You may have heard the term “graft” if you’ve been considering a hair transplant surgery. But how does that pertain to hair since ultimately, that is what you’re trying to obtain with this procedure?
A hair “graft” is just a scientific term for a single hair or group of hairs conjoined together in a single unit with the assistance of scalp tissue. For example, in today’s gold standard, follicular units come in groups of 1, 2, 3, and sometimes 4 hairs. Yet, a 4 haired follicular unit is still a “graft” as is a one haired follicular unit graft. In yester years, follicular units could reach upwards of 15 hairs per graft. These were called “plug” hair transplants. Thankfully, todays modern technology has allowed us to harvest much smaller grafts to be transplanted, yielding a much more natural look if done correctly. This can be accomplished using either FUE or FUT/strip hair transplant methods.
Each hair per graft consists of a single follicle below the scalp. When the hair begins to shed after a surgical hair restoration, the follicle remains behind and goes dormant for several months. Three to five months following, those follicles begin producing new hairs that grow just like your natural hair does.
It’s important to note, that waiting until a greater portion of your hair has transferred from your head to down the drain is not the best idea. The average hair transplant patient has an available donor on the back of the scalp of approximately 5,000-8,000 follicular unit grafts. It wouldn’t be possible for patients with a Norwood class 5 or higher to be a suitable candidate for a full hair restoration as there wouldn’t be enough density.
We don’t have an endless supply of donor hair as some may think. Thus, donor hair must be used and transplanted strategically and artistically using the skill and experience of your hair restoration surgeon. An experienced surgeon alike Dr. Yazdan can cover the most ground and add density to your most critical areas. Critical areas typically include reconfiguring a natural looking hairline and the immediate areas behind it along with other areas as defined by the patient’s goals and desires.
Ultimately, patients and hair restoration physicians should discuss all these things prior and work out a suitable hair-game plan the patient will be satisfied with. Short and long-term goals should be discussed, especially since male pattern baldness (MPB) is progressive and subsequent procedures may be desired or needed to meet all existing and future goals.
Southern California & Las Vegas Hair Restoration surgeon, Dr. Yazdan, can often give the results patients’ desire in a single FUE or FUT/Strip hair transplant surgery, with future sessions to follow only if necessary. Dr. Yazdan personally performs each hair transplant in Beverly Hills, Orange County and Las Vegas surgical clinics at his surgical center, utilizing a dedicated team throughout the entire process. He is involved in every aspect of the procedure in order to ensure the best possible hair restoration results and is committed to performing only one surgery per day in order to provide patients with the undivided attention they deserve.
For questions or to schedule a consultation, call one of our offices conveniently located in Irvine, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas at 888-717-5273 or contact via our website at contact Modena Hair Link
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Why you should consider multiple hair transplants
When it comes to hair transplantation, there are limitations on what is a safe number of grafts to transplant per surgery. A typical hair transplant transplants anywhere from 500-3500 grafts on average. Some individuals seeking hair transplantation need many more grafts than the prior mentioned 3500. Many of these individuals go forward with a higher number graft transplant, not fully aware of the risks associated.
So, what are these individuals to do – if an individual needs a high number of grafts should they go for it in one sitting or accept their fate of not being able to get the coverage they desire and go with a smaller number? We recommend splitting the hair transplant into multiple procedures rather than transplant over 4000 grafts in one sitting. Below, we explain the reasoning behind this, by going deeper into the why behind the numbers. And no, it has nothing to do with money. In fact, the reason may surprise you.
Individuals needing more than 3500 grafts are typically those who have rather severe hair loss spanning across the top of the scalp, crown, and hairline. If you are one of these individuals who requires over 3500 grafts to achieve your hair goals, there are benefits to considering breaking the hair transplant into multiple procedures. The reason has to do with safety and healing. Transplanting more than 3500 grafts in one procedure can have extremely damaging effects that may be counter-productive to your goals.
Hair transplants exceeding 4000 grafts are categorized as ‘mega-sessions.’ Mega-sessions have many unfortunate side effects such as trauma-induced hair loss, increased risk of visibly unappealing scarring, graft failure, and the list goes on. The research has shown that if a patient is in need of a high number of grafts, the best practice is to break the hair transplant into two or more procedures in order to allow the scalp to conduct its normal healing processes and to not overload or ‘shock’ the scalp. To read more about mega-sessions and their damaging effects, click here.
If you’d like to find out more about hair transplantation and get a quote for a graft count as well as a price estimate, give us a call today.