Hair Transplantation

Hair Transplantation

Hair transplantation is no longer considered a luxury and it is a widely known technique that is increasingly demanded. The first successful hair implant was accomplished back in the 1800s by the German physician Dieffenbach. Various methods of hair transplantation have been described and implemented ever since.

In the near past, “punch grafting” was used, but this technique was related to extremely bad aesthetic results. Surgical restoration of alopecia and repair with flaps and tissue disks has been furthermore tested but this procedure also provoked many unattractive scars.

Hair Transplantation can be performed on

• Men and women suffering from androgenic alopecia
• Scars
• Eyebrows
• Face
• Hairline

Hair Transplantation – What needs to be done pre-operatively?

Once the plastic surgeon has a complete medical record of the patient, he/she should inform him/her about the transplantation process and then take some pictures of the transplant area.

The following instructions should be followed:

1. Take a light meal the night before surgery and light breakfast without any coffee on the same morning.
2. On the morning of surgery, do not take any medication without the doctor’s approval.
3. Alcohol should be discontinued at least 1-week before surgery and 1-week after surgery.
4. Do not take aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs or herbal supplements 20 days before surgery, as they all increase the chance of bleeding during and after surgery.
5. People with white hair should dye them 1 day before the transplantation.
6. Stop all kinds of local hair-treatment 3 weeks before the procedure.

Hair Transplantation – Procedure

Type of anesthesia

Hair Transplantation is usually carried out under local anesthesia. After the procedure, the patient can return to his home.

Hair Transplantation – Operation technique

FUE Technique: The most contemporary hair implantation technique is the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). FUE is carried out by transferring individual hair follicles from the occipital area to the dilution site. FUE technique is a completely safe technique without any visible scars on the scalp, and with a very short recovery period. The scalp is the main donor area. Techniques that use the body as a donor area, usually lead to inferior results.

During the initial consultation, the doctor talks with the patient about which area will be cured and where the transplants will be harvested. Then the patient is placed in a prone position. After local anesthesia is applied in the area where the implants will be taken from (occipital), the hair follicles are harvested painlessly and inadvertently with the use of a special device. These grafts are paralleled in smaller ones – if necessary – and prepared under the microscope for repositioning.

Finally, the patient takes a break and prepares himself for the placement of the implants. In a supine position, the hair is implanted one by one, in the correct direction of the bristles and after carefully selecting the implants to have a perfectly natural final result.

Hair Transplantation – Post-operative instructions

• The patient may feel some slight pain during the first 2 days after surgery, which resolves with simple painkillers (Paracetamol).
• It is necessary to spray the area that has received the new hair follicles with normal saline every 2 hours during the first 10 days (we will provide you that spray).
• The patient should wash his/her hair 5 days after the transplantation.
• It is forbidden to swim for 2 weeks after surgery.
• It is recommended to avoid intense physical exercise for 2 weeks after the procedure.

Hair Transplantation – Results

Approximately 98% of the transplanted hair is retained after transplantation. The hair can be retained on the scalp from the beginning, but it may also fall and begin to grow 3 months later. All the new transplanted hair gets visible on the 8th to 10th month after the transplantation. After this period of time, the new hair is no longer sensitive or has a risk of falling.