Hair Plugs Vs. Hair Transplant: What’s The Difference?

You’re in luck if you’ve been bothered by your hair loss and want to learn how to grow new hair. You have more alternatives than ever before thanks to modern medicine. In fact, medical treatments have evolved so much in recent years that you may not be acquainted with it.

This quick guide is here for you to help you through the confusing terminology surrounding things like hair implants vs. hair transplants, hair plugs, follicular unit extraction, and hair transplantation. We’ve also gone over the different types of procedures offered and what they can do for you in the long-run. Let’s get right into it.

What Are Hair Plugs?

In the medical community, the phrase “hair plug” is no longer used, although it is nevertheless widely used in everyday speech. A hair plug is simply a little, rounded portion of your scalp that is extracted from the back of your head using a punch. About 20 separate hairs make up each plug. These pieces would then be “plugged” into the balding region of the scalp using a transplantation technique that dates back to the 1950s.

Keep in mind that hair plugs are not imitation hair. They are constructed from your actual hair. But because of their size and the spaces between, they gave the impression of being “artificial.” The hair plug appearance is comparable to rows of flowers planted at a neighborhood entrance; they are too neatly spaced and uniform to seem to have grown spontaneously. The hair of a Barbie doll, which has that unique plug-like appearance, is another useful example that people mostly compare hair plugs to.

Are Hair Plugs Better Than Hair Transplants?

There are a few key differences when it comes to comparing these two options.

FUE is done in only a few sessions, while hair plugs may need many sessions to get a fuller appearance. Additionally, unlike FUE transplants, hair plugs don’t seem completely real or natural. Furthermore, the FUE restoration procedure is so precise that you won’t be able to tell the difference from your natural hair. The fact that it does not leave any scars and has a quicker recovery period than plugs makes it remarkable. For this reason, most patients are opting for the safer and most natural-looking option, which is the FUE.

What Benefits Do FUE Hair Transplants Offer Over Hair Plugs?

Hair plugs’ primary drawback is their artificial appearance due to their size and shape, which causes gaps between the transplanted hairlines. The FUE procedure is thus the best choice for flawless natural outcomes. This leads to good outcomes since it is impossible to tell the transplanted hair from the natural hair.

Using a specially designed microsurgical punching instrument, individual hairs are transplanted to the balding regions of the head during a FUE hair transplant. It has few side effects and provides the most natural hair restoration for male pattern baldness and other kinds of hair loss.

When compared to the plug technique, a FUE hair transplant also requires far less recovery time, and patients may leave the clinic right after the procedure. Finally, compared to FUE, where dangers and care are negligible, hair plugs need significant care and attention and have a greater risk of scarring or bleeding.

History About Hair Restoration Methods

Since its invention in 1822, hair implants have advanced significantly. It seems that implants have become smaller while also being more effective, from scalp flaps to plugs to strips to units.

Procedures for hairline restoration became popular throughout the US in the 20th century. This was made possible in great part by the 1950s advent of Japanese hair transplant methods. Unfortunately, it was quite some time before more natural implants, including strips and units, replaced the conventional hair plug which started it all. Now that we’ve gone over some of the basics, let’s explore hair transplant methods, the benefits and what you can achieve with different approaches.

Hair Transplants Terminology

Before we get started in explaining the differences between hair restoration methods, we’re going to go over the basics. It may easily become complicated with different terminologies as you try to learn more about it. For that reason we’ve broken it down for you below:

Transplanting Hair: This is the actual operation that involves moving hair implants (or plugs) from the donor location to the recipient spot on the scalp.

Hair Implant: This is the term used to describe the transplantation of harvested hair, either as a strip or as individual follicles.

Hair Plugs: The hair plug typically has one to eight units of hair and is spherical. The “plug” is now more usually referred to as an implant and is more often a strip or single unit in todays methods.

Do Hair-Plug Surgeries Still Take Place?

Hair plugs have been replaced with the more recent FUT and FUE methods as technology has advanced. These more recent methods have a number of benefits, including shorter surgery durations, a reduced risk of scarring, and outcomes that seem more natural.

Early hair transplants were time-consuming, a surgery for severe hairline recession used to take 16 weeks to complete. Comparatively, contemporary methods take only 4 to 8 hours and have shorter recovery times.

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The Different Types Of Hair Restoration Methods

As was already established, the phrase “hair plugs” is archaic yet has stuck around outside of the medical field. Punch grafting was the traditional way of transplantation, although more recent and superior techniques have been developed. The following are some of the newest and more popular options available today.

The FUT Method

A follicular unit transplantation includes the excision of a strip of hair from the donor site. The length of this strip might range anywhere from 1.5 cm to 30 cm depending on the amount of donor grafts that are available in that area.

The surgeon will next use a microscope to dissect the donor strip once the strip has been removed and the donor site has been sutured or otherwise sealed. The aim is to gather individual hair follicle transplants from that strip of hair.

The surgeon will next create punctures at the recipient location after completing this. After that, the surgeon arranges each unit in a specific arrangement and places them precisely into those punctures. From there, the surgeon will wrap the surgical site and you’re on your way to your recovery process.

The FUE Method

FUE has a comparable end result as FUT, but the process to get there is far more intricate.

The follicles are taken from the donor site individually rather than being removed in a strip and subsequently dissected. This results in very little scarring and may provide the final appearance of being more natural.

During the FUE procedure, the donor region does not have any gaps or obvious alterations, and since microsurgery is used throughout, there are no general scars. It is difficult to detect a hair transplant since the outcomes match normal hair growth and don’t exhibit any apparent scarring.

Which Procedure Is Best For You?

Up until the early 2000s, hair plugs were a widespread hair transplant method that has now become outdated. Some individuals continue to refer to any sort of hair transplant operation, even contemporary methods, as “hair plugs.” The two forms of hair transplants that are now most often done are FUT and FUE. Compared to hair plugs, these techniques could provide outcomes that seem more natural. Doctors, physicians, and hair transplant surgeons that use cutting-edge and better technology often prescribe the FUE hair transplant process as it offers various benefits over traditional methods. If you’re wanting to learn more about the methods available to you, you can get individualized guidance on the subject from our professionals at the Nova Medical Hair Transplant clinic in Miami. You are always invited to stop by and talk– book your consultation today!

Who Is A Potential Candidate For A Hair Transplant?

A hair transplant may be advantageous for everyone. You can decide whether you’re a good candidate by using the following criteria:

The Kind Of Hair Loss Or Baldness You’re Experiencing

Male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness-related or hereditary hair loss may be effectively treated by hair transplants.

The Amount Of Balding Spots You Have

The most usual candidates for a hair transplant have balding spots at the front of the scalp such as their hairline area, balding in the crown of their head and others.

You Don’t Have An Extensive Medical Background

You don’t have any medical issues that might make you more susceptible to infection or delay the healing of a wound. Diabetes, HIV, and thyroid disorders are a few examples.

You Don’t Take Certain Medications

You don’t now use any prescriptions for medications like amphetamines or propranolol that might hinder hair growth.

You Have Realistic Expectations

You have reasonable expectations for the kinds of outcomes you can get from your hair transplant and the amount of time it will take to see your results.

You Have The Right Hair Color And Density

Darker-haired individuals and those with denser hair seem to be better prospects for hair transplants. That being said, during a one-on-one consultation with your doctor, they will be able to do a better assessment of your hair type.

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