Although hair transplant surgery is more popular than ever, a lot of information we read about hair transplantation, both on the websites and in the print media, actually causes skipping basic information. Therefore, it is important to understand the basic steps of a successful hair transplant surgery correctly.
– Accurate diagnosis and planning
– Harvesting hair follicles without damage
– Keeping the harvested follicles under proper conditions
– Attention to angle, direction, and density in hair follicle placement
– Post-operative care
To explain these steps one by one;
First Critical Point: Accurate diagnosis and planning
Planning hair transplantation
To plan a hair restoration requires first diagnosing the cause of hair loss. The diagnosis will shed light on the planning of hair transplantation. For instance, if hair loss still continues, a possible hair loss area should be taken into consideration while planning the transplantation area. It is necessary to include possible future hair loss areas in the operation.
One’s own facial structure is not just present appearance. In other words, when planning hair transplantation, a forehead line should not be drawn taking into account only the appearance in its 20s and it should be created considering advancing ages.
In addition, the hair transplantation line should not be in the form of a straight line. This significantly affects the natural appearance.
Second Point: Harvesting hair follicles in a healthy way
When transplanting healthy hair follicles one by one, using either the classic FUE or DHI technique, great care must be taken to maintain their integrity. In order not to damage the grafts during harvesting of hair follicles, it is very crucial to make the intake by paying attention to their exit angles and directions. Otherwise, the follicles and the tissues that will feed it around may be damaged. If a follicle is damaged during a take, it means that there is not much to do for the following process. In other words, the hair that cannot be held in the place where they are planted will stay in the place for the first 3-5 days, and then it will fall out.
Third Significant Point: Keeping the harvested follicles under proper conditions
Keeping the taken follicles at +4 degrees is important for their life cycles. Another important point is to keep the taken follicles in a nutritious solution. Even if we consider and apply all of these procedures, the duration they stay in the solution after follicles are taken is the most important of all. In the classical FUE method, hair follicles should be kept in solutions for a certain period of time. Because after all the hair is collected, the transplant begins. In the DHI technique, the collected hair is transplanted immediately. In the DHI hair transplantation technique, hair follicles are transplanted to the new area 1-2 minutes after removal from the donor area. By the way, they need a condition like neither +4 degrees nor a nutritious solution. The root loss rate is almost zero since the hair follicles are removed and transplanted. At this point, we think that the second critical point should be addressed once again that the hair follicles are not damaged during removal.
Fourth Point: Placement of Grafts
As above mentioned in the second critical point, it is a critical determinant factor of hair transplantation results that keeping hair follicles under proper conditions. First of all, the following statement should be mentioned: “The hair growth model of the individual is as unique as a fingerprint and only if planning can be made with a highly skilled and experienced surgeon, it will result from hair transplantation suitable for this model”.
When planting hair follicles, things to pay attention can be classified in the four sub-titles:
The angle between the hair follicles and the scalp,
The direction of the hair follicles,
Planning the planting at the highest possible density level, and
It is the planting of the hair follicles in the right order.
We can take a deep look at these items. The angle between hair follicles and the scalp comes first. In general, the accepted common angle is 40 degrees but this is not a must for everyone. It can be observed that this angle may have increased a few degrees more in a person who has combed his/her hair backward throughout his life, or may have decreased in a person who has combed it in the opposite direction. For this reason, the doctor performing the transplantation surgery should definitely analyze the other hair follicles properly.
The second issue is the direction of hair follicles. Here, the direction of the hair will be perpendicular to the face in the front-top part, and as you go to the sides, the angles of both sides are inclined towards that direction. Also, the top part of the direction where the subject of the direction is hardest determined can also find a satisfactory solution with the experience of the doctor and the team performing the operation. Thirdly, for the density, the number of good grafts must be taken first. The area where most of the hair is harvested is behind the head, between the two ears. These grafts are less affected by the male hormone, the hormone that triggers hair loss. For this reason, they are very important. In recent years, the part of the beard region, which Serkan AYGIN has prioritized and which is also resistant to shedding, is another critical point for dense hair transplantation. As more hair follicles are harvested properly, planted in accordance with the rules of hair transplantation will positively affect the appearance to be obtained.
Fifth Point: Care
If the hair transplant person has both alcohol and smoking habits, the doctor’s advice is stopping these habits that day because alcohol and cigarettes interfere with the blood, it prevents the red blood cells, which are the basic blood cells, from performing basic oxygen transport duties. It affects the nutrition of the hair follicles negatively. Protein-based nutrition and vitamins taken for hair care are other necessary elements that will help you in the hair care process. Apart from mentioned points, washing hair, keeping it clean, staying away from stress are life-long issues that affect your hair’s health.