TORONTO, ON
The demand for hair transplant surgery is rising in Canada, and there is one concern that comes to mind over others: does it appear natural? Dr. Cory Torgerson of The Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic, provides the surgical and artistic techniques that will give you an undetectable hair transplant. Hair transplant surgery has evolved from the old days when patients would undergo strip-graft FUT transplants to more advanced and better techniques. However, while there are so many advancements, one of the most common and important questions asked is: “Will it appear real?” This depends on how well the hair transplant surgery will be performed and on the artistry of the surgeon.
Why “Looking Natural” Became the Real Benchmark
Hair loss is a common problem, and thus people get anxious around fixing it.
Androgenic alopecia or hereditary baldness has become a common problem in Canada to the extent where Health Canada has reviewed and approved medicines especially designed for this problem. Finasteride, for example, has been approved by Health Canada for the treatment of androgenic alopecia in males since late 1990s, as stated by Health Canada safety review. With so many people suffering from hair loss, it has become necessary that the new norm for the transplant procedure should not only involve the restoration of hair but also that it looks natural as the one that was never lost.Toronto based head and neck surgeon Dr. Cory Torgerson, who specializes in hair restoration, gives the specific characteristics of hair transplant surgery which make it appear natural.
The Outdated Techniques That Gave Hair Transplants a Bad Reputation
To begin, it’s important to understand the factors that gave rise to the persistent stereotype of the “obvious hair transplant.”
The older hair transplant techniques used larger hair groupings known as plugs that would be inserted in close order over the scalp. They were effective, although visually noticeable. The common problems associated with the technique include:
- Straight and “picket fence” hairline without a transition zone
- Hair that grows at a strange angle rather than going in the direction of the scalp
- An overly dense growth in the wrong part of the scalp, especially at the front
- Scars visible due to the strip harvesting procedure for taking out the donor hair
The modern FUE hair transplant technique was created in order to solve these problems.
What Actually Makes a Hair Transplant Look Natural
The standard for a successful procedure ultimately depends on the technical choices made to determine whether the transplanted hair will seamlessly blend in or noticeably stand out.
As per the clinical study of follicular unit extraction published by the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., follicular unit extraction has become a better alternative to plug grafting or scalp reduction techniques because it involves the transplantation of hair follicles one at a time to give a denser look . Some of the fundamental principles involved include:
- Hairline design that is irregular – a natural hairline is never perfectly straight; it has soft and uneven edges and single hair grafts on its front edge
- Angle and direction of growth – the hair is transplanted in the same way as the other hair around it grows; it is never transplanted in a straight manner
- Density transition – there is gradual transition of density from the hairline backwards as opposed to dense hair immediately at the hairline
- Matching of follicular units – grafts are arranged in groups that naturally grow in the body and consist of one to four hair grafts
- Characteristics of an individual hair – hair texture, curls, and color play a significant role in blending of the hair transplant results
A Comparison of The Two Common Methods – FUE vs. Older Strip Harvesting:
A short comparison of the two most frequently used methods for donor hair extraction.
| Factor | FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) | Strip Harvesting (Older Method) |
| Donor hair collection Process | Follicles are extracted one by one | A piece of skin is removed through surgery |
| Scarring Effect | Small dot scars which heal and blend | Linear scar at the back of the head |
| Recovery time | Typically a few days to a week | Extended recovery time; sometimes even stitches |
| Styling freedom post-procedure | Suitable for short or buzzed haircuts | The scar will be visible in very short hair |
| Precision of placement | Individual graft control supports natural angling | Grafts are dissected from a strip, less individualized |
Both techniques do not assure a natural appearance by themselves; success will largely depend on the surgeon’s planning and his team’s FUE harvesting and planting skills.
Why Surgeon Experience Matters More Than the Tool Used
Technology may help in achieving a natural appearance, but it cannot substitute the role of the surgeon and his team’s expertise. According to Canadian surgeon, Dr. Torgerson, who graduated from the University of Toronto and is licensed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, graft placement requires precise skill. The exact same graft, harvested with the exact same instrument, can look completely different depending on the angle, spacing, and layering used during the procedure. Dr. Torgerson also explains that hairline design should be approached individually taking into consideration the patient’s age, facial type, hair characteristics and the pattern of hair loss
Key Questions to Ask Prior to Selecting Your Hair Transplant Surgeon
Some handy questions to consider when choosing a clinic to deliver naturally looking results.
- Is it the surgeon himself who designs the hairline or someone else?
- Can the clinic provide samples of various before and after cases of hair transplant with different hair types and varying levels of hair loss?
- What kind of technique is employed for removing donor hair and what is the usual recovery process?
- How is the graft density designed for hairline, mid-scalp, and crown?
- How successful has the facility been with patients whose hair textures are similar to yours?
Natural-Looking Hair Replacement Depends on Harmony
Natural hair replacement is not a single breakthrough, but rather a combination of small steps, including a hairline that is not too regular, grafts placed at the proper angle and density increase over time (to prevent shock loss). The development of the FUE technique has led to the convergence of the concepts of “transplanted” and “natural,” however, there is still a lot that depends on the competence of the surgeon and his team who are actually performing the procedure. For the patients considering hair replacement, it may be better to pay more attention to the surgeon’s expertise and overall execution of the FUE hair transplant rather than the name of the machinery used.
About The Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic
The Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic, which is owned and operated by Dr. Cory Torgerson, is a private surgical facility located in Toronto’s downtown, providing services such as FUE hair transplants, beards and eyebrows restoration procedures, PRP hair treatment, and scalp micropigmentation. Dr. Torgerson is a certified Canadian surgeon specializing in head and neck surgery who has more than 18 years of post-secondary education. Dr. Torgerson belongs to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and has been in practice as a doctor for more than 2 decades.
Media Contact The Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic 59 Hayden St, Suite 702, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2P2,
Canada Phone: (647) 351-0061
Website: torontohairtransplantclinic.com
