Hair Plugs Information

Hair loss is a growing concern, affecting two-thirds of all men and about a quarter of all women. This problem can be devastating, affecting the sufferer's relationships and professional life, as well. So for many, one answer may be to try surgical hair restoration.

With surgical hair restoration, commonly called hair transplant surgery, grafts, hair implants or hair plugs, are harvested from one area of the head and transplanted into the areas affected by balding.

This procedure has become more commonplace, but it is not without risks or artistry. The experience and expertise of your surgeon will make all the difference in the success of your transplant. Today, with the advances in hair restoration surgery, you can end up with a full head of natural-looking hair.

The surgery is typically done on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. After being prepared, a narrow strip of scalp tissue that is still lush with hair is removed from the back of the head. (The hair in this area tends to be genetically hardwired to stay put.) The area is stitched up, and the donor strip is prepared for transplantation.

The strip is put under a microscope and divided into hundreds or even thousands of tiny pieces called follicular unit grafts, which will contain one individual hair up to four hairs. When ready, tiny incisions are made into the bald or balding area. Then the hair plugs are carefully placed with varying density and arranged so that they grow in the same direction for a natural look.

After a few weeks, the strands from the transplanted hair plugs will fall out. But don't fear - within three months or so new hair will emerge from the graft sites, although the first growth is usually colorless and thin. More hair will come in, with the first crop becoming thicker and darker. It can take a year or more for all the grafted hair to mature and reach its full potential.

The most typical candidates are men with male pattern baldness. With male pattern baldness, hair follicles are genetically sensitive to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT for short, which is a type of testosterone. Over time, hair follicles exposed to the hormone will shrink and eventually stop producing hair. Usually, only the crown is affected, leaving men with that wreath of hair on the sides and back we associate with the term male pattern baldness.

A hair transplant does not cause new hair to grow. Basically, it just moves around what hair you do have. So you have to have enough remaining, DHT-resistant hair to redistribute around your head.

Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of women are candidates for hair plug surgery because female pattern baldness, which is also caused by DHT-sensitivity, results in thinning of the hair all over the head. Without an area of stable hair, a transplant would be pointless.