balding Forum
Hello Doctor,
I don’t know if you read or respond to comments or not, but if you do, please attempt to answer this. I’m the one who submitted the above original question.
Your explanation makes perfect sense to me, but what does the “other side” say? Surely, a surgeon who would use a multi-blade knife (even an 8 blade) has some justification for its use. He would also have to have a reason ready to give to prospective patients to justify his selection if asked about it.
If I went to Doctor X who is using an 8 blade scalpel, for example, and said to him “Doctor, with all due respect, why are you using that? Doesn’t it cause unnecessary damage?” I don’t think he would say “well, I use it to save time.” I’m sure he would have a valid reason, if only in his mind, of why it’s really better. Do you know why their camp thinks the multi-blades are better and choose to use them besides “saving time?”