What is a Hair Transplant?
The science behind a hair transplant is quite simple. Hair is harvested from an area called the “safe zone” and moved to balding areas. The safe zone is a place on the sides and back of the head, where the hair is resistant to DHT, a hormone that causes hair loss.
How Long Does it Last?
Hair transplanted from the safe zone will last as long as it would have if it had remained in the back of the head — and for most people that is a lifetime!
Will It Look “Pluggy”?
Old Style Pluggy Look
No! Decades ago, hair transplants looked “pluggy” (see picture) because grafts contained too many hairs (10-20 hairs). Also, the art of hair transplantation was still being developed. Today’s hair transplant is no longer pluggy because doctors use grafts containing less hairs. Additionally with two new techniques known as Dense Packing and Ultra Dense Packing we can create more fullness along the hairline than ever before. With these new developments old hair plugs can be corrected and softened making even an older “pluggy” hairline beautiful again.
Today’s Hair Transplant Comes in Two Flavors,
and we do both!
Today, there are basically two types of hair transplantation and we offer BOTH at PAI Medical Group in Nashville. You might wonder why? Every patient is completely unique. Each has different hair density and texture, skin elasticity, areas of hair loss, hair color and hair loss progression. It is extremely important to have a thorough evaluation / analysis and consultation before deciding on your hair loss solution.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), also known as “Strip Harvesting“, is when a thin section of tissue about the width of a popsicle stick (approx. 1 cm) is delicately removed from the safe zone. Then the upper and lower edges are gently brought back together and sutured. This procedure typically leaves a very thin donor scar a few millimeters in width easily hidden by medium short, medium and longer hair. The tissue is then separated into smaller groupings of hair and transplanted to balding areas.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is when individual hairs and hair groupings (follicular units) are harvested directly from the safe zone with a device. This mildly less invasive procedure leaves very small circular scars with no necessity for stitches. FUE can beless accurate when harvesting very curly or kinky hair. However, it is well suited for transplanting smaller areas of thinning and for patients who like to keep their hair cut very, very short.
Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)
PAI Medical Group / We Grow Hair co-developed Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™ (MUHG), which is more sophisticated than traditional FUT. It’s designed for those who need the most hair at the best value.
Most Hair
Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™
Best FUT Value
- 3-6 Hour Procedure
- Little Human Fatigue
- 3-5% Transection
- High Precision
- Thin Linear Scar
- 10 Day Recovery
- Can do Another After 1yr
- Up to 8000 hairs
- Most Density
- Requires Fewest Procedures
- Good For Large Cases
Learn More
Traditional FUT
Less Value
- 8-10 Hour Procedure
- More Human Fatigue
- 8-10% Transection
- Average Precision
- Linear Scar
- 10 day Recovery
- Can do Another After 1yr
- 4000 - 5000 hairs
- Moderate Density
- Requires Less Procedures
- Good For Medium Cases
Multi-Unit Hair Grafting
Our best value hair transplant, co-developed right here at PAI in Nashville, gives you more hair and natural results in a single procedure. This means less time away from work, fewer procedures, and a smaller financial investment. With Multi Unit Hair Grafting more density and coverage can be accomplished than FUT and FUE procedures. Also unlike FUE, it’s ideal for all hair types and colors and our most popular hair transplant option. A special suture technique typically leaves a very thin linear scar and optimizes your donor for future procedures if needed. The suture line is generally so thin that even with the ARTAS in-house, you may consider this Multi-Unit Hair Grafting procedure because the results are so impressive.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
We strive to accommodate patients with the latest state-of-the-art technology. The ARTAS Robotic System is the most advanced FUE technique available.
Advanced
ARTAS Robotic System
Best FUE Value
- 8-12 Hour Procedure
- No Human Fatigue
- 10-15% Transection
- High Precision
- No Linear Scar
- 5 Day Recovery
- Can do Another After 5mo
- 500 - 5000 hairs
- Moderate Density
- Requires More Procedures
- Good For Small to Medium Cases
Learn More
Traditional FUE
Least Value
- 12 Hours - 2 Days
- High Human Fatigue
- Up to 50% Transection
- Low Precision
- No Linear Scar
- 5 Day Recovery
- Can do Another After 5mo
- 500-3000 Hairs
- Light Density
- Requires Most Procedures
- Good For Very Small Cases
ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplant
PAI has two hair transplant surgeons on staff who are Diplomates of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, one of only a few clinics in the world with that distinction. This state-of-the-art robotic system is the most advanced FUE procedure available and very few clinics offer it. An FUE procedure is difficult and tedious but the automation of the ARTAS System not only eliminates human fatigue, it improves patients’ results. The robotic hair transplant system accomplishes this using micron level accuracy and speed. This dramatically improves hair harvest quality (healthier follicles) by reducing transection (accidental destruction of follicles) that happens with non-robotic, FUE systems. Although the length of the ARTAS procedure is not as short as MUHG, it is shorter than traditional FUE.