Hair plugs are tiny pieces of hair-bearing skin surgically implanted into scalp regions that are balding or thin. They are one of the precursors to modern hair transplants.
A medical professional harvests grafts, or small chunks of skin, from parts of the body with thick, healthy hair. The hair follicles are extracted from areas of the scalp where hair growth is still healthy and then transplanted to areas of the scalp with little or no hair. Once transplanted, the follicles must continue to grow hair in their new location.
What is a Hair Plug?
Hair plugs are a type of hair transplant surgery that involves placing large clumps of hair into bald or thinning areas of the scalp. The goal is to make the hair look fuller and thicker. While hair transplant surgeries were once popular, they have now been replaced by modern techniques like FUE and FUT.
A hair plug is a piece of one’s natural scalp that has been “punched out” and then placed into a balding area of the head to make it look fuller again. These pieces of scalp typically contain 20-25 individual hair strands on average and have a doll-like appearance because of the spacing between them.
Hair plugs’ longevity depends on many factors, including the quality of the surgeon who performs the procedure and how well the patient cares for their new hair after treatment. It is also essential for patients to have reasonable expectations when it comes to their results.
Many people confuse hair plugs with hair implants, a much more advanced form of hair replacement. The difference is that hair implants involve putting in false hair attachments (such as a wig), while hair transplants involve moving the hair follicles from one area of the head to another. Choosing an experienced hair transplant surgeon is crucial rather than opting for plugs.
How Does a Hair Plug Work?
Hair plugs are a hair restoration surgery that involves removing tiny chunks of skin from the back and sides of the scalp and implanting them into regions with baldness or thinning hair. The process has been around for quite a while, although it has yet to be widely used as more advanced options have become available. How do hair plugs work?
Hair transplants are a newer method of restoring lost hair. They involve moving actual hair follicles from the area of your scalp that has dense, healthy growth to areas that don’t have any, and they can produce quite realistic-looking results.
Both hair transplants and hair plugs can restore lost density to the head. However, the two procedures differ in many ways. Hair plugs require more extensive incisions than hair transplants because they use a different treatment approach. Hair transplant techniques like FUE and FUT involve only tiny incisions that don’t even need sutures, so there is less pain involved in the procedure overall.
Additionally, hair plugs have a much more artificial appearance than hair transplants. They tend to have noticeable gaps between them that give the scalp a “doll’s hair” look. Hair transplants, on the other hand, can replicate natural hair density with a more seamless appearance when a professional using modern tools and techniques performs them.
What Are the Benefits of Hair Plugs?
Hair plugs are an effective way to treat hair loss, as they are a form of surgical hair restoration. This procedure involves removing tiny chunks of hair-bearing skin from the back and sides of the scalp and transplanting them to bald or thinning regions. The surgeon can then use medications like minoxidil and finasteride to stimulate new hair growth.
The benefit of this treatment is that the resultant hair growth appears authentic and seamlessly blends with existing strands of hair. Additionally, it is a permanent solution to baldness, as the transplanted hair is expected to survive for the rest of the patient’s life.
In many cases, the results could be better, resulting in an artificial appearance or uneven hair distribution. It is also possible to experience infection during the operation; hair plug insertion or incisions can cause scarring.
Another common side effect of hair plugs is the tendency to fall out over time. This is because large clumps of hair are implanted at once, rather than the individual follicles used in contemporary hair transplantation procedures such as FUE and FUT. It is crucial for patients who undergo hair plug treatment to adhere to their doctor’s post-operative guidelines to ensure the results’ longevity.
What Are the Side Effects of Hair Plugs?
Hair plugs can be a permanent solution to hair loss when a medical professional inserts them and is adequately cared for. This procedure allows individuals afflicted with pattern baldness or other forms of alopecia to restore their natural-looking appearance and boost their confidence in the process.
However, the side effects accompanying this treatment can vary depending on several factors, such as the surgeon’s skill level and the technique used during the surgery. A common side effect of scalp surgery is numbness, possibly due to nerve damage or a normal bodily response.
Another typical side effect is bleeding, which is typically a result of the incisions made by the surgeon during the surgery. Bleeding typically stops within a few days, but it’s vital to contact the surgeon if it doesn’t.
Scarring is a potential adverse consequence of hair plug surgery. Still, It is possible to decrease it by choosing a surgeon with experience in this field and following proper aftercare instructions. It includes avoiding behaviors that create undue stress on the incision site, such as wearing too-tight haircuts or scratching them.
Using ointments that reduce swelling, along with following the surgeon’s advice for aftercare, can help to prevent ingrown hairs from occurring after hair transplantation.
