Is it Better to Have More Hairs or Grafts Transplanted in Hair Transplantation?

I would like to know the difference between  the number of  follicular unit  graft and number of hairs transplanted.   For example: if a hair transplant patient had 2700 follicular unit grafts transplanted which amounted to  7900 hairs, did he get a better deal than  hair transplant patient who received 3250 grafts with only 6800 hairs?  

A follicular unit graft is a bundle of hairs that can contain up to 4 and even 5 hairs as they grow naturally in the scalp.   An individual’s hair characteristics  will ultimately determine how many 1, 2, 3, 4, and very rare 5 hair grafts are available for extraction.

The number of hairs per follicular unit graft will vary on a number of things including how the follicular units are cut.  

• Some hair restoration physicians will occasionally subdivide a follicular unit graft to create additional single hairs for the hairline to create a more natural look.   This is a perfectly acceptable approach but will ultimately impact the number of counted grafts – though some hair restoration clinics adhere to the original follicular unit graft count before any splitting, therefore, charging less than those who count the subdivided follicular unit grafts as a separate hair graft.  

• There are some hair restoration physicians who will regularly sub-divide follicular unit grafts creating a greater number of grafts but with a similar number of hairs than someone with fewer grafts would have.   In my opinioin, the primary problem with this approach is pricing.   Typically hair transplant clinics who regularly subdivide grafts as part of their standard practice will charge you for each subdivided graft rather than each true follicular unit graft.   It may even look good because a “discounted” price may be offered for the sub-divided hair graft but one might end up paying more than someone paying more money per graft for true follicular unit transplantation.   There is no indication that sub-dividing follicular unit grafts on a regular basis will produce a more natural result than true follicular unit grafting.    

• Hair characteristics play a significant role in how many hairs will be produced per graft on average.   This is out of the hair transplant doctor’s control.     Naturally some hair transplant patients will have a greater number of 3 and 4 haired follicular unit grafts than others.   Some hair transplant patients won’t have any 4 haired follicular unit grafts.

The most important factor however, in ensuring you receive a quality hair transplant is selecting the right hair restoration physician.   Our coalition hair restoration physicians have a proven track record of providing state of the art hair transplantation.   Our Hair Restoration Discussion Forum is a powerful research tool with over 5 years of patient provided hair transplant photos and  experiences.

Bill
Associate Publisher

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