FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) Hair Transplant surgery is a type of aesthetic operation where hair follicles are extracted intact from one part of the body and transplanted at another. It is frequently performed as a contemporary and modern permanent solution for baldness. It is a simple procedure that can be performed by almost any plastic surgeon. Although it can be done by anyone, success rates and full satisfaction can usually only be guaranteed by Hair implant and experts, who do this work professionally and follow the developments in Transplant technology.
There are two basic different techniques that are generally used in hair implant operations. One of them is FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) technique, and the other is the FUE technique. FUT technique, which is accepted as a traditional technique, is not the preferred method nowadays. Instead, FUE technique, which has many advantages compared to FUT technique, is preferred by professional experts due to better results and less scarring in the long and short term.
As transplant is an important operation that is very difficult to reverse or revise, one should definitely research the hair implant operation in-depth and make the right decisions after being informed.
How is FUE Hair Transplant Done?
In FUE Transplant, the general procedure performed is the transfer of the hair follicles in the neck area to the area where there is baldness or unwanted loss, usually on the scalp. Hair follicles taken from the nape region must be properly separated according to their length and direction. It is very important that those taken from all this process are not damaged in any way.
First, the hair grafts needed for transplant are separated from the donor area, usually the nape area. The reason for the hair follicles to be taken from the neck area are not shed is because the hair in the neck area is insensitive to testosterone. Hair roots are preferred in the nape region because it is also insensitive to lose. If the hair in the nape area is also lost or inadequate due to a different complication, then hair follicles can be taken from different parts of the body, such as the chest. After this, the channels for the hair follicles are opened in the region where Transplant will be done. Separated hair follicles are placed one by one in these opened channels. The most important stage of hair transplant is in this part. A surgeon who is an expert in his field can achieve successful results that look natural so that the planting operation is not immediately obvious afterward. Of course, for this, the front line of the hair, the density around the forehead and the direction of the hair root must be made correctly.
Correctly determining how the front hairline should look and how the hair design should be done beforehand by consulting with a hair transplant specialist. You need to know how the indentations and protrusions of your hairline will be, how the hair density will be increased. When one chooses their hair implant specialist and center according to the references, one should follow this site and check the samples of transplant by getting detailed information about the design.
Before FUE Hair Transplant Procedure
As with almost any medical operation, there are some steps you may need to take before undergoing FUE transplant procedure to prepare yourself to achieve better results.
First of all, you should not smoke for at least two days before your procedure. Indeed, it is even better if you do not smoke at all, as smoke damages and causes discoloration of even healthy hair follicles. You also should avoid drinking alcohol for at least 3 days before your surgery.
Drugs with blood thinning qualities should not be taken for about at least two weeks before surgery. In addition any vitamins or dietary supplements can also cause unwanted and unforeseen side effects with any drugs used during the operation, so they should be avoided for a similar amount of time. Antidepressant use should also be avoided for two weeks, after checking with the doctor who gave them and the surgeon who will do the transplant procedure.
If the surgeon recommends any medications before the operation, such as minoxidil, you must use them as recommended, without skipping any.
To make sure that proper precautions are taken during the procedure itself, an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests should be done before surgery.
There is no need to get a haircut before the surgery, and indeed it should be avoided for the specialist doctor to be able to select the best hair follicles to use.
For the few weeks leading up to the procedure, you should have a scalp massage 10 to 30 minutes every day to increase blood flow to your scalp and feed follicles.
After FUE Hair Transplant Procedure
After the FUE Transplant operation, the hair from the hair follicles transplanted is shed within an average month. Due to the nature of follicles lifecycle, this is a normal, expected, and required process in Transplant. After this loss process, new hair will grow within 5 months in the transplanted hair roots with permanent results. Depending on the technique used, hair follicles transplanted are expected to grow hair with a 90% efficiency. The first washing process is carried out at the hair implant center, after which patients are given detailed information on how to wash their hair. In most cases you will not have any scars from a FUE transplant other than some white dots where follicles were taken out, which may fade over time naturally.
In some cases though, some rare side effects may occur. You should immediately contact your doctor, if you notice any side effects such as bleeding, infection symptoms, drainage or crust forming where the surgery was done. In addition, any extreme pain or swelling around the surgery site should also be reported to the doctor. If there is numbness or tingling near the surgery site, or if there are transplanted hairs that do not look like the hair around themselves, again the doctor should be contacted.
You must remember though, balding or thinning may continue among the hair that was originally present near the transplanted area. But if you notice any such symptoms in the transplanted follicles, contact your doctor.
Your surgeon will give you some aftercare instructions. It is advised that you follow these instructions to the letter, so that the results of your operation can be as you want them to be.
Your doctor can ask you to not to wash your hair or shower for at least 3 days, after the first washing in the operation center. After you start to wash your hair regularly, you should use soft, gentle and unscented shampoos for a few weeks. You also should not comb or brush your new hair for at least 3 weeks, nor should you wear any hats, beanies, or other clothing that goes over your head until your doctor says it’s fine to do so.
If you can, you should take a couple of days off work to help speed up healing. You also should avoid any strenuous physical activity for at least a week,that may cause you to sweat.