Hair Transplant · Implanter vs. Slit
The more grafts we place, and the closer they sit,
the more carefully we need to protect them
and adjust the size and spacing of each site.
I find the advantages of an implanter even clearer in high-density and large-session transplants. It protects each graft inside the needle while letting me adjust its position and direction as I place it.
An implanter is our standard approach at Motential.
I personally perform both graft extraction and placement.
HOW IT WORKS
The difference lies in how each graft is placed into the scalp.
The sites are made first.
Small incisions are made in the scalp first. Grafts are then held and inserted with forceps, which look like tweezers. Creating the sites and placing the grafts are separate steps.
The site is created as the graft is placed.
A needle of the right size is chosen and the graft is loaded inside it. The doctor selects the position, angle and depth, inserts the needle, then withdraws it while leaving the graft in place.
This comparison covers forceps placement into pre-made slits and direct placement with a sharp-needle implanter. An implanter can also be used to place grafts into pre-made slits.
SLIT VS IMPLANTER
When a graft is held with forceps and pushed into a pre-made incision, it can be compressed or its lower end can fold over. This may damage important parts of the follicle or alter the planned angle and direction.
The needle surrounds the graft as it enters the scalp. This helps reduce compression and bending during placement and makes it easier to position the graft at the intended depth and direction.
Even grafts from the same person vary in thickness, length and the amount of surrounding tissue. If multiple slits are made in advance without fully accounting for these differences, some sites may not fit the grafts later placed in them.
Allowing enough room for the forceps can also mean making an incision larger than the graft itself needs. An unnecessarily large incision can increase damage to surrounding tissue and bleeding.
I choose an implanter needle to suit the graft and adjust the depth and angle while looking directly at the area being treated. Creating the site and placing the graft together helps me avoid making the opening unnecessarily large.
Making slits in advance establishes the graft positions and basic spacing. If an area looks too widely spaced or not dense enough once the grafts are placed, those existing incisions cannot be moved to a different location.
If more grafts are needed after all the pre-made sites are filled, additional incisions are required. Their distance from existing incisions, the surrounding tissue and blood supply must all be considered again. This differs from adjusting each next position as the grafts are placed.
I check the positions and actual spacing of the grafts already placed before choosing the next site. I do the same when following the direction of the hairline or filling thinner areas between existing hairs.
DENSE & LARGE-SESSION IMPLANTATION
I find an implanter particularly helpful in high-density and large-session transplants for reducing graft damage and placing grafts with greater control.
The more grafts we transplant, the more important it is to handle each one carefully. Placing them close together calls for protection of the grafts, precise incision sizes and careful spacing.
An implanter lets me manage all three during placement. The needle protects the graft, creates a site to fit it, and lets me assess the actual spacing before placing the next graft.
That is why, even in larger sessions, I keep checking each graft's size, direction and spacing throughout the procedure. I take the scalp's condition and blood supply into account, aiming for the needed density within a range that supports graft survival.
Hello.
I'm Dr. Injae Lee of Motential Clinic in Cheongdam.
When I draw the hairline, I am already thinking about which grafts to use, where to place them and which direction they should face. During placement, I adjust the positions and spacing while checking the graft sizes and surrounding hair.
That is why I personally perform the design, extraction and placement. I operate on one patient a day and keep checking the direction and spacing as I place the grafts.
An implanter is my standard approach, but I combine it with slits when needed. If previously placed grafts keep rising out of the scalp, I may make the sites first and then insert the grafts with an implanter. I make that decision based on the patient's scalp and graft condition.
QUESTIONS
By reducing compression and bending during placement, an implanter helps create favorable conditions for grafts to settle in. But the instrument alone does not determine survival. How grafts are extracted, stored and loaded, the condition of the scalp and the team's experience also matter.
No. Matching slit sizes to the grafts and placing them carefully can reduce these risks. I use an implanter as my standard approach because it protects the graft while creating the site and placing it in one step. I can also see the grafts already in place before choosing the next position.
Yes. I personally handle the consultation, design, graft extraction and placement. My team helps prepare and load the grafts into the implanters, and I place them into the scalp myself.
CONSULTATION
I will assess your hair and scalp
and explain where grafts are needed and how many to place.
Motential Clinic, Cheongdam · Medical Director Dr. Injae Lee
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