After a hair transplant, what matters most is a 'natural look.'
The concerns people considering a hair transplant raise most often are "Will it be noticeable?" and "Will it look too artificial?"
In practice, what determines the quality of a hair transplant is not simply how many hairs were transplanted.
What matters above all is creating a 'gradation hairline' that looks natural at the front and becomes fuller toward the back.
At Modi Hair Plant, we operate a system that classifies each hair follicle in fine detail to achieve such natural results.
How is a natural hairline created in a hair transplant?
If you look closely at a person's original hairline, it is not uniform.
Fine, soft hairs are located at the very front,
and progressively thicker, fuller hairs follow toward the back.
This natural transition is called a gradation hairline.
If only thick hairs were transplanted from the very front,
the hairline could look unnatural and artificial.
That is why fine hairs should be placed at the front,
medium-thickness hairs in the middle,
and thick follicles containing more hairs at the back,
so that the result can look as natural as your own original hair.
The core of a hair transplant is 'follicle classification.'
A hair transplant is a procedure in which healthy follicles are harvested from the occipital area and transplanted into the areas where they are needed.
However, harvested follicles are not all the same in form.
Some follicles contain only one hair,
while others contain two, three, or four hairs together.
Moreover, even among 2-hair follicles, both strands may be thick in some cases,
while in others one strand is fine and the other is thick.
Single-hair follicles can likewise be further subdivided into fine hairs, medium-thickness hairs,
and thick hairs.
In other words, the number of hairs per follicle alone is not enough;
detailed classification that also takes hair thickness and form into account is important.
Why a simple 4-compartment classification is not enough
Follicle sorting containers in general use are often made up of four compartments.
However, in actual surgery,
the types of follicles are far more varied,
so four compartments alone make it difficult to distinguish them sufficiently.
In addition, since the number harvested differs by follicle type,
making all compartments the same size
can lead to some compartments overflowing
while others are barely used.
Ultimately, such issues
can also affect the efficiency and accuracy of the surgical process.
Modi Hair Plant produced its own follicle sorting container.
Modi Hair Plant determined that commercially available products alone made it difficult to achieve the desired level of classification.
So, revising the design multiple times ourselves,
we produced a custom follicle sorting container using a 3D printer.
We adjusted the size of each compartment to suit the type of follicle,
and continuously refined it to match the actual surgical environment, arriving at its current form.
A structure designed with the cooling system in mind
It is important that follicles remain in optimal condition even during surgery.
Because plastic has low thermal conductivity, it is difficult to cool follicles sufficiently.
For this reason, Modi Hair Plant has used a method of combining a sorting structure
produced with a 3D printer inside a stainless steel cooling container.
Currently, we use in actual surgery a custom all-stainless-steel follicle sorting container produced through several rounds of refinement, designed to keep follicles in stable condition while enabling more systematic classification.
Going forward, we will continue to research and refine even the smallest details for better surgical results.
We check and classify each follicle one by one under a microscope.
At Modi Hair Plant,
we do not classify follicles with the naked eye.
Using a microscope,
we check the thickness and form of the hairs
and then classify them as follicles suited to each location.
However, if judgments of
"fine"
or "thick"
are made
by the human eye alone, the criteria can vary.
That is why, at Modi Hair Plant,
we apply a thickness reference plate (micrometer) that can be used with the microscope.
We verify hair thickness in numerical values.
At Modi Hair Plant,
we use a transparent acrylic reference plate marked with
50㎛,
80㎛, and
100㎛ reference lines.
By comparing the actual hair with the reference lines under the microscope,
we classify follicles according to objective criteria.
This system
reduces subjective judgments that can differ from one staff member to another,
and enables more consistent and accurate follicle classification.
We also record how the classified follicles were actually used.
At Modi Hair Plant, our work does not end with simply classifying follicles.
Before surgery, we classify follicles in fine detail by hair count and thickness under a microscope, and transplant follicles suited to each location according to the plan.
And after surgery, we issue a transplanted hair count certificate so that patients can directly confirm what types of follicles were used and in what quantities.
The certificate records not only the total number of transplanted hairs but also how many 1-hair, 2-hair, 3-hair, and 4-hair follicles were used.
In other words, it is a systematically managed system that allows you to confirm how the follicles classified before surgery were actually used during the surgery.
The process of classifying follicles in fine detail and the process of keeping a record of the follicles actually used are all connected as a single system, and patients can review these records themselves.
Small differences create natural results.
A hair transplant is not simply a surgery of transplanting a large number of follicles.
Which follicles,
in which locations,
and in what order they are transplanted
determine the quality of the result.
Modi Hair Plant
classifies every single follicle with care,
and applies a classification system we developed ourselves along with objective criteria
in our efforts to create a more natural hairline.
Such small differences, which are hard to see,
can be important factors in enhancing the natural appearance and satisfaction after surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Why do follicles need to be classified separately?
Because the number of hairs and their thickness differ from follicle to follicle. To create a natural hairline, it is important to select and transplant follicles suited to each location.
Q. Do all clinics classify follicles in this much detail?
Follicle classification methods and criteria may differ from clinic to clinic. Modi Hair Plant carries out more detailed classification using a microscope and its own criteria.
Q. Does follicle classification affect the outcome?
It is one of the important factors in achieving a natural hairline. However, the final outcome is influenced by various factors, including the patient's hair loss condition, hair characteristics, and surgical plan.
What sets Modi Hair Plant apart begins where you cannot see it.
The quality of a hair transplant may differ not simply from transplanting many follicles, but from how carefully each individual follicle is managed and placed.
Modi Hair Plant will continue to research and improve its surgical system so that these small differences can lead to better results.
References
- Headington JT. Transverse microscopic anatomy of the human scalp. A basis for a morphometric approach to disorders of the hair follicle. Arch Dermatol. 1984;120(4):449–456. PubMed
The paper above is a classic study that, by sectioning the scalp transversely, first established that hair follicles exist in groups as a single unit (follicular unit), and it serves as the academic foundation for the concept of follicle classification.
This content was reviewed by our medical staff before publication.