Key Takeaways
- Hair plugs are outdated - Popular until the 1990s-2000s, they transplanted circular sections of 10-30 follicles at once but created unnatural "doll-like" appearances with visible gaps and scarring.
- Modern transplants are more precise - Today's techniques transplant individual follicles, creating natural-looking hairlines with minimal scarring that's covered by new growth.
- Modern procedures are more efficient - Current methods typically require just one session of a few hours, compared to hair plugs which needed multiple weekly sessions over months with longer recovery times.
Restoring the hair's natural thickness and addressing further signs of hair loss can be a crucial goal for many Australians. With several procedures available to promote hair growth, you may be wondering which option is currently the most modern and best suited for your hair.
In the past, hair plugs were often used to treat thinning hair. So, why has hair transplant surgery become the industry standard, and how does it compare to this older technique?
Discover these answers and more information about hair plugs in this in-depth guide.
What are Hair Plugs?
Although no longer commonly used, hair plugs were a popular method of treating hair loss until the 1990s and early 2000s. They worked as a type of hair transplantation, but without the precision of implanting individual hair follicles. Instead, circular sections of hair were punched from the back and sides of the scalp.
The circular implants were essentially "plugged" back into the scalp where hair was noted to be thinning. These plugs contained anywhere between 10 and 30 hair follicles, which covered significant ground on the scalp and gave the look of thicker hair once more.
How Do Hair Plugs Work?
Much like a modern hair transplant, plugs work by removing healthy hair follicles from the back and sides of the scalp for transplantation. These plugs come in a circular form, covering large amounts of the scalp and numerous hair follicles.
The transplanted hair plugs are attached to the donor area with care to not overlap each other.. Due to this need for spacing, the outdated hair restoration technique would often create an image akin to a doll's hair: large gaps between hairs, the follicles often gathered in clumps, and a hairline that's uneven.
Often, the plugs were around 3-4 millimetres across and conducted by hair transplant surgeons. Since their time, however, hair restoration procedures have progressed to smaller and more precise techniques.
Hair Plugs vs Hair Transplants: What’s the Difference?
To get a clear understanding of the difference between hair plugs and modern hair transplant techniques, check out our handy comparison table below:
|
Hair Plugs |
Hair Transplants |
|
|
Technique |
Circular sections of donor hair, often containing 10-30 follicles, are punched out for transplantation. |
Individual hair follicles are transplanted in small strips to the donor site. |
|
Accuracy |
With grafts containing multiple hairs and in greater sections, accuracy is low, especially along the hairline. |
Higher expected accuracy with individual hair follicles being placed along personalised hairlines. |
|
Usage |
Rarely, if ever, used due to outdated techniques. |
The most common hair restoration method used worldwide. |
|
Recovery Process |
Multiple sessions are required for the most optimal results, meaning recovery is extended and often more painful for patients. |
Streamlined recovery process following a single session, with doctors providing detailed aftercare plans. |
|
Appearance |
Transplanted hair is often obvious, offering a doll-like appearance due to uneven hairlines and bald spaces on the scalp. |
Typically more natural-looking results tailored to the individual’s restoration goals. |
|
Scarring |
Circular plugs may create visible scars that take longer to heal. |
Aims for minimal and smaller scarring that is often covered by new hair growth. |
|
Cost |
While generally less expensive than a modern hair transplant, additional treatments and costs may be required to achieve desired results. |
Dependent on the extent of work required to restore hair thickness, with prices also varying between clinics. |
Why are Hair Plugs No Longer Used?
The main reason why traditional hair plugs are no longer used is because of their unnatural appearance. Since the circular hair implants contained random clusters of follicles, known as "groupings", they didn't always match the targeted area.
Once transplanted, it wasn't uncommon for plugs to create an unnatural hairline or visible gaps between grafts. Without the ability to follow a patient's natural hair growth pattern, hair plugs became a less favourable means of treating bald or thinning areas of the scalp.
Other reasons why hair plugs fell out of common use include:
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More visible scarring
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Lower success rates of healthy transplantation
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Longer recovery time
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Often requires additional cosmetic surgery or correctional procedures for optimal results
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Greater risk of side effects
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Temporary hair loss in the donor area
With hair transplantation continuing to evolve, traditional hair plugs are likely to remain a thing of the past.
Reasons to Choose a Modern Hair Transplant for Your Regrowth Journey
Across Australia, cosmetic doctors have moved past hair plugs to perform hair transplant surgery that's more precise than ever. While some procedures promote hair growth, such as Microneedling or Growth Factor Therapy, a tailored transplant is best for longer-lasting and natural-looking results.
The main reasons why Australians choose professional hair transplant procedures to treat hair loss are as follows:
1. Potential for More Natural Looking Results
The larger sections of transplanted hair common with plugs often make their addition to a donor area fairly obvious. It's common for bald areas to peek through uneven clusters of hair grafts, as well as for the new transplants to fail to blend into existing hair.
In contrast, most hair transplants nowadays use more precise techniques for transferring grafts to their target area. A long, thin strip of skin is used for the transplant, allowing for individual follicles to be grafted. This aims to create a more even and natural appearance, while still ensuring greater hair thickness.
With such precision conveniently available, hair transplants may also provide a natural-looking hairline. Ultimately, the hair loss doctors should collaborate with you to design a hairline aligned with your goals, while still maintaining realistic expectations.
2. Aims for Minimal Scarring
The advanced techniques of Precise Follicle Placement (PFP) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplants don't just provide more natural-looking results. They also aim to offer a minimally invasive procedure that leaves fewer visible scars.
By transferring individual hair follicles over circular plugs, modern techniques tend to leave smaller scars on the scalp. When the transplanted area begins to grow hair, it's done with the aim of covering up any leftover scarring.
Although results vary between individuals, a modern hair replacement surgery strives to heal with minimal evidence of the procedure having been done.
3. Greater Treatment Accuracy
It wasn't uncommon for plug technology to focus on providing notable hair coverage above all else. While this may have helped to restore hair thickness to a certain degree, it did mean that the circular transplants weren't known for their accuracy.
The plugs were more difficult to align with the desired hairline designs, and the multiple hairs in each graft meant the possibility for bald skin to show through the donor area. Thus, the targeted area wouldn't necessarily receive an accurate or fuller head of hair.
Additionally, hair plugs may also experience greater hair loss during the recovery process. While it's expected for hair shedding to occur some weeks or months after the modern surgical procedure, new growth is expected to follow. For plugs, this growth didn't always occur, leaving patchy results.
5. More Efficient Procedures
Generally, a modern hair transplant only requires a single session to complete the procedure. This is because hair restoration clinics perform initial research on each patient's medical history, growth goals, and their original hair health before attempting the transplantation.
Combined with more precise transplantation techniques, most hair transplants just take a few hours. Although final results may take some months to develop, few patients need additional work to meet their hair growth goals.
This efficiency contrasts with hair plugs, which often require multiple sessions for completion. New plugs were frequently added weekly, stretching across months.
Such lengthy efforts meant plugs were one of the more time-consuming hair loss treatments. With the additional need for extensive recovery time between sessions, hair plugs often became a massive investment of time, money, and discomfort.
Consult With a Local Hair Restoration Professional for Personalised Treatment
Access cutting-edge techniques and personalised treatment plans for your hair restoration journey with Gro Clinics. Our team of experienced hair growth doctors strive to provide efficient hair transplants that are personalised to you.
Gro Clinics has also taken the time to develop our exclusive PFP technique from the widely used FUE procedure, prioritising your comfort and time. We strive to build a relationship of trust with all of our clients, collaborating during consultations to work towards your hair growth goals.
There's no need to seek out the antiquated treatments of hair plugs when we offer more progressive and accurate transplantation. Book a free consultation today to discover how Gro Clinics can personally restore your hairline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do hair plugs last?
A hair plug is intended for lifelong results, with the transplanted grafts encouraging new growth in areas with thinning hair or a bald scalp. However, the existing hair may still experience thinning or loss in the future. This may mean additional treatments are required to maintain hair follicle density and health.
What is the best age to get hair plugs?
The best age to receive a hair transplant or plug varies between individuals and their hair loss experience. However, it's generally advised to undergo a restoration treatment once your hair loss pattern stabilises. It's common for the stabilisation to occur anytime between your 20s and 40s.
Ultimately, so long as enough healthy donor hair is available for transplant, a hair plug can occur.
Can you tell when someone has hair plugs?
It's generally more obvious if someone has received a hair plug rather than a modern transplant surgery. This is due to the less accurate techniques of a plug and its reliance on transferring hair grafts containing multiple hairs.
Plugs are often characterised by their patchy growth and doll-like appearance. With less-than-natural results, it isn't uncommon for a plug to be noticeable to others.
Do you have to shave your head to get plugs?
Entirely shaving your head isn't necessary when getting hair plugs. Only the targeted area for transplantation may require shaving to prepare for the new hairs to be grafted.