Dr. Cole recently visited Taiwan to teach Dr. Huang Zhongli, president of the Medical Beauty Clinic, about Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) using Cole Instruments. Dr. Cole has perfected a special form of FUE termed the non-shaven FUE method that allows patients to maintain their current hairstyle at the time of surgery. Using the non-shave FUE method, patients can have hairs transplanted from the back of the head to thinning areas without surgery being detected. The transplanted hairs will then continue to grow normally.
Dr. Zhongli noted, unlike the strip method, this procedure is non-invasive and leaves no visible scarring. With strip surgeries, patients are left with a wound on the back of their heads. Additionally, transection rate to the hair follicles remains low when using the FUE technique. While the cost of this procedure is higher for patients, the results speak for themselves. Fellow surgeon, Dr. Chen Zhilong, spoke out about his experience with hair transplant surgery. At age 36, after years of struggling with male pattern baldness, a receding hairline, and declining self-esteem, he opted to undergo a hair transplant procedure himself, stating how the hair transplant has helped to restore his confidence. Prior to undergoing the procedure, he tried other hair loss solutions including the massage comb and oral medication; however, his hairline continued to grow higher and higher. Dr. Zhilong had 1,000 hairs transplanted from the back of his scalp to the frontal hairline to restore fullness. He said that he can once again walk with his head held high, thanks to the confidence boost from his hair transplant.
Cosmetic surgery is a growing industry in China. According to the Xinhua News Agency, it is growing at an exuberant rate of 20% per year. In China, cosmetic surgery is a 2.5 billion per year industry, with as many as 10,000 medical facilities offering cosmetic procedures. With hair restoration techniques, such as FUE, and advanced instruments, like those offered by Cole Instruments, hair transplants have become a much more common practice, and their popularity is sure to continue growing.