Hair Transplant

What is a hair transplant ?

Hair transplantation is a process of transplanting hair follicles from the donor area to areas of the scalp that are affected by baldness or thinning hair. The procedure is performed by a specialist team under sterile conditions and can take between 6 to 10 hours, depending on the size of the area to be transplanted. It is essential that the correct technique is applied, and the patient and doctor follow the procedure carefully for successful results.Furthermore, hair transplantation can be defined as a surgical procedure that can boost a person's self-confidence and improve their psychological well-being in social situations. With the right operation technique and planning, it can also fulfill the wishes and dreams of the patient. Although there are different types of hair transplantation, the procedure is painless thanks to the use of local anesthesia.

How is a hair transplant performed?

A hair transplant operation should be performed in a hospital environment under sterile conditions by a fully qualified team. There are many techniques for hair transplantation, and the appropriate technique varies from person to person based on their age, gender, hair type, rate and pattern of hair loss, donor area quality, and level of baldness. The most common techniques includ
FUE,
SAPPHIRE FUE,
DHI FUE,
Painless hair transplantation,
Hair transplantation with sedation.

The process of a hair transplant operation typically involves

• Consultation: Meeting between the doctor and patient to discuss the details of the procedure.
• Shaving: The head may need to be shaved depending on the chosen operation technique.
• Anesthesia application: Local anesthesia is applied to make the procedure painless.
• Follicle removal: Follicles are extracted from the donor area with the help of a micro-motor.
• Collection of follicles: The extracted follicles are collected and kept in a resting solution
• Opening channels: Channels are created in the recipient area for implanting the follicles. In DHI technique, the implantation process is done directly without opening channels.
• Implanting of roots: The extracted hair follicles are implanted into the recipient area.
• Preparation for exit: The patient is prepared for discharge from the hospital.
• First wash: The patient's head is washed for the first time one day after the operation.

Things that must be taken care of in hair transplant:

Hair transplantation is a process that requires attention from start to finish. Therefore, the entire operation should be carefully followed. Before and after the operation, the following should be considered:

• Checking the person's medical history and conducting necessary examinations
• Following pre-operative instructions carefully
• Achieving a natural-looking appearance and maintaining the golden ratio
• Determining the hairline according to the person's age and gender
• Determining the area to be transplanted or densified according to the person's needs
• Opening channels and implanting hair in accordance with the person's hair growth direction
• Following post-operative instructions carefully
• Careful and thorough follow-up after the operation It is important to note that hair transplantation is a mutual responsibility. Both the doctor and the person undergoing the operation should take care and show mutual attention to achieve the desired result.

INITIAL STAGE OF HAIR TRANSPLANT:

Consultation:
Patients from all over the world contact Long Hair Center for hair transplantation. They are asked to send pictures of their donor area (where the grafts are taken from) and the recipient area (where the grafts are placed). Our experts analyze these pictures and prepare a treatment report for the patient, which includes the number of grafts needed, the number of sessions required, and the determination of the recipient area.

Determining the Hairline:

On the day of the pre-arranged hair transplant operation, the patient arrives at our centre and is re-examined by our doctor. Before the operation begins, the patient is given detailed information about the procedure and what to expect, both verbally and in writing. Additionally, the patient's medical history is documented in their personal file.
Following this, the patient is taken to the operating room where a blood test is performed first to check for any infectious diseases. Once cleared, the next step is to determine the hairline. The specialist doctor takes into account the patient's age, facial muscles, and the golden ratio when drawing the hairline. The patient's preferences and approval are also taken into consideration during this process. For a more precise and naturallooking hairline, millimetre meters and laser devices may be used.

Local Anaesthesia

After the hairline has been determined and marked indelibly, the donor area of the patient is locally anesthetized for hair removal. Local anesthesia is a preferred method by specialists over sedation method. Both the donor area and the transplant area are anesthetized with local anesthesia to ensure the patient's comfort during the procedure.
Local anesthesia is administered through fine needles to the patient's skin. To reduce the pain of anesthesia, a painless anesthesia device can also be activated. This device injects the anesthetic under the skin by spraying it with pressure onto the area to be anesthetized before the local anesthesia is applied. This reduces 80% of the pain that can be felt during local anesthesia.

Extraction of Follicles (FUE METHOD)

If the FUE method is used in the patient's operation, follicle extraction is performed with the help of a micromotor punch and devices called punches, which vary according to root thickness and length. After the hair follicles in the donor area of the person are examined by the doctor, a follicle extraction process based on the principle of carving around the hair follicles is performed using a punch according to the thickness and depth of the hair follicles. The motor speed is adjusted according to the tissue stiffness in the donor area. Hair follicles are extracted meticulously and homogeneously and then kept in a special solution.

Opening of Channels (Sapphire Method)

After the hair follicles are removed, local anesthesia is applied to the area where the hair will be transplanted for channel opening. Then, the channels are opened with a sapphire tip. The direction in which the hair will grow and the hair density are determined by the channels opened. During the opening of the channels, the patient should remain as still as possible.
There are two factors that should be considered in the trenching process: size and depth. Therefore, the channels opened should be of a suitable size for the hair follicles taken; otherwise, a channel smaller than the root will damage the root during planting, or channels opened larger than the root will cause tissue destruction and scarring. In addition, the depth at which the hair follicle is placed during this process is another important factor. In this context, the canal's depth should not be too shallow to provide adequate nourishment for the planted root. At the same time, sufficient depth should be provided without damaging the feeding vessels. Canal opening is the most critical part of the operation, so it should be performed by a specialist doctor.
If the operation is performed with the DHI method, there is no need for channel opening.

Implantation of Follicles

After the channels have been opened, it is time to implant the follicles. The local anesthesia applied for the opening of the channels ensures that the patient does not feel anything during this period, so there is no need for additional local anesthesia or anesthesia procedures for this step. While the channels are being opened, the roots, which have been nourished and strengthened in a special solution, are placed one by one and with patience, into the previously opened channels using forceps resembling tweezers.
If the operation is performed with the DHI method, the roots placed in the Choi Pen are directly implanted into the transplant area.

Exit of the Operation

Exit procedures and preparations are made towards the end of the operation. After the transplanted roots are checked for the last time, PRP plasma treatment is performed, and the final washing process is done until there is no bleeding or leakage. Before exiting, the person's sugar and blood pressure vitals are checked, and if everything is normal, they are brought to a sitting position. The donor area is bandaged and wrapped with a special antibiotic cream to prevent any external infection. This bandage stays on for one day and is removed by the doctor during the next day's washing and checking. After the checkout process is completed, instructions for medication and hospitalization positions are explained, a guarantee certificate is given, and directions to the hotel are provided.