Experiencing hair loss can be devastating, especially for those who are still young at heart and have always enjoyed wearing their hair longer. While it’s definitely a big blow to a person’s confidence, treatments like hair transplants have become incredibly effective and can now offer natural-looking and permanent results.
However, there is a lot of misinformation online, and a lot of people still don’t know a lot about these procedures, apart from what they hear in the news about celebrities getting them. That’s why we’re here to go over all the details you need to know about the different options available, how they work, who is a good candidate, and much more.
What is a Hair Transplant?
The first version of this treatment was known as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), and it’s responsible for the old hair plugs look that many people still associate with this type of surgery. It involved removing an entire strip of skin from the back of the head and then breaking it down into separate grafts that the doctor would implant in the bald area of the scalp.
There were simply too few grafts, which led to a patchy or doll-like look. Luckily, medicine has come a long way since then, and people now have access to much more effective types of hair transplant. Here is how they work.
What methods are available for hair transplantation?
After the initial assessment, the doctor will draw a new hairline and decide how many grafts are needed. The patient’s hair is then shaved, and they get injected with a local anaesthetic to make everything pain-free. Then, the surgeon proceeds to remove hair follicles from the donor site one by one, preserving them in special preparation.
The next step is to make microscopic incisions in the recipient site with a steel or sapphire blade to make room to implant each individual hair follicle. The surgery lasts for 5 to 8 hours, but can provide a full head of hair with up to 5,000 or 6,000 grafts.
This is a variation of the previous method, where the extracted hair grafts are loaded into a Choi Pen that allows the surgeon to make a tiny puncture in the scalp and simultaneously implant the healthy hair through a hollow needle point. This allows for closer placement, which improves density and limits the amount of tissue damage, leading to quicker recovery.
When done by a skilled doctor, both methods provide natural-looking results that last a very long time.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Hair Transplant?
Anyone who is over 30 and has had male pattern baldness for the past 3–5 years is a potential candidate, as long as there is enough donor hair left at the back and sides of the head. These areas of the scalp are the most resistant to balding, but if the person has gone completely bald, there simply isn’t enough material left to work with.
These are general rules, and sometimes, younger men with thinning hair can benefit from a DHI procedure to restore their hairline. However, women can also experience balding, and there are some big differences.
Hair Transplant for Men vs. Hair Transplant for Women
For one, female hair loss starts at the top of the head and slowly progresses toward the sides of the head, whereas in men, it starts above the forehead and the crown, moving toward the back of the head.
Women also tend to wear their hair longer, so a no-shave variation is preferred, and often a 2,500–3,000 graft DHI is enough to restore proper density. Men, on the other hand, usually benefit the most from more extensive FUE procedures with 3,000–5,000 grafts.
Benefits of a Hair Transplant vs. Other Hair Loss Treatments
The main limitation of all other treatments is that they are only useful in the beginning stages of hair loss, less than five years, and no more than stage 3 Norwood (slightly receding hairline and thinning hair at the top).
Drugs like minoxidil and finasteride can halt further balding and even promote a tiny bit of new hair growth, but they come with some side effects ranging from irritation and dizziness to erectile dysfunction. The effects also wear off as soon as you stop using them.
Hair fibers contain keratin and bind to existing hair to give an illusion of increased density, but they are not a good long-term solution, and you will have to keep buying them.
Hair transplant surgeries, on the other hand, are a one-time investment, with a 98% success rate and proven long-term results.
A hair transplant can provide long-term help for hair loss and achieve excellent results.
What to Expect from the Procedure and Recovery
There are three stages in the hair transplant journey you should know about:
Consultation – You make initial contact through an online form, and send pictures of your head for evaluation, then follow up via email or WhatsApp to determine the best package for you.
Operation – The surgeon performs graft extraction and implantation with super sharp and precise tools while you are under local anaesthesia, which minimizes scarring and recovery time.
Healing phase – The initial swelling and pain go away in the first 4–5 days, and the scabs that form fall out within 14 days. Donor hair falling out within the first 3–4 months is normal, as it goes through its regular cycles and the roots become stronger. Lots of thick, strong new growth will start at 5–8 months after surgery, and final results will be visible within a year.
The clinic will provide detailed instructions on proper aftercare to optimize your results.
Why More People Choose Hair Transplants in Turkey
There are clinics all over the world, yet most people are choosing Turkey for their operations. Why is that? Well, there are a few big reasons:
- Lower hair transplant cost – The average procedure costs 2–3 times less than in the US and Europe.
- High-quality clinics – Reputable clinics are accredited by the Ministry of Health, and the whole medical tourism industry is subsidized by the Turkish government.
- Advanced techniques – You’ll find the most effective, cutting-edge techniques like Sapphire FUE and Robotic DHI in most big-name clinics, which means more reliable and good-looking results.
With all this in mind, it’s easy to see why this country has become the number one location for hair transplants.
About The Hair Alliance: Your Trusted Partner
The Hair Alliance acts as a neutral, experienced advisor for people who are looking for the best hair restoration surgery available today. The main criteria when vetting clinics are patient safety, transparency, and proper support, and the goal is to match patients with only the best of the best so they can have peace of mind. That way, you can be sure you are putting your trust in the right hands.
FAQ
A hair transplant is generally suitable for people who suffer from hair loss and have enough donor hair on the back or sides of their heads that can be used for the transplant. However, candidacy depends on several factors, including the degree of hair loss, hair texture, overall health, and medical history. An accurate assessment by an experienced clinic is necessary to determine if a hair transplant is the right option for you.
Hair loss can be caused by various factors, including genetic predisposition, hormonal changes, medical conditions, stress, unhealthy diet, certain medications, mechanical stress, aging, and environmental factors. An accurate diagnosis by a specialist is important to determine the cause and identify the appropriate treatment.
A hair transplant is performed under local anesthesia, which minimizes pain. During the procedure itself, there should be no pain. After the transplant, you might experience mild discomfort such as a feeling of tightness or slight swelling, but these are temporary. Pain medications can be used if necessary.
Potential risks of a hair transplant include infections, scarring (depending on the method), uneven growth, temporary hair loss, swelling, changes in sensitivity, unnatural appearance, dissatisfaction with the results, and loss of donor hair. Careful planning, qualified surgeons, and following post-operative instructions help to minimize these risks.
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