Hair restoration terminology can be confusing for those seeking treatment for hair loss. Understanding the differences between hair transplants, hair grafts, hair follicles, hair implants, and hair plugs is crucial for making informed decisions about hair restoration procedures. In this article, we will explain what these terms are, nad the differences between them for you.
Key points before we start:
- Hair transplantation is the medical procedure of relocating healthy hair grafts
- Hair follicles are the natural structures in the skin where hair grows
- Hair grafts are the individual tissue units containing 1 to 4 follicles used in modern hair transplants
- Hair plugs are an outdated hairy tissue transplant technique
- Hair implants are the implantation of artificial hairs on the scalp
What are the differences between hair restoration terms?
The differences between hair restoration terms lie in their medical definitions and contextual usage in the field of hair restoration surgery. Let’s look at the table below to see the differences.
| Hair Transplant | Hair Follicle | Hair Graft | Hair Plug | Hair Implant |
| The surgery that moves hair from one area to another | The natural part of your skin that grows hair | Small groups of 1-4 hair follicles taken from your scalp | Old technique using large chunks of hair (15-20 at once) | Synthetic fibers placed into the scalp |
| Uses your own hair and tissue | Your own hair and tissue | Your own hair and tissue | Uses your own hair and tissue | Uses synthetic hair |
| Current modern standard with FUE & DHI techniques | Used in FUE & DHI hair transplant | Used in FUE & DHI hair transplant | Outdated technique, not used anymore | Banned by the FDA |
| Permanent, natural looking results | Natural component | Natural component | Permanent but obvious looking results | Unnatural results with high risk of rejection |
What is a hair transplant?
A hair transplant is a surgical procedure where hair follicles are moved from areas of dense growth (usually the back and sides of the head) to areas experiencing hair loss.
The modern hair transplant procedure involves careful planning of the recipient area, extraction of donor grafts, creation of recipient sites, and precise placement of individual follicular unit grafts to create natural-looking results.
Each follicular unit graft contains 1 to 4 hair follicles and is implanted in different locations to provide different amounts of density.
The reason it’s called a “hair transplant” is the term “transplant” indicates the relocation of healthy living tissue into another area, where it will continue to live and survive. That’s also why the term “transplant” is used for organ transplants.
What is a hair follicle?
A hair follicle is a complex miniature organ in the skin that produces and maintains hair growth. Each follicle consists of several specialized cellular structures, including the dermal papilla, hair matrix, and outer root sheath, working together to produce a single hair shaft.
Hair follicles go through cyclical phases of growth (anagen), regression (catagen), and rest (telogen), with thecomplete cycle typically lasting 3-7 years.
The follicle contains stem cells that allow for continuous hair regeneration throughout a person’s life. These stem cells are located in an area called the bulge region, which is crucial for maintaining the follicle’s ability to produce new hair.
Inactivity in these stem cells is associated with Androgenetic Alopecia or pattern hair loss.
During modern DHI and FUE hair transplant surgeries, grafts containing a single hair follicle are used along the hairline to create natural looking results.
What is a hair graft?
A hair graft is a small piece of tissue containing one to four complete hair follicles that are extracted from the donor area during hair transplant surgery.
Modern hair grafts are classified based on the number of follicular units they contain; single unit grafts contain one follicle, while multi unit grafts can contain up to four hair follicles.
Hair grafts are extracted using either the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) or FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) technique. In FUE, individual grafts are removed directly from the scalp using specialized micro-motorized devices, while FUT involves removing a strip of tissue that is then dissected into individual grafts.
During hair transplant surgery, hair is not transplanted as individual hair follicles but as grafts. The skin graft around the hair follicle protects it from damage, contains the blood vessels that will merge with the skin on the newly located area, and provides a healthy blood supply to the hair follicles.
What are hair plugs?
Hair plugs are an outdated hair restoration technique used in the 50s where large groups of hair follicles (usually 15-20) were extracted and transplanted as single units. In time, these “plus” became smaller and we have moved on to transplanting “grafts” with 1 to 4 hair follicles per graft.
Typically, larger biopsy punches were used to harvest the hair follicles. Today, the punch FUE harvesting technique is outdated, and most hair transplant clinics use a micro-motor extractor.
These large grafts created an unnatural appearance similar to the hair of a doll because they were too large and did not mimic natural hair growth patterns.
The plug technique has been completely abandoned by modern hair restoration surgeons due to its poor aesthetic results such as unnatural appearance, visible scarring, poor growth rates, and limited area of coverage.
What are hair implants?
The term “hair implants” is incorrectly used in marketing to describe proper hair transplantation procedures. The term “implant” suggests the insertion of artificial materials (as in cheek implants or breast implants), which is misleading when discussing modern hair restoration procedures. In proper medical terminology, we don’t “implant” hair – we transplant living tissue containing hair follicles.
In correct terminology, hair implants refer to the implantation of synthetic hairs into the scalp. The implantation of synthetic can seem like a great option at first as it can provide immediate results with longer hairs but do not be fooled. Artificial hair implants have significant risks and have been banned by the FDA.
Artificial hair implants have severe risks such as scarring, rejection, and infections compared to modern hair transplants, which have one of the lowest complication rates among modern cosmetic surgeries.
How does understanding these terms help in choosing the right procedure?
Understanding hair restoration terms helps you make better choices about your treatment. This way, you can ensure that you get the procedure you want.
Some clinics might advertise “hair implants” when they actually mean hair transplants, while others might genuinely offer artificial hair implantation. Knowing the difference between a modern hair transplant and artificial hair implants helps you avoid receiving synthetic fibers when you want natural hair restoration.
Moreover, knowing these terms helps you spot red flags in advertising and consultations. If a clinic consistently uses outdated terms like “hair plugs” or focuses on marketing language instead of medical terminology, it might indicate they might not be the best option.