Hair Transplantation
Lately, the biggest issue many men complain about has been hair loss. People who suffer from hair loss prefer hair transplants as the most effective solution.
What is hair transplantation, and how long does it take?
Hair transplantation is the process of transplanting the hair follicles located between two ears and on the upper part of the nape, which genetically do not fall out, to the area with hair loss. The hair follicles in this area are comprised of dense, healthy and non-shedding hair. The hair follicles are individually taken with special punches under local anesthesia, and are transplanted to the bald area. In hair transplants, over the course of a 4 to 6-hour operation, trained medical personnel strive to obtain the most natural results.
What are the methods of hair transplantation?
There are two methods of hair transplantation: FUT and FUE.
Hair Transplantation with the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) Method
This is the process of extracting a hairy skin graft in the form of a strip, from the hairy area on the nape of the neck, with calculations to be carried out depending on the density of the hair, the flexibility of the area and the clearance of the hair transplantation area. Local anesthesia is administered to the donor and recipient areas. The area from which the hairy skin graft is extracted is closed up with aesthetic sutures, in a way that will not be easy to tell at a glance (The sutures used are absorbed by the body, they don’t need to be removed). The hairless tissues are removed from the hairy scalp, that is extracted in the form of a strip, and they are divided into groups of 2, 3, and sometimes 4 and 5 (grafts) and prepared for the transplant. Grafts are placed with micro forceps in the channels that can be seen as streaks and are opened using the latest technique called lateral slit. These thin channels are ideal to inflict only minimal damage to the tissue, so that the surrounding hair is also not damaged, allowing for areas that require more density. This method allows for more frequent planting, rapid growth and the cosmetically most natural result.
Hair Transplantation with the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) Method
This is the process where hair follicles are individually removed from the hairy scalp by a specialist physician, using special microsurgery equipment, leaving no scars and requiring no sutures. The follicular units are individually removed with specially designed sterile punches. During hair transplants, we often use a motor called the FUE motor, and thanks to this motor, we are able to extract higher numbers of follicles within a shorter period. Follicular units (grafts) are extracted from the back of the head and from the sides, and inserted into the desired area. Local anesthesia is administered to the donor and recipient areas. The patient feels no pain during the procedure. If the hairy area does not have dense enough hair, the hairs on chest, back or abdomen can also be used for transplantation. These hairs adapt to the hair characteristics of the area of transplantation over time. In the FUE technique, approximately 2000-30000 follicular units can be transplanted in one session. If more frequent transplants are required, the number of sessions will increase accordingly.
Conditions that require the FUE Hair transplantation technique to be used;
• When there is not enough space
• If the person wants to wear their hair very short in the future (with no scars)
• Patients who only require a small amount of hair transplant (lack of areas that need to be transplanted, localized areas such as sites of scars)
• Scalps with very little skin elasticity, that does not allow for the extraction of strips with the FUT technique.
However, aside from these situations, FUE has now become our preferred method. We can list the reasons why as follows:
* Very short recovery period
* Leaves no marks
* Allows for transplanting more hair follicles. All of these reasons have made the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method the most prominent method of application in the recent years. In addition, with this method, we can also carry out transplants from the chest and arm areas to the hairy skin.
Who are eligible for hair transplants?
Hair transplants can be done to all patients with male pattern hair loss. Male pattern hair loss occurs with the effects of androgens, in genetically predisposed individuals. In these individuals, the lifespan of hair is genetically shortened. The new hair that replaces the lost hair also completes its cycle within a short period and falls out again, until such a time that the follicles are unable to produce new hair, lose their function, causing permanent baldness. However, the hair follicles in the nape of the neck are not affected by this, as they are insensitive to shedding. The hair follicles extracted from the nape, which are not subject to permanent loss, are transplanted into the bald areas, achieving a hairy appearance.
Is there an age limit for hair transplants?
For this procedure, the type of hair loss, rather than the patient’s age will determine the course of action. If the scalp has become visible to the naked eye, this means that the density of hair in that area is under 50 percent of normal density. In this case, the most effective method of treatment for the patient will be hair transplant. The most important factor where age will be decisive for hair transplant will be whether or not the hair loss is finished in that particular area. Although male pattern hair loss is a lifelong event, the rate of hair loss slows down considerably, and even grinds to a halt after age 39-40. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration that when hair transplant is carried out for patients who are under this age limit, hair loss may continue and the patient may require a 2nd or even 3rd session later on.
How long does a hair transplant take?
Hair transplantation takes about 3 to 5 hours. If the person does not want his business or social circles to know about the procedure, approximately 15 days will be required. If there is no such concern, the patient can go back to his daily life within 2 days.
How long until the patient is reunited with his hair?
After the operation, red crusting can be seen on the area of transplantation. The patient can avoid this crusting by washing his head once every day for 10 days, starting from the 3rd day following the transplant. The crusts fall off completely within 7-10 days, and the area of transplant is healed. Along with these crusts, the transplanted hair also falls out. So, within 15 days to 1 month, the patient goes back to how he looked before the transplant. For a period of 3 months, there will be no change in his appearance. The new hair starts to come out slowly after these 3 months. The most change occurs in the patient between the 5th and 6th months. In the following months, a 10 percent increase occurs every month, and 90 percent of the transplanted hair comes out by the end of the 9th month following the transplant. The remaining 10 percent keeps coming out until the end of the 1st year. The full results of the procedure will have been obtained in 1 year.
Does hair transplant have any disadvantages in terms of the patient’s health?
This procedure is conducted under local anesthesia and is extremely risk-free. No side effects that may affect the patient’s health during the postoperative period have been reported to this day.
The most important side effect to talk about here is the possibility that the results may not have an aesthetic appearance. For this reason, the honesty of the information given during the pre-interview phase and the training and experience of the transplant team are very important. Additionally, hair transplantation is an operation performed under local anesthesia, and must always be performed in special hair transplant rooms under sterile conditions. We carry out hair transplants in our hospital, in special hair transplant operating rooms, with medical staff consisting of a doctor and a nurse, under sterile conditions.
Can hair transplant be performed more than once?
Depending on the size of the area of application and if the patient keeps losing his hair, hair transplant can take more than one session.
How is the recovery process after the hair transplant?
The recovery process following the FUE METHOD is quite short. We discharge our patient after the transplant has been completed. We invite him back the next day for wound dressing and follow-up. The patient can wash his head after the 3rd day. The hairy scalp is washed once every day for 10 days. Within 10-14 days, the wounds and the crusting are completely healed.
Can women have hair transplants as well?
Women also can very rarely experience Androgenic Alopecia, which is seen frequently in men. However, in this case hair transplant is the only option for women. The procedure and the subsequent recovery process is the same. There will be no difference.
What are the points to consider when choosing the hair transplantation center?
Above all, hair transplantation is an operation that can only be performed by licensed clinics. You must always choose an authorized organization, and pay attention to confirm that the team works for this center or organization. The transplant is carried out in special operating rooms that are prepared for hair transplantation. In order to avoid the risk of infection, it is essential that the tools, forceps and punches used during the procedure are sterilized under suitable conditions. Lastly, the team must always include trained medical personnel and a doctor.