Difference Between a Hair Graft & Hair Transplant

Many men and women experience hair loss during their lifetime

Hair loss can be a cause for low self-esteem in men and women. According to Hairtransplant.com, 70 percent of men and 50 percent of women experience some degree of hair loss during their lifetime. Today, hair loss patients can seek treatment for hair loss from restoration techniques such as hair transplanting or hair grafting.

Hair Transplanting

Hair transplant surgery consists of removing a strip of skin containing hair follicles from one area of the patient's scalp (donor site) and transplanting it to the balding area (recipient site).

Hair Grafting

Hair grafting consists of removing follicular units--groups of one to four hairs that grow together naturally--from a donor section of the scalp, and reinserting them into the bald (recipient) area using small incisions with a micro blade.

Grafting types

There are three types of follicular grafting units commonly used in hair restoration procedures. They are distinguished by the number of hairs inserted into each recipient site: micro grafts contain one to three hairs per grafting unit, mini grafts have three to seven, and maxi grafts contain six to eight hairs per unit.

Procedure Differences

With a hair transplant, an entire section of skin is relocated from a donor site of bald-resistant hair to a recipient site. In the grafting procedure, a narrow strip of scalp is excised from the donor area. This strip of hair is divided into individual follicular units containing one to four hairs. These follicular units are pushed into the recipient site via incision.

Grafting essentially produces new follicle units for the hair transplant as opposed to merely covering bald sections of scalp with donor hair and skin. Grafting is more natural-looking because it simulates the way that hair naturally grows on the head, with single-haired grafts used around the hairline, and thicker grafts applied toward the crown of the head.

Warning

Mild complications can result from hair transplant/grafting procedures. These complications include: pink skin on grafted area, temporary thinning of natural hair, bleeding, pain, numbness, scalp itching, swelling, infection and scarring.

References

• Hair Transplant Basics
• Hair Plugs and Grafts
• Real Self: Hair Restoration Options

Resources

• Natural Hair Transplants FAQs
• Hair Transplant Network