The most common underlying cause behind hair loss is a sexual hormone called testosteron. One of its consequences is the production of dihydrogesterone, or DHT, which negatively affects hair roots and, eventually, makes them fall. Hair follicles on the back and sides of the head display a higher resistance against this hormone, which explains why hair on those areas doesn’t fall.

First Steps into Hair Transplantation

Patients willing to undergo hair transplantation take an average of two months from the booking and information stage to the operation. During this process, patients get in touch with a trusted medical provider who will examine their case thoroughly and determine the main causes behind their hair loss. If these are believed to be reversible through hair transplantation, a procedure can be planned and scheduled according to the doctor’s recommendations and the patient’s own preferences.

This is due to the fact that there’s several hair transplantation methods currently available, the main ones being:

• FUE hair transplantation
• DHI hair transplantation
• Sapphire hair transplantation

All such methods show relative advantages and disadvantages and are more or less adequate to certain patients depending on their specific condition.

Hairline Design

Prior to the operation, the doctor and patient will collaboratively design the new hairline including where follicles will be extracted from (back or sides of the hair), and where they will be implanted, including the density. The doctor will then proceed to draw and mark the patient’s scalp to clearly frame the margins of such areas. Then, the patient’s head will be fully shaved (if FUE is the chosen method), or not (if DHI is the chosen treatment method or technique).

Pre-Operation Stage

As a last step before surgery takes place, doctors measure the vital parameters of the patient and make sure everything is in order. With the use of finger clips, they measure the heart rate, pulsations and blood measures.

Operation

Patients undergo a hair transplant under local anesthesia, which makes it a painless procedure. The full operation follows the next 2 stages:

1. Donor Area Graft Collection

Surgeons will proceed to extract and collect hair grafts from the chosen donor area, usually the back and sides of the head. The grafts (which are follicular blocks made of 3 hair units), are safely collected one by one as a preparation for the third stage.

1. Intermediate pause

When the extraction phase is over, an intermediate pause takes place to analyse the grafts under the microscope to divide them into singular follicular units for a better implantation. This gives the patient also the chance to relax after a long session.

1. Hair implantation

The third and last stage of this 6-8 hour process takes place after another dose of local anesthesia, to ensure it is completely painless. With the use of thin surgical blades, surgeons open tiny canals on the patient’s scalp to implant the grafts. It is vital to give the right angle and depth to the implanted hair units to give a natural finish.

Recovery and Aftercare

In the first ten days after the operation patients must avoid touching their donor and reception areas as much as possible. Most of all, they should not scratch, as itchiness will most definitely be experienced. Scratching in this stage can greatly jeopardize final results. Patients should avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and wearing hats for at least 1 month after the operation. Sweating will also affect results, so they should avoid exposition to heat and sports for the first month after the operation. As hair transplantation surgery is minimally invasive, no great pain or discomfort will be felt at any stage during or after the operation.

Before and After Results

Final results will be visible approximately 9 months after the operation. They will be clearly noticeable from all angles, and entirely completed in around 12 months. Turkey hair transplant before and after photos can offer a good overview of what the final results will look like.