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If done correctly, hair transplants can produce results that look so natural, even a hair stylist can't detect them. And, it's possible that only one surgical session might be needed to produce a very natural looking result.
But, is this the right way to deal with your hair loss problem?
This page will help you answer that question. It explains in detail all the main types of hair transplantation techniques available today.
Transplants have evolved
Transplants involve "grafts" taken from the back of your head (where you should still have masses of strong, healthy hair growing). These are then re-implanted into the bald area of your scalp.
Hair transplants are carried out using a local anaesthetic, which means that you're wide awake throughout the whole process. This minor form of surgery works because it uses your own skin tissue, and so the grafts won't be rejected by your body. Grafts are implanted deep enough into the scalp to ensure a healthy blood supply to the follicles that grow your hair.
Hair transplants of the 1960's and 70's created big round "plug" grafts that were obvious for all to see. The 80's and early 90's saw a great improvement with micro-grafts. And today, this procedure has evolved into follicular unit grafts - these hair transplants, if done well, will be impossible to spot.
Micro-graft hair transplants
| Micro-graft hair transplants use larger grafts to create density, and smaller grafts to produce a natural look. The donor tissue is removed in long thin strips using a multi-bladed knife. Note: Single Strip Harvesting (which causes less follicle damage and scarring) is now often used instead. After a strip is removed, the scalp is pulled together and sutured closed - the hair on the back of the head then conceals the suture line. (The eventual scar will be about 1.5mm wide). |  |
| The donor strip, containing thousands of hairs, is then divided into mini-grafts (which contain 3 to 8 hairs) and micro-grafts (containing just 1 or 2 hairs). Mini-grafts are normally used in the middle of the scalp to add hair density. But, on their own, would not look completely natural. For this reason, progressively smaller micro-grafts are inserted towards the front to produce a soft looking hairline. (They're also placed around the larger mini-grafts to produce a better overall appearance). |  |
| Approximately 1000 grafts can be transplanted in a 4 to 5 hour session. This "standard" micro graft hair transplant will produce natural looking results providing that the surgeon is skilled enough. However, it might not be possible to achieve a high density of hair in only one surgical session. This means that subsequent sessions (as many as six) will often be needed before a more desired "full" look to the hair is produced. |  |
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
Hair grows in tiny bundles called follicular units, with each unit containing 1 to 4 hairs, which appear to be growing together. In FUT, these tiny units are transplanted to the bald area of the scalp to produce perhaps the most natural looking results available today.
Donor tissue is removed from the back of the head using Single Strip Harvesting. Careful trimming of the donor tissue using high-powered microscopes produce more grafts than is possible with standard hair transplants. The grafts are also smaller, and so, along with fewer incisions being needed, there is much less trauma to the scalp.
These smaller grafts are placed closer together, which means that a larger number can be transplanted in just one session. As a result, the maximum possible number of useable grafts can be produced from any given amount of donor tissue (this is very important given that a patient will only have a limited amount of donor tissue available).
FUT is the most common type of hair transplantation technique performed today, and is the standard many surgeons seek to achieve. It's a very time consuming procedure, with a team of skilled technicians being needed for it to be done properly. Although one surgical session can produce excellent results, further sessions may be needed to increase the density of the hair transplant or address new bald areas that may develop.
Follicular unit extraction (FUE)
With this procedure, individual follicular units are manually extracted using a custom built micro-surgical tool or "drill-bits" (no more than 1mm in diameter). Instead of one fine-line scar as in FUT, there will be a very large number of small dot scars. The donor area will heal within 2-4 days.
Up to 700 follicular units can be transplanted per 4 to 5 hour session (compared with 2500-3000 follicular units in the same time with FUT). This makes FUE is extremely time consuming and expensive (four times the cost of FUT).
This procedure is completely undetectable. It is suitable for those who want the least invasive form of surgery, who prefer not to have a scar, and want the option of having a very short hair cut (e.g., 0.5cm). It is also suitable for those with an insufficient donor supply at the back of the head because the donor area can also include the chest, back and stomach.
Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation
This new technique now provides the ultimate standard in hair transplants. It's possible that, with just one surgery session, a natural and full look to your hair can be produced.
This procedure uses higher quality microscopes than FUT. It involves smaller (custom-made) blades, incisions and grafts. This allows much more dense packing of follicular units with up to 40-50 per square cm (that's 80-110 hairs). This graft density is up to twice that of standard follicular unit hair transplants.
For the patient, this results in a greater density of hair with a more natural distribution and direction. The tiny size of these incisions should also allow more rapid healing and no visible skin distortions.
All this is very delicate and demanding work for the surgeon. Great skill is required, and not all surgeons are capable of performing the very long sessions this procedure involves.
Laser hair transplants
Laser-assisted hair transplantation research conducted in 1998 resulted in this outdated technique no longer being widely used. (The heat created from the lasers caused post-operation crusting and tissue damage, and also sealed blood vessels around the transplant areas. There was also a delay before hair began to grow, and a reduction in the quality and quantity of subsequent hair growth).
Other types of hair transplants
There are also other types of surgery, but all of these (flap grafting, strip grafting, mini flap grafting and square grafting) are now obsolete methods and should be avoided if a clinic suggests them to you.
Apart from the different types of hair transplant procedures available, there are other factors that must be considered too: patient suitability (including your age and the extent of your hair loss), surgeon qualification and experience, cost, etc.
To find out about all these things,
click here - Hair transplant centers.
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