How a Hair Transplant Goes Bad

Some habits are hard to break. One of the biggest bad hair transplant offenders is the ‘Statute of Liberty’ look perpetrated by offending hair restoration surgeons whereby transplanted hair follicles stick out in a direction away from the natural angle of the hair. And it all has to do with techniques devised some 30 years ago.

Hair for the most part grows forward. This is true on the top and front part of the scalp and then on the sides it starts to grow in a circular pattern. But when the follicle comes out of the scalp it comes out at a very distinct angle. If a hair restoration surgeon knows what he/she is doing they will work with the angle of the follicle so that the hair doesn’t look out of place. But this doesn’t always happen.

Part of the reason is the limit of old hair transplant technology. Back in the 70’s and 80’s when hair transplantation was just starting to come out in the market, the plugs used from the donor area were so large and, well, plug-like, that they were very hard to manipulate into the follicle and bend into the correct direction. Unfortunately this crude technology has bred a habit whereby some hair restoration surgeons use the same obsolete leaving the patient looking like that large statue in Ellis Island that was donated by the French.

But luckily there is hope. Procedures like Stereo Follicular Micro-grafting can correct these hair transplantation mistakes by creating a more natural-looking scalp and working with the overall direction of the scalp…the way it was supposed to be.