Although the hair transplant operation varies between 6 and 8 hours, it takes an average of 7 hours. It is recommended to use painkillers if there is any pain during the procedure and in the following processes. But generally, patients can return to their daily lives within 2-3 days without any problems.
HAIR TRANSPLANT PREPARATIONS STAGES
1-CONSULTATION:
The patient’s hair and skin are examined before hair transplantation. The patient’s daily lifestyle should be known. It is learned whether there is any treatment that has been applied before. Important points during the consultation are hair loss history, the patient’s physical and blood examination, the use of medication for hair loss treatment.
2- HAIR LOSS STORY:
It is important to determine the duration and rate of hair loss in order to determine the final extent of the patient’s hair loss. However, due to the polygenic nature of hair loss, there is no diagnostic test to determine the rate and extent of possible hair loss. Generally, those who start to lose their hair in their 20s are more inclined to lose all their hair than those who start at a later age. Therefore, it is important for the doctor to establish correct communication with the patient and learn the history of hair loss.
3-PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:
First of all, the basic physical examination of the patient should be done. After basic examinations such as blood pressure measurement of the patient, hair examination is started. Regardless of gender, people of all skin types and hair colors are candidates for hair transplantation. The important point of the physical examination is the diameter of the patient’s hair, the donor density (hair follicle per cm²) and the degree of hair loss. These assessments are made using the Ludwig scale for women and the Norwood scale for men.
In the physical examination, the scalp of the candidates is examined to determine the caliber and density of the donor hair on the posterior scalp.
Coarse wavy hair is denser than the same amount of fine straight hair. Therefore, patients with coarse, wavy hair transplantation may have a thicker hair appearance than patients with the same number of thin straight hair transplantations. The density of the hair follicles in the donor area will determine the number of hair follicles suitable for transplantation. Most white-skinned patients have 60 to 100 FU per square centimeter. People with a density below 40 FU/cm² are candidates with a low chance of hair transplantation success. Those with above-average donor density have sufficient follicle reserve to achieve this effect. In addition, these candidates have the chance to undergo more than one operation if necessary.
4-RECIPIENT AREA SELECTION
In order for the transplanted area to look natural even after years, the hair transplant area must be carefully selected. Hair loss is usually progressive in humans. During the consultation, patients should be told that hair loss is a progressive condition and how this situation affects the placement of the hair. In general, the anterior half of the scalp is the safest and most cosmetically important area for hair transplantation in humans. The vertex region of the scalp is riskier for transplantation in men. If male pattern hair loss continues to progress after vertex transplantation, an unusual ring-shaped hair appearance occurs. Therefore, young men should not be transplanted to the vertex when the number of donors is limited.