BACKGROUND. A dual level of tumescent anesthetic infiltration has been
found to expedite hair graft or strip harvesting for hair transplanta
tion, reducing bleeding, and increasing the exit angle of the hairs, t
hereby promoting increased survivorship of hair shafts and bulbs. OBJE
CTIVE. To acquaint the readership with this variation of anesthetic tu
mescent technique in hair transplantation. METHODS. Patients were util
ized for this study during international teaching exchanges. Larger mu
ltiport infiltrators were used for the deep infiltration; smaller and
more narrow infiltrators were used for the more superficial anesthetic
administration. RESULTS. Subcutaneous compression and a bilevel vasoc
onstriction in both donor and recipient sites resulted in an increased
upwardly angled exit angle of the hairs to be harvested, an increased
separation of individual hair shafts, and reduced bleeding. Placement
of the correct incisional angle of instruments inserted into the dono
r site was facilitated. CONCLUSION. Utilization of a bilevel tumescent
anesthetic infiltration technique is a superior method of anesthesia
for hail transplant harvesting and transplanting. Bleeding at both occ
ipital donor and frontal recipient sites was negligible. (C) 1997 by t
he American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.