Hair Transplant Then and Now

Hair Transplant Then and Now

Considering a hair transplant? Take a closer look and have a better understanding regarding this hair replacement procedure.

Transplantation dates back to the 19 centuries; however, the modern transplant techniques began in Japan in the 1930s where surgeons used small grafts, and even “follicular unit grafts” to replace damaged areas of eyebrows or lashes. In the Western world, the modern era of hair transplantation began in the late 1950s, when New York dermatologist Norman Orentreich began to experiment with free donor grafts to balding areas in patients with male pattern baldness.

Hair transplantation involves removing small pieces of hair-bearing scalp grafts from a donor site and relocating them to a bald or thinning area. Grafts differ by size and shape. Round-shaped punch grafts usually contain about 10-15 hairs. The much smaller mini-graft contains about two to four hairs; and the micro-graft, one to two hairs. Slit grafts, which are inserted into slits created in the scalp, contain about four to10 hairs each; strip grafts are long and thin and contain 30-40 hairs.

Generally, several surgical sessions may be needed to achieve satisfactory fullness and a healing interval of several months is usually recommended between each session. It may take up to two years before you see the final result with a full transplant series. The number of large plugs transplanted in the first session varies with each individual, but the average is about 50. For mini-grafts or micro-grafts, the number can be up to 700 per session.

The skill and technique of hair restoration surgeons vary widely, as do their hair transplant results. When done right, a hair transplant surgery can produce lifelong results that are so natural that even hair stylists cannot detect them. But choosing the hair restoration procedure and clinic is critical. Find a reputable hair restoration surgeon here at GLOJAS.