Hair transplants have evolved immensely. There was a time when hair transplants were seen as taboo. In the early days, the techniques were not refined, and the results left a lot to be desired. Thankfully, modern hair restoration has evolved from large hair plugs to ultra-refined follicular unit grafts. The scars are minimal and virtually undetectable to the casual observer. However, that doesn't mean that every hair restoration physician is performing cutting-edge hair transplant surgery. Unfortunately, there are still some surgeons using outdated techniques that leave patients -with unnatural-looking results. In this article, you'll learn what to spot and how to make sure you choose a surgeon who will give you a natural-looking hair transplant.
Follicular Unit Grafting is the Gold Standard Except Nothing ELSE!
In modern-day surgical hair restoration, the technique that you should be concerned about is follicular unit grafting. Some slick surgeons try and name techniques after themselves or try and pass off old mini-graft 'plug' surgery as a new technique to get the 'maximum' amount of hair. They're just marketing and repackaging old plugs that resemble watermelon pits. These plugs contain anywhere from 15-20 hairs. In nature, hairs grow in groupings of one (1) hair, two (2) hair, three (3) hair, and four (4) hairs. In rare cases, you can see up to five (5) hairs per grouping. To learn more about the evolution of hair restoration, click here.
If you see a surgeon trying to market more hairs per unit as a way to 'maximize' their harvest, you shouldn't walk away. You should run. Regardless of the harvesting technique, whether it is follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) or follicular unit extraction (FUE), you're good as long as you are receiving follicular units.
What Makes A Hair Transplant Look Natural?
We have already discussed one important factor: making sure units seen in nature are being transplanted the same way they grow naturally out of your scalp. The other most important factor is the hairline. They say the eyes are the gateway to the soul. Well, the hairline is the frame to your face.
A natural hairline has macro and micro-irregularities that subtly transitions from soft one-hair groupings into thicker multi-unit hairs groupings. There is no perfectly symmetrical hairline. A perfectly straight and symmetrical hairline looks fake, like a doll. An example is Jake Gyllenhaal. He has a natural male hairline with subtle curvatures like a widow's peak that appear in nature.
Choose The Right Surgeon
The hair transplant's overall aesthetic appearance will depend on the hair transplant surgeon's skill and artistry. Hair follicles exit the scalp at different angles throughout the scalp. For example, in the crown, hair follicles exit the scalp in a clockwise or counter-clockwise pattern. The hairs are also flat against the scalp. A surgeon must understand how to place the hairs to exit the scalp naturally and use hairs strategically to maximize density.
Not every surgeon is created equal. While academic credentials may be the same, skill is certainly not. It would be best if you chose a surgeon that is dedicated to restoring hair. There is a significant difference in skill from a plastic surgeon who does hair on the side instead of a hair transplant surgeon who dedicates their practice to hair.
Choose a surgeon that is backed by actual patient reviews. The sign of a good doctor is not how much money they put in their marketing and advertisements but through their word of mouth referrals. To view a list of surgeons backed by actual patient reviews and to choose surgeons chosen and referred by real patients, click HERE.
Conclusion
To answer the question, do hair transplants look natural? Yes and no. If you go to a qualified and accredited hair restoration physician, the results should look natural, and no one would ever know you had a hair transplant. But if you go to a black market clinic or some surgeon pushing outdated techniques to get 'maximum density,' the results won't look natural. Research is key; finding and learning from other patients is vital. To research surgeons, read real reviews, visit our hair loss forum, the hair restoration network—the most popular forum for hair transplant reviews.