Japanese dermatologist Dr. Okuda pioneered hair transplants in approximately 1939. Early teachings described restoring damaged scalp areas to burn victims using a "punch technique." His extraction method involved removing healthy round pieces of the scalp and placing these small grafts in smaller round holes. Monitoring newly transplanted material inside the scarred region revealed life to new hair.

Dr. Tamura initiated a similar method in 1943, collecting 1-3 mini-grafts of hairs using elliptical incisions from the donor area. Japanese medical journals documented Dr. Tamura's work extremely well, but it went undiscovered as World War II began.

New York dermatologist Dr. Norman Orentreich, performed the first hair transplant surgery involving male pattern baldness. His donor hair dominance theory in 1959 was discussed in archives of the New York Academy of Science forever changing historical hair loss restoration methods.

History of Hair Restoration

The methods of Dr. Okuda and Dr. Orentreich remained the standard replacement procedures for the next three decades. Micro-grafting improvements in the 1980s introduced a more natural look in the frontal hairline. These developments realized improved aesthetic results.

Follicular unit hair restoration was credited to Dr. Bob Limmer in 1988. Numerous practitioners attempted duplications, not knowing this surgical technique demanded a high degree of difficulty in time and expertise of both the surgeon to safely excise the strip and effectively close the donor area and the detailed skill of the medical technicians, many of whom dissected the naturally occurring bundles of 1-4 hair grafts or follicular units under microscope. Experienced specialists recommend only professionals with the appropriate surgical skill to attempt follicular unit hair replacement, also known as donor strip harvesting.

Starting in 1999, Dr. Antonio Armani, an award-winning Toronto hair transplant physician, led the industry into a new era of hair transplant naturalness. With leading-edge scientific technology, a reputation for excellence, and attention to artistic detail, he launched the meteoric rise of his Toronto-based company. Virtual worldwide offices, along with Beverly Hills, Toronto, and Dubai clinics, welcomed clientele offering Dr Armani's Vitruvian FUE hair restoration method. Alvi Armani's minimally invasive technique allows rapid healing time, maximum density, and strategic placement, focusing on artistic hairlines.