FUE Hair Transplant Turkey

What is FUE Hair Transplant

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a modern hair transplantation technique that involves the extraction of individual hair follicles directly from the donor area (back or temple region of the head)

This is done by using micro-punch tools. The follicles are then implanted in the balding or thinning regions of the patient’s scalp to promote new hair growth

Different Types of Hair Loss

It is crucial to understand different types of hair loss to determine the most effective treatment option for your condition. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Androgenic Alopecia

• Male-Pattern Baldness: Receding hairline and thinning of the crown.
• Female-Pattern Hair Loss: General thinning of hair across the scalp.

Alopecia Areata

• An autoimmune disorder that results in sudden, patchy hair loss

Telogen Effluvium

• Refers to diffuse thinning of hair where a large number of hair follicles enter the telogen (resting) phase of the growth cycle

Traction Alopecia

• Caused by persistent pulling or tension on the hair, mostly because of tight hairstyles or extensions

Cicatricial Alopecia

• A rare form of hair loss which occurs as a result of inflammation that destroys hair follicles
• Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A type of Cicatricial Alopecia where progressive hair loss occurs along the frontal hairline and the scalp’s temporal regions.

See Also: Afro Hair Transplant Turkey

7 Factors that Contribute to Hair Fall

Hair loss might occur due to genetics, hormones, or autoimmune disorders. Irrespective of the reason, understanding the root cause helps you identify if FUE hair transplant is the best choice or you need any other approach.

Here are some of the major reasons behind hair fall:

• Genetics

When someone is genetically disposed to hair fall, their hair follicles become increasingly sensitive to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). As a result, miniaturization occurs which leads to shortened growth cycles.

• Hormonal Imbalances

Hormonal change is another major reason for hair loss, especially in conditions that involve increased androgens (male hormones), like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

• Postpartum Hair Fall

Hair loss also occurs during postpartum. While a woman is pregnant, the higher estrogen levels keep hair in their anagen (growth) phase, which results in thicker hair. However, after childbirth, it drops, which causes many hairs to enter the telogen phase and cause increased shedding of hair.

• Autoimmune Disorders

Multiple autoimmune conditions like Lupus Erythematosus, Lichen Planopilaris, and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis also lead to uncontrollable thinning of hair. In such conditions, the body’s immune system starts attacking the cells within hair follicles as if they were foreign invaders. This disrupts the normal cycle of hair growth.

• Nutritional Deficiencies

If your nutrient intake is not adequate, especially iron, vitamin D, zinc, and protein, you will more likely face increased shedding of hair. For instance, in people with iron deficiency anemia, the impaired hemoglobin production reduces oxygen supply to hair follicles, compromising their growth.

• Medical Treatments and Medications

Patients who go through chemotherapy or take certain medications like beta-blockers and anticoagulants are more likely to face hair fall.
It is because chemotherapy drugs can target rapidly dividing hair follicles and stop their growth. Similarly, the other medicines contribute to hair loss by disrupting normal hair follicle activity.

• Infections and Aging

Scalp infections, like Tinea Capitis (ringworm) and Folliculitis (infection of hair follicles) can also cause temporary and localized hair fall.
Similarly, it is also a part of the natural aging process. As a person’s age increases, their hair growth slows, follicles shrink, and the hair cycle becomes shorter. Consequently, their hair starts getting thinner and less pigmented over time.

Ideal Candidates For FUE Hair Transplant

Determining if you are an ideal candidate for an FUE transplant Turkey requires considering a range of characteristics like:

• Stabilized hair loss through medical therapies like minoxidil and finasteride
• Not having any disease such as active scarring alopecia, HIV, hepatitis, heart conditions, diabetes, lupus, eczema, etc
• Older individuals (25+), as those in their 20s are at higher risk of unpredictable hair loss
• Minimum donor density of 40 grafts per cm2 (having sufficient number of healthy hair follicles in the donor area for successful transplantation)
• Males at Norwood stages 2 to 7 and females at Ludwig stages 1 to 3
• Strong, stable donor area
• Good health and safe to undergo local anesthesia
• Wavy or thick hair
• Hair that has a low contrast in color to the scalp

How the FUE Hair Transplant Process Works

Usually, a single session of FUE hair transplant is enough for satisfactory results. However, if you need an extensive hair transplantation (over 5000 grafts), you might be required to attend multiple sessions. The exact number of sessions precisely depends on your extent of baldness, donor area availability, and the desired density.

In general, the procedure goes as follows:

Preoperative Planning

The FUE process starts with a consultation between you and your surgeon to determine your desired FUE hairline and coverage area.

During this phase, your surgeon will examine your donor and recipient areas to create a plan emphasizing on natural-looking density. They might use a laser device to make accurate measurements. After you are satisfied with the plan, they will schedule the surgery.

Make sure you choose from expert FUE hair transplant doctors, as the incisions during the surgery must be made at an appropriate angle, depth, and density to ensure natural hair growth.

Preparing For the Surgical Procedure

You must prepare properly for the Micro transplantation, as it helps enhance the success and recovery of the process. Let’s have a look at some guidelines you must follow:

• Stop smoking at least a week before surgery
• Do not consume alcohol for at least three days prior the process
• Avoid taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medications like warfarin for at least two weeks before
• Discontinue vitamins and dietary supplements, especially those having vitamin E, fish oil, or garlic
• Do not cut your hair
• Perform scalp massage for 10 to 30 minutes daily few weeks before the procedure
• Schedule an ECG and blood tests to ensure you suitability for the surgery
• Minimize your caffeine intake
• Maintain a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients
• Do not apply any styling products like gel or spray 24 hours before
• Stay hydrated

Surgical Procedure

The following steps are involved during the surgery for hair transplant FUE in Turkey:

• Preparation of the donor area: The surgeon applies local anesthesia before extracting the hair grafts from the donor area, typically from the back of head, which occupies 25% area of the scalp.
• Shaving: In some cases, the surgeon shaves some hair (1 to 2 mm) from both donor and recipient area for better access and visibility during the surgery.
• Harvesting of grafts: This phase involves extracting individual hair follicles from the donor area with a micro punch tool by creating small circular incisions of 2 to 3 mm depth.
• Preservation: After collection of hair follicles, the surgeon preserves them in a sterile, nutrient-rich solution to maintain their survival rates when outside the body. Oftentimes, the Ice Frozen FUE method is used for this purpose.
• Preparation of the recipient area: Afterwards, the cosmetic surgeon numbs the recipient area by applying local anesthesia. They then create tiny microchannels in the scalp with a fine needle or sharp blade. The size of incisions are:

1. Single hair graft: 0.6 to 1.2 mm
2. Two hair grafts: 0.9 to 1 mm

• Implantation of hair follicles: In this phase, the harvested hair follicles are carefully placed in the incisions made in the recipient area. A dermatologist handles each hair follicle gently to minimize the risk of follicular trauma.
• Cleaning: Lastly, donor and recipient areas are cleaned and the scalp is bandaged to protect against infection and prevent leakage of tumescence (expansion fluid).

See Also: Sapphire FUE Hair Transplant

Post-Op Care

Your hair restoration specialist will provide certain postoperative care instructions that you must follow for a smooth recovery of minimally invasive hair transplant.

These include:

• Avoiding direct sunlight, excessive sweating, and strenuous physical activities
• Applying prescribed topical medications or taking oral anti-inflammatory drugs for swelling
• Following gentle washing instructions to keep the scalp clean
• Sleeping flat for the first 2 weeks

Note: The newly transplanted hairs may fall out within the first 2 to 4 weeks of the procedure, which is a normal part of the shedding phase. It is known as shock loss.

Side Effects of FUE Hair Transplant

Although the stripless hair transplant in Turkey is considered minimally invasive, it can still come with certain side effects that you should be aware of. These include:

• Itching (pruritus) caused by scabs
• Scalp pain (cephalgia)
• Tiny white scars (hypopigmented cicatrices)
• Bleeding
• Infections
• Pus or crust
• Loss of sensation at the site of surgery
• Swelling (edema)
• Pimples at the donor and recipient areas (follicular pustules)
• Dryness of the skin (xerosis)

Cost of FUE in Turkey

When going for FUE hair transplantation in Turkey, your first concern would likely be its cost. Fortunately, Turkey is one of those few countries that offer highly reasonable rates for the procedure without any compromise on the quality of care. Its prices are much lower than in other regions like the UK, USA, France, Germany, Spain, etc.

Let’s have a look at the FUE hair transplant cost in Turkey and other countries:

This is just an estimate as the full cost depends upon multiple factors, including:

• Number of grafts
• Location of the clinic
• Surgeon’s expertise
• Used technique
• Clinic facilities
• Number of sessions
• Quality of the donor area

5 Common Techniques Used For FUE Hair Transplant

Besides the manual FUE hair transplant, as discussed above, there are various other techniques used for the procedures offered at Aslı Tarcan, the best FUE hair transplant clinic in Turkey, such as:

1. Motorized FUE
   During motorized FUE hair transplant, the punch tool is motor-driven, which reduces the time required for graft harvesting. It can be used to transplant 3000-5000 grafts in a single session. The graft survival rate is almost 85% to 95%, a bit higher than that of manual FUE, i.e. 90%.
2. Robotic FUE (ARTAS System)
   The ARTAS robotic system, based on advanced artificial intelligence, scans the donor area and determines optimal grafts to harvest based on health and angle.
   As a result, uniform extractions are created, which preserves the aesthetics of the donor site. It is ideal for transplanting 2000 to 4000 grafts in a single surgery, and the survival rates of grafts are 92% to 100%.
3. Sapphire FUE
   The best sapphire FUE hair transplant in Turkey replaces traditional steel with sapphire blades, which allows for smaller and finer incisions. It reduces the risks of tissue trauma and scarring. Furthermore, the healing time is also reduced by 20% to 30%.
4. Direct Hair Implantation (DHI)
   DHI is a variation of FUE where grafts are implanted instantly after extraction, using a special tool known as Choi Implanter Pen. The reduction in time that follicles are exposed to external conditions enhances their survival rates significantly.
5. Long Hair FUE
   Long Hair FUE refers to a type of FUE in which extracted hair follicles are transplanted without shaving or trimming the donor area. It allows patients to maintain their existing hairstyle throughout the procedure and during recovery.

What are Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection is a part of a hybrid therapy, often recommended to patients undergoing FUE hair transplant. It is not necessary but a good option as it can stimulate the functioning of hair follicles using growth factors and proteins naturally found in your blood.

PRP injections can be administered around the newly transplanted grafts on both donor and recipient areas, typically on the same day as your surgery. Following it, four more sessions would be required with a space of 4 to 6 weeks apart.

According to a study published in Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery titled “Outcome of Intra-operative Injected Platelet-rich Plasma Therapy During Follicular Unit Extraction Hair Transplant” states that individuals having dormant hair follicles may experience less effective results from hair transplant. However, they can benefit from plasma therapy as it leads to growth of 75% or more of transplanted hair.

FUE vs. FUT Hair Transplant

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) also known as strip harvesting is another method of hair transplant, however, its usage has declined due to noticeable linear scarring it leaves at the donor site. The table explores the difference between FUE and FUT, so you can make an informed decision about which procedure would be the best for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does a FUE hair transplantation take?

FUE hair transplantation takes between 4 to 8 hours, depending on the number of grafts required. However, for larger procedures involving a high number of grafts, the session might extend to 10 hours. The duration is also influenced by other secondary features like extent of hair loss, the desired density, etc.

Is FUE hair transplantation painful?

FUE hair transplant is not generally painful as the surgeon applies local anesthesia before performing it, which numbs the scalp. Although you might feel slight pressure or minor discomfort, it is well-tolerated.

Is FUE hair transplant permanent?

Yes, FUE hair transplant is considered a permanent solution for hair loss. The follicles are taken from areas resistant to hair loss. Once transplanted, they continue to grow hair naturally for a lifetime.

However, factors such as age, genetics, and overall health of the patient may influence long-term results.

Which is better, FUE or FUT?

FUE is less invasive, leaves minimal scarring, and allows for a faster recovery compared to FUT. This makes it ideal for those concerned about visible scars. However, FUT can be more cost-effective and is better suited for patients needing a large number of grafts.

What is stem cell therapy for hair loss?

Stem cell therapy involves extracting stem cells from the patient’s fatty tissues, concentrating them, and injecting them into the scalp. It’s used to help dormant follicles regenerate and enhance hair density.