Hair transplantation stages are the process that starts with the decision of the person to have hair transplantation, continues with the preparation and planning process in which blood test and hair analysis are performed, and ends with graft collection, channel opening and placement of hair follicles. Although it varies according to the technique applied, the process is completed within an average of 5-6 hours.
Hair transplantation, which is based on the principle of transferring the hair follicles collected from the donor area to bald or sparse areas with micro surgical methods, is performed in 5 basic stages. Hair transplantation stages are as follows;
- Preparation
- Planning
- Graft Collection
- Channel opening
- Transplantation of Hair Roots
5 Basic Hair Transplant Stages
Hair transplantation stages begin with the blood test, hair analysis and haircut on the day of the operation. With the planning stage, after calculating how many grafts will be transplanted to which area and determining the frontal hairline separation, the operation is started. During the hair transplantation stages performed under local anesthesia, grafts are first collected from the donor area. Then, the channels are opened for transplantation and the process of hair transplantation stages is completed by placing the hair follicles in the opened channels.
Hair Transplant Stages: Preparation
The first step of the hair transplant phase process is the preparation phase. All details such as the reason for the hair loss, whether the person is suitable for hair transplantation or not are determined in the preparation phase. The preparation phase basically starts with hair analysis and blood test.
Hair Analysis
Hair analysis is a free procedure performed by many hair transplant centers to reveal the cause, type and level of hair loss. Hair analysis can be performed easily with physical examination, such that physical examination is sufficient even in the detection of androgenetic alopecia, which is one of the most common types of hair transplantation, without the need for a diagnostic test. In cases where physical examination is not sufficient while performing hair analysis, other diagnostic tests can be applied for detailed analysis. For example; With the help of devices called trichoscopes, scalp and hair strands are extracted up to 100 times with the zoom feature to determine the causes and levels of hair loss and can be an analysis method used. All the necessary analyzes are very important to determine whether the person experiencing hair loss is suitable for hair transplantation.
Blood test
Another point that determines whether the person is a suitable candidate for hair transplantation is to find out whether there is any discomfort that will prevent the transplantation. For this, some blood tests are needed before starting the hair transplant operation. In blood tests, the presence of viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hemophilia is questioned, and conditions such as cholesterol, blood count, sugar level are also analyzed. As a result of the blood tests, if there is no obstacle for hair transplantation, the process progresses. In addition, if the patient has had a heart or similar health problem before, he / she should get the approval of his doctor before having a hair transplant.
The hair transplant preparation point actually includes the pre-operation period. Some points to be considered help both the operation to go better and the healing process to be easier afterwards. The rules to be considered about 1 week before the operation can be listed as follows.
- Vitamins can be used to support the immune system.
- Cigarettes, cigars and tobacco-like nicotine-containing products should not be used before the operation as they will prevent the healing process.
- Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed during this period.
- Caffeinated beverages, including green tea, should not be consumed too much during this period.
- Aspirin and aspirin-like drugs should be discontinued as they will affect blood flow. .
- Message should not be done for certain periods to relax the scalp.
- Heavy meals should be avoided 24 hours before.
Hair Transplant Stages: Planning
The most important step of the hair transplantation stages is the planning stage. The hair type, hair thickness and the density of the area from which the hair will be taken are evaluated at this stage, as revealed by physical examination [3]. After examining the hair follicles and their amount, in the planning stage, where the number of grafts is required, where more grafts will be obtained and where to transplant in the balding area are calculated at this stage of the hair transplantation stages. As a result of all analyzes and calculations, the most efficient area for hair transplantation is determined as the donor area, and the necessary steps are taken for the operation. The first of these steps is to shave the hair and the second is to determine the front hairline.
Shaving the Hair
After the necessary planning process is determined, the scalp is ready for shaving. During the shaving process, the hair is shortened to approximately 0.3 mm. The shortening process is performed both for the doctor to make the operation more comfortable and to see the hair follicles taken from the donor area more easily. After all this process has been passed in a healthy way, the hair transplantation stages pass to the second step.
Determination of the Front Hairline
The most important point determining the naturalness in hair transplantation operation is to determine the front hairline. Considering the person’s face shape, forehead width and hair sufficiency in the donor area, the planned forehead line is carried out in a coordinated fashion with the patient. In order to distribute the grafts that are planned to be removed evenly, the doctor draws both where the frontal hairline will start and how many grafts will be transplanted to the shaved skin with the help of a felt-tip pen. When determining the front hairline, the angle and direction of the hair in the forehead area should also be considered.
Hair Transplantation Stages: Local Anesthesia
One of the most curious issues about the hungry transplantation stages is whether the local anesthesia applied stops the pain. Local anesthesia, which is applied to the area where both the hair follicles will be collected and the collected hair will be transplanted, is applied after disinfecting the whole head area. Local anesthesia, which is applied to perform hair transplantation operations painlessly, allows the patient to have a comfortable operation by numbing only the nerve endings in the transplantation area. The patient, who does not feel any pain during the operation thanks to local anesthesia, only feels a small burning pain when the local anesthesia is injected into the scalp. Within minutes, the pain loses its effect. Although local anesthesia varies depending on the person’s body, it takes effect within about 20 minutes. The conscious person can watch TV-movies, read newspapers-magazines during the operation, only because the transplantation area is numbed. If deemed necessary during the operation, local anesthesia can be re-applied several times.
If the person has needle phobia or fear of operation, it is necessary to add sedation to the hair transplant stages. Sedation is given by inhalation as well as intravenously. Thus, the person does not feel the needles applied during local anesthesia thanks to sedation.
Another point to be known about local anesthesia is that the safe dose criterion for local anesthesia is not exceeded or the substance is not used incorrectly, because; Otherwise, it can be life-threatening.
Hair Transplantation Stages: Collection of Grafts
After overcoming the local anesthesia process within the hair transplant stages, the process of collecting the grafts, which is the basic stage of hair transplantation, is started. But first, specially prepared saline liquid is injected into the scalp to remove the grafts from the skin more easily. Thanks to this liquid that separates the scalp from the skull, the scalp swells and the grafts are easily removed from the skin. Hair follicles extracted using the FUE method are first loosened with punches placed in the micro-motor device, and then collected with the help of a device called micropen-set. After the extraction process is completed, the hair follicle cleaned from the tissues is kept until the channel opening process.
Another important point in the process of hair transplantation is the holding of these collected grafts. Since the collected grafts are taken out of the body, their survival is greatly affected. For this reason, the grafts are placed in a specially prepared glass container called a serum-filled petri dish and kept in a cold environment. While placing, hair follicles are separated into single, double and multiple according to the number. After the process is completed, the donor area where the grafts are removed is dressed and bandaged. In this way, the hair transplantation stages end the graft extraction process and the channel opening process begins.
Hair Transplantation Stages: Opening Channels
The next step of the hair transplant process is the channel opening process for the placement of the collected grafts. Channel opening process has a special place among the factors that affect success in the process of hair transplantation stages. While the holes opened in the channel opening process should be at the same angle, the same depth and the same direction as the hair follicles collected, at the same time, the opened channels should be equal to the number of grafts removed.
While the canals are opened, the hair transplant doctor can use different techniques such as sagittal, lateral and percutaneous, as well as using specially designed tools according to the size of the hair follicle to be placed in the bald area. Although it varies according to the required number, another important point in the channel opening process, which takes an average of 2-4 hours, is that the front hair detail line is determined in the correct proportion. Because; The way to obtain a natural look in hair transplantation is through the front hairline. For this reason, when the canal is opened for the front hairline, following a recessed and protruding path provides a more natural result.
Hair Transplantation Stages: Transplantation of Hair Roots
The last stage of hair transplantation is to place the hair follicles in the opened channels. Hair follicles are transferred to the channels opened at this stage. In the process of transplanting hair follicles, single grafts are usually placed in the front to provide a natural appearance, while double and multiple grafts are placed in the posterior regions of the hair. In order to avoid any root loss, the planting area is left open. After this process, no operation should be performed on the operation area for 3 days.
Post Hair Transplantation Stages
Hair transplantation stages are thus completed; However, certain points to be considered continue. First of all, the operation area must be protected from various impacts in the first three days after the operation. While it is necessary to take care to lie on your back during this period, it is also necessary to avoid movements that cause sweating such as sports and sexual intercourse. While it is not recommended to use alcohol because antibiotics are used, activities such as sea and pool should be avoided. Since the anesthetic effect will continue on the first day, you should not drive for the first 24 hours. After 3 days, the hair is ready to be washed. It is recommended that the first wash after hair transplantation be done in a hospital environment. However, if the first washing will be done at home, the hair should be cleaned with gentle movements, avoiding hot water. In addition, products such as jole and hair spray should be avoided for a certain period of time for the hair to settle. It is also necessary to avoid stressful events.