What is a hair graft?
What is a hair graft?
When looking at the various hair transplant solutions available, there are many acronyms, phrases and medical terms that could cause confusion or might not be fully understood by those in their first stage of research or trying to understand the variety of solutions available.
A commonly used term when discussing hair transplants is hair graft. A hair graft can have 1–6 hairs in it and up to 3 follicles per graft depending on procedure type and the needs of the patient.
The process of creating hair grafts involves carefully gathering hair follicles (sometimes in groupings) from the donor region and then transplanting them to the recipient site to restore hair growth in the thinning or balding areas.
The types of methods to create hair grafts:
There are two main methods for creating hair grafts: Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
FUT, of which Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™ is an advanced form of, involves removing hair-bearing skin from the scalp donor region. The follicular units are then extracted from the harvested skin into groupings of up to 3 follicles per graft, with each follicle having an average of 1–3 hairs in it. Most FUT procedures consist of single follicle unit grafts of 1–3 hairs. However, the advanced Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™ at We Grow Hair Indy incorporates a larger range of graft sizes to give more hair and more density when compared to more traditional FUT approaches that will typically use single 1–3 haired grafts.
FUE, on the other hand, involves extracting individual follicles from the donor area. Each follicle represents 1 graft and can have an average of 1-3 hairs in each graft. Extraction is achieved by either a form of a manual technique using a specialized tool or, in the case of the ARTAS Robotic FUE procedure.
The choice of which to use depends on the individual’s need, the amount of hair to be transplanted, and various other factors such as the recommendation of the performing surgeon and the goals of the client.
It’s important to note that hair grafts are created to mimic how a follicle naturally exists, and they are transplanted in the same direction and angle as the original orientation in the recipient area. This results in the most natural-looking outcome possible.
The composition of a graft varies from 1–4 hairs per follicle (although 1 – 3 hairs is most common) and up to 3 follicles in a graft.
Types of Follicular Unit Grafts
- Micro Graft (1-haired graft): Also referred to as a single-haired follicular unit. Commonly used at the very front of a hairline.
- Follicular Unit Graft (1-3 haired graft): A single follicle graft that can have up to 4 hairs in it. Often used slightly behind the small single-hair grafts in the front of a hairline.
- Double Follicular Unit Graft (2 follicles with 1-3 hairs in each): Used in areas where density is required, like the central frontal area and the center of a crown.
- Multi-Unit Graft (up to 3 follicles per graft with 1-3 hairs per graft): Used in areas to create heavy density such as crown and central forelock areas. Preferred at We Grow Hair Indy for the heavy density these create.
Note: Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™ is a customized combination of all of the above graft types.
Benefits of Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™
Techniques such as Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™, for which We Grow Hair Indy is known for, can have extreme benefits over more traditionally used FUT procedures due to the increased amount of hair able to be transplanted at one time, while also maintaining the most natural look possible. Additionally, this approach results in excellent value due to the decreased need for multiple costly and time-consuming procedures. At We Grow Hair Indy, 20% of our patients get by with one procedure, which is one of the best single-procedure rate outcomes in the industry.
Benefits of ARTAS ROBOTIC FUE
There are various benefits to the use of robotics when performing an FUE procedure. The use of robotics helps to significantly decrease the human error factor that can often be an issue due to fatigue or inexperience when harvesting FUE grafts without robotics. The accuracy and reproducibility of robotics gives an even distribution of the tiny extraction sites that are left in the harvest area on the back of the scalp. This means that the visual evidence that someone has had an FUE procedure is massively minimized and the patient has the ability to wear their hair very short in the donor area without any obvious sign of anything having taken place. The physicians at We Grow Hair Indy will often utilize the strengths of robotics in harvesting FUE follicles and combine that with the experience and skill of our medical teams for the site-making and placement portion of an FUE procedure.
To learn more about hair transplant procedures, watch Dave Furst's procedure and see his follow-up appointment at the four month stage:
Overall, a hair graft at We Grow Hair Indy is a small grouping of follicles with an average of 1 to 3 hairs per follicle and 1-3 follicles in a graft (depending on graft type). The two main methods are FUE and FUT.
The best technique to use depends on various factors, but with the right graft types, you can achieve the head of hair you desire and boost your confidence.
