The lateral slit technique offers results that make the most of transplanted hair

The National Hair Institute has always been at the forefront of surgical hair restoration, offering clients the latest, most advanced techniques available anywhere in the world.

A recent innovation is the lateral slit technique. Developed by Canadian Doctors Hasson and Wong, the technique builds on previous innovations to offer patients even better, more natural results. Significantly, the technique also maximises the appearance of the transplanted hairs, effectively "making more from less".

It had been thought that Follicular unit grafting was the last advance in the cutting and placing of grafts. It was possible to mimic nature and angulate the grafts very effectively to provide a natural appearance, however density had long been an issue.

Previously the alternative was to place the graft into a round hole in the scalp that sometimes resulted in a tow or three hair graft appearing to be one very thick hair exiting from an area and not achieving maximum coverage.

The lateral slit technique effectively places the follicular unit graft into a slit (make perpendicular to direction of growth). The result flattens the graft, and in the case of three hair graft for example, it means that there are three distinct hairs protruding from the graft, in a line across the scalp.

In short, the new technique disperses the hair more evenly, resulting in a denser, thicker appearance.

When this method is performed (in conjunction with the Megasession of 2000+ grafts) the result is a "shingling" effect much like a shingled roof. This means the area of the scalp covered the lateral slit technique appears to have a relatively higher density together with a more regular, even coverage.