Hair implant structure

A hair implant structure includes artificial or natural hairs which are each downwardly enlarged to approximate the configuration of a natural hair root. The lower end of the hair structure including the enlarged portion is coated with an inert material, such as gold, to minimize chances of infection after implant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to the field of hair implant structures, 
and more particularly, is directed to a hair filament which may be 
artificial or natural and which is suitable for implanting in the human 
scalp. 
Baldness in human beings has always created personal problems in view of 
the cosmetically undesirable appearance sometimes presented by individuals 
who have lost some or most of their hair. Prior workers in the art have 
attempted to treat this problem in many ways, for example, by providing 
toupees, by employing hair weaving techniques, by the transplantation of 
living hair including surgically removing and reapplying plugs of hair and 
other methods. Hair weaving has often proved disadvantageous in that such 
weavings have generally required frequent tightenings to remain pleasing 
in appearance. While hair transplants have the advantages inherent with a 
person having his own hair installed, experience has shown that such 
transplanted hair does not spread over the scalp and each given area 
continues to require individual treatment. 
Other structures and methods have been developed by workers in this field 
which include the implantation of nonliving natural hairs or synthetic 
hairs into the scalp. Such an approach is surgical in nature and has 
created problems directly relating to possible rejection of the hair 
structure or perhaps by increasing the chance of infection caused by the 
interaction by the implanted structure and the natural scalp. In view of 
the difficulties experienced by the prior workers, the need remains for a 
reliable, surgically pure and aesthetically pleasing hair implanting 
method and structure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
hair implant structure of the type set forth. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel hair 
implant structure suitable for firm implantation directly under the 
epidermis of the human scalp without causing rejection in the surrounding 
tissue. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel hair 
implant structure comprising either natural hair or artificial hair 
suitable to be implanted directly under the epidermis without creating 
medical complications for the recipient. 
With these and other objects in view, the invention provides a novel hair 
implant structure suitable for implant in living skin which comprises 
filament equipped with a structure that is similar in configuration to a 
natural hair root for anchoring the hair structure below the surface of 
the skin. The hair structure also includes an uninterrupted base coating 
or covering of inert material such as gold to discourage rejection and to 
substantially prevent infection at the site of implantation. 
The hair employed may be natural human hair or animal hairs of suitable 
color and texture or may be artificial hair fabricated of suitable 
materials, for example, plastic resins, such as nylon. The root is formed 
to the desired configuration of the same resin as the filament and may be 
connected to a natural or artificial filament by a suitable, known bonding 
agent or by other known methods. 
The hair to be implanted, either natural or synthetic, can be matched in 
color, diameter and texture to the hair of the recipient and will be 
coated at the base with gold or other inert, noninfectious material. 
Preferably, the root and lower section of the filament is completely 
covered for a distance sufficient to extend to the surface of the scalp 
after implantation. By carefully placing the gold coated hairs into the 
scalp in known manner, one at a time, an even, perfectly natural appearing 
head of artificial or natural head can be implanted upon the bald areas of 
the scalp. Of course, as more and more hairs are so implanted, a fuller 
and more natural appearance can be created.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake 
of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular 
structure of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings, and 
are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention. 
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a hair 
implant structure generally designated 10 which includes an elongated 
filament 12 which may be natural human or animal hair or which may be 
fabricated of a suitable plastic material to the desired configuration, 
texture and color. 
The filament 12 terminates downwardly in an enlarged root 14 which is 
securely affixed to the filament in a manner to simulate a natural hair 
root. The enlargement provided by the root 14 serves to secure the hair 
implant structure to the skin tissue 20 after implantation to thereby 
discourage disassociation of the hair structure from the scalp either by 
naturally falling out or by being pulled out. 
It is an essential part of this invention to coat or cover the lower or 
base portion of the hair implant structure with an inert material so as to 
prevent infection or rejection of the structure after implantation in skin 
20. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, the enlarged root 
14 is completely covered with a thin coating of inert material 16, for 
example, gold. See FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in 
FIG. 2, the entire lower portion of the filament is protected by a thin 
coating of gold 16' complete and uninterrupted from the bottom of the root 
through the entire implant length, that is all of the lower part of the 
filament that will be implanted below the skin surface 18. 
Inasmuch as the color of gold may be varied within known limits by using 
known techniques, if necessary for any reason to extend the gold coating 
16' above the surface 18 of the skin, the color of the hair can be 
substantially duplicated in the gold coating, to thereby provide a more 
aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
In order to use the hair implant structure 10 of the present invention, a 
sufficient number of filaments 12 are provided with securely affixed roots 
14 and then the lower portions are completely coated with inert material, 
such as gold 16,16'. If desired, the gold coating can be treated to 
correspond to the color of the filament. A known skin piercing device (not 
shown) in the nature of a sterile needle is then utilized to puncture the 
surface 18 of the skin 20 and to form a hair implant structure receiving 
opening through the epidermis 22 comprising the stratum corneum 28 and 
stratum germanatinum 30 and into the subcutaneous tissue 26. 
A hair implant structure 10 is then inserted downwardly into the opening 
thus formed root first so that the gold coating 16,16' is in intimate 
overall contact with the living tissue of the skin 20. A sufficient number 
of hair implant structures 10 should be utilized to present an appearance 
that is similar to natural hair. Accordingly for the individual that is 
receiving the hair implant, the distance from one implanted structure to 
the next is most important in achieving a natural appearance. Structure 10 
after structure 10 is individually implanted in the skin 20 until the 
desired effect is achieved. After implantation, the natural healing 
effects of the skin 20 will act to close the openings about the filaments 
12 and the inert coatings 16,16' to thereby secure the structures in 
place. By placing the coated hairs into the scalp one at a time, an even, 
perfectly naturally appearing head of artificial or natural hair can be 
placed and secured on a scalp. 
Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made 
only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of 
construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted 
to without departing from the scope of the invention.