Autoclave
An autoclave is a pressure-vessel sterilizer that uses saturated steam at high temperature to sterilize reusable, heat-stable instruments, the standard on-site clinic method.
Glossary
Precise definitions of the terms used across hair restoration instruments, procurement and clinic practice — written for professional buyers, not patients.
Bevel
A bevel is the angled surface ground onto a punch or blade edge to form its cutting geometry, where the angle trades sharpness against edge strength.
Biocompatibility
Biocompatibility is the degree to which a material performs its intended function in contact with tissue without provoking a harmful local or systemic biological response.
Cannula
A cannula is a slim tube, frequently blunt-tipped, used to move fluid into or out of tissue, specified by gauge, length and tip type and joined to a syringe by a luer fitting.
Coring
Coring is the cutting action by which an FUE punch scores a cylindrical column of tissue around a follicular unit so the graft can be freed from the surrounding skin.
Cutting Edge
A cutting edge is the sharpened apex where a punch or blade parts tissue — the line where two ground surfaces meet, whose keenness governs how cleanly it cuts.
DHI (Direct Hair Implantation)
Direct Hair Implantation, an FUE technique that places grafts using an implanter pen in a single incise-and-insert action.
Donor Density
The number of follicular units present per square centimetre of the donor scalp, measured before harvesting.
EO Sterilization
EO sterilization uses ethylene oxide gas to sterilize heat- and moisture-sensitive devices at low temperature, commonly used for single-use plastics that steam would deform.
Follicular Unit
The natural cluster of one to four hairs that emerge together as a single anatomical bundle in the scalp.
FUE (Follicular Unit Excision)
Follicular Unit Excision, a technique that harvests grafts individually with a small circular punch rather than a strip.
FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation)
Follicular Unit Transplantation, the strip method in which a band of donor scalp is removed and dissected into grafts.
Gamma Sterilization
Gamma sterilization uses ionizing gamma radiation to sterilize devices inside their final sealed packaging at ambient temperature, common for single-use medical disposables.
Graft Survival
Whether transplanted follicular units re-establish a blood supply and go on to produce hair in the recipient site.
Hypothermic Graft Storage
Holding extracted follicular units in a chilled solution to slow their metabolism during the out-of-body interval.
Implanter Pen
An implanter pen is the pen-shaped device used in DHI to load a graft into a hollow needle and place it directly into the scalp in a single motion.
Inner vs Outer Diameter
Inner vs outer diameter is the pair of measurements that defines a punch — the lumen the graft passes through versus the wound the donor heals, separated by the wall thickness.
Instructions for Use (IFU)
Instructions for use (IFU) are the manufacturer's supplied directions covering a device's intended use, handling, reprocessing limits and storage, provided with the product.
Lateral Slit
A recipient-site incision oriented parallel to the direction of natural hair growth to guide graft angle.
Lot Number
A lot number is a code identifying the manufacturing batch a device belongs to, printed on its packaging to make each unit traceable back to its production run.
Luer Lock
A luer lock is a threaded connector that mechanically secures a syringe, cannula or tube to its counterpart on a standardized taper, resisting accidental disconnection under pressure.
Micromotor
A micromotor is the compact electric drive unit that spins or oscillates an FUE punch, supplying the speed and torque that carry the cutting edge through tissue.
Punch Gauge
Punch gauge is a legacy needle-sizing scale sometimes applied to FUE punches, where a higher number means a smaller bore — which is why millimetres are the professional unit.
RPM
RPM (revolutions per minute) is the rotational speed of an FUE micromotor and punch — how many full turns the cutting edge makes each minute.
Sapphire Blade
A sapphire blade is a recipient-incision blade cut from synthetic sapphire — a hard crystalline ceramic that holds a fine edge — used to make recipient sites.
Shelf Life
Shelf life is the period a sealed device stays fit for use under stated storage conditions, indicated by an expiry date and conditional on the package remaining intact.
Sterile Barrier System
A sterile barrier system is the minimum sealed package that maintains the sterility of a device until the point of use and allows aseptic presentation of its contents.
Torque
Torque is the rotational force a micromotor delivers to a punch — the turning force that keeps the cutting edge advancing through tissue without stalling.
Transection Rate
The share of harvested follicular units cut or damaged during extraction, expressed as a proportion of units attempted.
Tumescence
The infiltration of dilute fluid into the scalp to firm the tissue and disperse anesthetic before harvesting.