Hair loss that especially affects men is caused by genetic factors, medications, various disorders, wrong eating habits and age-related factors. The solution that first comes to the mind is hair transplant. There are various hair transplant techniques. Today, one of the most commonly preferred methods is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
Following the initial exam by a specialist physician and his/her team, whether the patient is suitable for hair transplantation with FUE technique is decided. Unlike Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) procedure where a long incision is made and a strip of hair is harvested, this technique involves transplanting the hair follicles harvested from posterior neck region (from one ear o another) into the bald area.
In FUE hair transplant, first, the hair in the area of hair follicles to be transplanted is cut very short before the procedure. Hair follicles harvested from this region are medically examined and separated into categories. Then, they are made ready for transplant with a special procedure. Hair transplant is performed under local anesthesia. The patients are conscious during the procedure. The duration of hair transplant procedure may vary depending on the size of the transplant area. When the procedure is completed, the transplanted area is left open and the area where follicles are harvested is covered.
The period after hair transplant is very critical. The transplanted region should not be washed for 3 days. Patients should avoid using anything except for the medications prescribed by the physician. The bandage is removed a few days after the procedure and the area is not covered again. Crusts on the scalp start falling off a week after the procedure. Itching may occur in this period. The patients should not swim in the sea or pool, should avoid showering with hot water and they should protect themselves from exposure to sun for two weeks. The transplanted hair start shedding after a month. This is a natural process and the lost hairs will be replaced by stronger ones. Vitamin supplements can be used to strengthen the hair. Hair grows and gets thicker approximately 7 months after the procedure; however, final outcome is obtained within 1 to 1.5 years.
Recent developments in medicine and technology have brought alternative options for hair transplant. One of these options is DHI (Direct Hair Transplantation) technique. This technique can be defined as a type of TUE method. It is applied as follows. First, the hair or determined hairs are harvested with needles measuring 0.5 to 0.7 mm in diameter. Then, hair pen/choi needle is placed. The hairs are directly transplanted under the skin with zero-touch. In this method, the hairs are placed after they are assigned directions with the pen. Since the procedure is associated with almost no bleeding, recovery period is short. The region can be washed a day after the procedure. This method is more commonly preferred for the areas where high number of hairs will be transplanted and for beard and eyebrow transplants. This method is also preferred since it does not cause any ache or pain, it does not harm the current hair, has a short recovery period, does not require suturing the scalp, does not leave any noticeable scar and it provides a natural look. This method is suitable for all patients.
1. The transplanted area should not be washed for the first three days and nothing except for the lotions prescribed by the physician should be applied on the area. The hair should be washed at the hospital where the procedure is performed after three days and the patients should take shower every day to strengthen the hair follicles.
2. Nothing should be rubbed to the transplanted area and the area should not hit to anywhere for the first week.
3. The bandage placed to the area where grafts are harvested should be removed a few days after the procedure and it should be left open after the wound dressing.
4. Crusts on the scalp start falling off a week after the procedure. Itching in this region is normal. Itching will completely disappear after a while.
5. The patients should not swim in the sea or pool, they should not take hot showers and use hair products like blow dryer for 15 days after the procedure.
6. If the procedure is performed in summer, the patients must protect the transplanted area from exposure to sun by wearing a loose fitting hat for a month.
7. The patients should use the solutions prescribed by the physician for shower after crusts fall off and they should wash the area with normal shampoo after the crusts fall off.
8. Using a soft towel and massaging the hair roots until the hair completely grows and reaches the desired form ensure getting results in a shorter time.
9. Various vitamins and minerals can be applied with hair mesotherapy method following FUE Hair Transplant, which can ensure that the transplanted follicles are strengthened and grow in a healthier way. There is no barrier against having healthy and thick hair for a lifetime if hair mesotherapy is repeated once in several years.
Generally, hair transplanted with FUE Hair Transplant shed after a month. This is a natural result of the procedure. The fact that hair starts to fall off does not mean that the procedure is unsuccessful. On the contrary, stronger and thicker hair starts to grow in the transplanted region after the hair sheds.
Your hair will have been grown and thicker approximately 6 to 8 months after the procedure. However, you should wait for about 1 to 1.5 year to see the exact results of the procedure. Although this is not a short time, you should wait patiently to get the exact results.