Hair plugs
Hair loss is an unfortunate menace that will affect many of us at some point in our lives. Around 40% of men will have noticeable hair loss by the age of 35. Additionally, by the age of 80, as many as 80% of men will have to contend with hair loss.
Women are not exempt from this reality, and roughly 50% of women will experience hair loss during their lifespan. With millions of people suffering from hair loss methods for hair restoration are in high demand. The Hairline Clinic have been working tirelessly to provide high quality treatments for hair loss.
Hair transplantation is hands-down the best method of restoring your hair. It’s a surgical procedure which aims to give the patient a full head of hair even after extensive balding. Since it was discovered, hair transplantation has undergone many ground-breaking advancements to make it more streamlined and effective. To fully appreciate these changes, let us describe the origins of hair transplantation procedures.
What are hair plugs?
Hair plugs are small pieces of tissue harvested from the donor site at the back of the head. They will eventually be transplanted elsewhere on the scalp. The plugs measure 3-4 mm in size and normally contain 12 to 30 hair follicles per plug. Once implanted, the hair in the new sites grow in a normal manner.
The use of hair plugs was the first type of hair transplantation procedure. In 1952, Dr. Norman Orentreich performed hair transplant surgery in New York. He had an idea that he could harvest hair from the permanent zones of the head and transplant the hair to bald areas on the scalp. Dr Orentreich took hair from the back and sides of the head and the transplanted hair grew normally in the receiving areas. The hair transplant surgery was a success and paved the way for future developments in hair transplant procedures.
Unfortunately, although the discovery was a success, the use of hair plugs still created unsightly scarring. It also grew unnaturally in isolated and unrealistic clumps. The new hair resembled the hair of a doll and no one wants that! Today, the word ‘hair plug’ has become synonymous with hair transplantation. However, the old use of hair plugs in the 1970’s has been abandoned for better alternatives such as FUE.
Hair plugs vs FUE hair transplant
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a procedure that harvests individual follicles from the donor site of the scalp. These individual follicular units are then transplanted onto the balding spots. Unlike hair plug transplantation, FUE has almost imperceptible scarring as the procedure leaves tiny holes at the extraction site, which heal easily. The resulting units are individually transferred to the scalp, rather than in clumps. This resulting hair growth appears natural and is aesthetically pleasing. FUE is a minimally invasive procedure, which reduces the potential side effects of bleeding, itching, inflammation and edema that can be associated with hair transplant surgeries.
FUE is time consuming, and if you desire a complete hair restoration then multiple sessions will be required at the Hairline Clinic. The procedure requires time to transfer the individual hair units. It is also very technical, requiring a lot of expertise to be successful. The Hairline Clinic has access to qualified surgeons with enough training and experience to perform the procedure correctly.
