Perhaps you are suffering from hair loss or are increasingly worried about this problem occurring later in your life. In this case, you will start looking for different hair restoration methods, including topical or oral medications, or you may go for non-surgical methods such as wigs and hair tapes on the scalp. But in the end, you will discover that you wasted your money and time without getting good results.
But the permanent and ideal solution to this problem will be through hair transplantation, which is a simple and effective surgical method.
In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss hair transplant cost, best available techniques, advantages and disadvantages, all surgical methods, and other important topics in this procedure.
The natural hair transplant process in a nutshell
| the operation | Hair Transplant |
| operation time | 4-8 hours |
| species | Head hair transplant Eyebrow transplant Eyelash transplant Beard and chin transplant Mustache cultivation Transplant other areas of the body |
| When does it work? | Hereditary baldness – telogen effluvium – alopecia areata – accidents – burns – trauma – injuries |
| appropriate patients | Patients between 25-65 years old, in good health, and a donor area rich in hair |
| steps | Local anesthesia Extracting follicles from the donor area Implant of follicles in bald areas Waiting for results |
| Results | It begins to appear after 3 months and is completed after a full year of the operation. |
| Risks | It is a simple operation and does not carry any risks with the experienced doctor, but it has few effects such as bleeding, pain, swelling and crusts, all of which disappear within two weeks of the operation. |
| the cost | It ranges between 1000-2300 dollars, depending on the technique, the number of grafts, and the type of transplantation. |
What is hair transplant?
Hair transplantation is a minimally invasive surgery, or in other words, it is a surgical procedure that is performed on the outer layer of the skin without exposing the internal organs of the body. This means that the patient will not suffer from any interference in areas of the body other than the scalp being operated on.
The operation must be performed by a doctor who is experienced in this type of procedure and not a technician or a nurse, because it has many medical and technical aspects that need prior planning.
- Hair transplantation involves transferring hair follicles from one part of the scalp to another
- The area from which the follicles are transferred is called the donor area
- The recipient area is the part of the scalp that receives the follicles
- The donor area is usually at the back and sides of the scalp
- The hair in the donor area is resistant to hair loss factors caused by the hormone dihydro testosterone
- This hormone causes the sensitivity of the hair follicles, which makes them vulnerable to falling out at some point in the patient’s life
- If the hair follicles that are resistant to loss are transferred from the donor area, they will have the same resistance feature when implanted in areas suffering from hair loss or baldness.
- The follicles settle in the bald areas without falling out in the future and achieve very good growth results if the operation is performed by a doctor with experience in hair transplantation.
Who is suitable for hair transplantation?
| patient age | While there is no appropriate age limit for hair transplantation, doctors prefer that the procedure be performed for patients after the age of 25 years. This is because younger patients will have persistent hair loss that has not yet stabilized. Also, it is not preferable that the operation be performed for patients over the age of 65, due to their health conditions and the thinness of the hair that does not allow it to be transferred and implanted in other areas of the scalp. |
| type of hair loss | Not all types of hair loss have the same characteristics, so the best patient for a hair transplant will be the one who has a specific male pattern hair loss. These patterns on the Norwood Scale determine how severe your balding problem is and how many hair follicles it takes to restore hair. |
| donor area | When considering hair transplantation, you will have to consider the availability of hair in the donor area, which will be considered as the storehouse of follicles that will be transferred to the bald areas. If adequate amounts of hair are not available in this area, hair transplantation may not be suitable. |
| hair type | One of the important factors that must be determined before a hair transplant is the type and shape of the hair that is present in the patient’s scalp. This is because some hair transplantation techniques depend on the type of hair, such as robotic hair transplantation, which is only suitable for straight and non-curly hair as well as dark hair. |
| patient health | We must not forget that hair transplantation is a surgical procedure, so it is assumed that the patient is in good health and does not suffer from chronic health problems. Some patients who suffer from heart or blood vessel problems, uncontrolled diabetes and other conditions that require health care before considering hair transplantation. |
Might interest you: Shaving After Hair Transplant | When Can The Transplanted Hair Be Cut?
Hair transplantation techniques
In the past, hair transplantation began with techniques that did not have good results, as doctors used to extract entire locks of hair and plant them in balding and thinning hair areas.
This technique did not have natural results at all, as the hair was growing in a way that looked like a doll’s hair and its appearance seemed unnatural.
Therefore, newer techniques were developed after that, including the strip hair transplantation technique, which made remarkable progress in this field.
After that, the technique of FUE hair transplantation had a lot of credit for the spread of hair transplantation in the world during the past two decades.
Many modern methods of hair transplantation have evolved from this technique, which made the process with better results.
| Technology | the description |
| slide | The doctor cuts a strip of scalp from the donor area that holds the hair follicles.This segment is divided into cultivation units varying in the number of follicles from 1-4 follicles The doctor uses these follicles in implantation in the scalp, and they are implanted manually The doctor closes the incision in the donor area with sutures, leaving a linear scar |
| excerpt | The follicles are extracted from the donor area individually, one by one, by means of a metal tool that cuts through the scalp through very small incisions.The follicles are implanted in the recipient areas with precise surgical tools and are distributed based on the area that receives the hair There are no scars or long incisions as in the flap technique because the operation is done through small incisions |
| Exact picking | This technique is very similar to the traditional FUE technique, but it relies on advanced surgical tools to reduce the incisions from which the follicles are extracted. Most of the time, very small heads are used on a motorized actuator, which helps speed and accuracy of performance. |
| Choi pens | Specialized implant pens are tools that help extract follicles from the donor area and store them in a pen storage. This technology provides two steps in the transplantation process, where the pen cuts the incubating channels and implants the follicles in one plan. This technique saves time and effort and helps in guiding the follicles in the exact shape and the correct growth angle. |
| ambassador | It is a distinguished development in hair transplantation in terms of the tools used, as it relies on sapphire stone, which is more like sapphire, which is used to cut the channels incubating the follicles. This tool creates precise areas of incisions with its ability to close incisions and very fast healing. |
| robot | This technique did not provide many services to many patients, because it is concerned with certain types of hair and not others. Robotic hair transplantation depends on a computer chart that the doctor makes and inserts into the device that determines the harvested follicles and then implants them in the recipient areas automatically. |
Steps to perform a hair transplant
The first step
- On the day of the hair transplant procedure, you will be asked to fill out an informed consent form that gives the doctor the right to perform the hair transplant.
- All information contained in the consent must be explained during the consultation. You have the right to obtain any legal statement showing your satisfaction with these forms. This is completed while the doctor and surgical technicians prepare the room for the implantation process. The doctor will also need to know your medical history, and may download a copy of your medical record form, and fill out the data before the final examination.
The second step
- Your blood pressure and pulse will be measured and a medical assistant will perform a test to ensure you have carefully followed the pre-operative instructions given to you at the time of your initial consultation.
- Pictures are taken before the operation from several angles so that we can track your progress and discover all the results you get after the operation.
- You will then be taken to the operating room for the actual operation. The room is designed for maximum hair transplant arrangement with complete comfort while you are seated during the surgery.
The third step
- It is the step of reviewing with the surgeon. The hair surgeon will take the time to review your expectations and discuss where to place the donor hair. At this point, you will have the opportunity to ask any remaining questions you may still have regarding the procedure.
- The proposed hairline is drawn again with a pen and the patient’s consent is taken for this layout. Then the donor area is determined and the hair is cut to about 2-3 mm.
- The hair above the cut hair will be able to camouflage the donor area by combing it over the incisions.
Using a densitometry that amplifies hair, we can calculate how many grafts we will be able to get from one square centimeter. With this information, we can detect the amount of tissue that needs to be removed relative to the planned number of grafts.
The fourth step
- Local anesthesia and hair extraction from the donor area. We start the anesthesia procedure by injecting a local anesthetic carefully and as painlessly as possible using painless needles. Almost the same anesthetic drug given by the dentist is injected, which is a mixture of lidocaine and some other drugs. The drug works right away by numbing or putting the nerves at ease.
- We cannot give you a sedative such as Valium if we know that you plan to go home immediately after the operation. Valium, like most tranquilizers, can take up to 24 hours to wear off completely.
- The process cannot take place without confirmation that you have followed all the instructions we have given you to prepare for hair transplantation.
Fifth step
- When the area planned for extraction is numb, the doctor will remove the donor follicles one by one. This takes less than an hour and you will be positioned face down so the doctor can remove the follicles from the back scalp area and you may also be positioned on the side for more comfort.
- When removing the follicles, the doctor will sterilize the scalp after completing his work and does not use any stitches or threads to close the donor site. The doctor then makes sure that all the incisions are intact and free of any deposits or impurities after the operation.
Sixth step
- The extracted grafts are divided into units of 1 – 4 follicles so that the doctor can plant them in the required number in different areas of the scalp.
- The recipient area is anesthetized in the same way as the donor area, with very small, pain-free needles.
- The techniques used in implanting the follicles vary but all are based on the experience of the surgeon in determining the ideal distribution of these follicles over the targeted scalp areas.
- The doctor uses metal tools, Choi pens, or the sapphire tip technique to incise the donor channels at the correct angle and direction needed for the grafts to be implanted.
- The surgeon chooses single hair grafts to cover the frontal hairline and double and triple grafts for the areas behind this line. However, in most cases, the process planning is different from one person to another based on the degree of hair loss and the amount of grafts available for transplantation.
How many grafts are needed for hair transplantation?
One of the most difficult questions is the number of grafts that a patient needs to cover the balding areas and thinning hair. This is because each case of hair loss is different from the other, and it may not be possible to measure one case compared to other cases, even if they are similar in many phenomena. This is due to 4 standard reasons that we can list in the following points:
- The amount of hair that the patient loses in the advanced stages of hair loss is greater than 50% of the total hair in the scalp. Therefore, in most cases, the amount of hair in the donor area will not be sufficient to fully compensate for the deficiency.
- The donor area is often limited, and the amount of grafts that the patient needs for hair transplantation depends on the number of available follicles in the donor area. The greater the hair loss and the stages of its development, the lower the chances of replacing lost hair through this area. However, in general, the available hair in the donor area is used to cover even small areas of baldness in the scalp.
- The efficiency of the work team and the hair transplant surgeon largely determines his ability to restore hair with the available follicles in the donor area. The hair may be dense in the donor area, but with the choice of an inexperienced doctor, the results will not be good and may cause great damage to the donor area’s stock that cannot be renewed in the future.
- The development of hair loss and its continuation may also be an obstacle towards determining the number of grafts that the patient needs to cover the balding areas in the scalp. Some patients continue to lose their hair after hair transplantation, which makes the results of the operation not noticeable even with the growth and stability of the transplanted hair in its new areas.
But in general, we can determine the amount of grafts needed for each precipitation pattern based on the Norwood scale . It is a measure that identifies patterns of male pattern hair loss to determine the approximate number of follicles a patient needs to perform a hair transplant. The Norwood scale consists of 7 stages of hair loss, and there are sub-stages between them. The stages of hair loss are divided on this scale into Type 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 4, 4A, 5, 5A, 6, and 7. So that each type has another sub-type A, which carries a degree of loss with a slight difference.
| precipitation pattern | The number of follicles needed | the cost |
| Style 2 | 800 – 1400 | 1000-1100 dollars |
| pattern 2a | 1000 – 1600 | 1000-1200 dollars |
| Style 3 | 1200 – 1600 | 1100-1300 dollars |
| Pattern 3a | 1400 – 1800 | 1200-1400 dollars |
| Style 4 | 1600 – 2200 | 1300-1500 dollars |
| Pattern 4a | 1800 – 2400 | 1400-1600 dollars |
| pattern 5 | 2000 – 2500 | 1500-1700 dollars |
| Pattern 5a | 2200 – 3000 | 1600-1800 dollars |
| pattern 6 | 3000-4000 | 1800-2000 dollars |
| pattern 7 | 4000 – 5000 | 2000 – 2300 dollars |
You should note that these numbers are approximate and do not definitively determine the number of grafts that the patient needs for hair transplantation. However, it is a rough guide to get an initial idea of the pattern of hair loss and how many grafts you will need.
But the initial consultation with the surgeon at Turkiyaholidays Hair Transplant Center in Turkey will largely determine your suitability for this operation, the number of grafts you need, and the cost.
For a free consultation with one of the hair transplant experts at Turkiyaholidays, contact us immediately.
The cost of hair transplant operations
Hair transplantation is characterized by its ability to restore hair in many areas of the body, including scalp hair, eyebrow transplantation, eyelashes transplantation, beard and chin transplantation, and mustache transplantation.
It is also possible to benefit from hair transplantation in sensitive areas of the body, such as chest and pubic hair, and it will have the same wonderful positive results.
Doctors at Turkiyaholidays Center prefer certain techniques for each type of hair transplant due to many factors. Picking technique, Choi pens, sapphire and micro-picking are possible for scalp hair transplantation for example. While some prefer the hair transplantation technique with Choi pens to grow chin hair, and the hair transplantation technique by micro-extraction to grow eyebrows and eyelashes.
Each hair transplant operation has a cost that is determined based on the number of follicles needed by this place, as well as the degree of difficulty and craftsmanship of implantation in the hair transplantation areas.
Some may think that the process of transplanting eyebrows and eyelashes, for example, is one of the procedures that do not require a large number of grafts. However, this type of operation requires great accuracy in directing the follicles and the angle of their growth, as well as very difficult to obtain the appropriate natural appearance for the patient.
| Operation type | lower cost | higher cost | preferred technique |
| Head hair transplant | 1000 dollars | $2,300 | Ambassador – Choi Pens – Picking |
| Eyebrow transplantation | $800 | $1,500 | Choi Pencils – Fine Pick |
| Eyelash transplantation | $800 | $1,500 | Exact picking |
| Beard and chin transplantation | $1,200 | $1,700 | Choi Pencils – Fine Pick |
| Mustache cultivation | 1000 dollars | $1,300 | Choi Pencils – Fine Pick |
| Chest hair transplant | 1000 dollars | $1,500 | Picking – Choi pens |
| Cultivation of sensitive areas | $1,200 | $1,500 | Exact picking |
| Women’s hair transplant | $1,500 | 2000 dollars | Choi Pens – Ambassador |
| Long hair transplant | $1,700 | $2,300 | Choi Pens – Ambassador |
Advantages of hair transplantation
There are many hair loss treatments that have been developed over the years but none of these have been found to provide a permanent and natural solution. More patients are resorting to hair transplant surgery because it offers better results compared to other treatments.
According to the results of a study published in the National Library of Medicine, hair transplants offer significant aesthetic benefits to both men and women.
Hair replacement surgery has advanced so much that health practitioners have found more effective ways to use donor hair than they used to be.
Improvements in technology have, in turn, improved hair harvesting methods, creating and placing grafts that result in a higher percentage of hair being able to thrive during the transplant process.
Other benefits of hair transplantation include:
- The surgery itself is painless and requires only local anesthesia. The discomfort you experience in this process is generally tolerable and you will likely be treated on an outpatient basis.
- Surgery brings with it amazing emotional benefits. Patients get a look that makes them feel more confident and self-assured.
- Results are achieved faster, safer and more satisfying, thanks to today’s advanced technology.
Complications of hair transplantation
According to research published in the US National Library of Medicine , hair transplants are associated with postoperative complications in the donor or recipient area due to natural or surgical factors. These complications include:
- Bleeding: Although bleeding is rare, it can be stopped with a little pressure and is usually resolved by additional sutures in the flap technique, but it is never common in the FUE technique.
- Numbness: The implant area may experience transient numbness for up to 18 weeks, but it is usually not bothersome and should go away without any damage.
- Hiccups: About 5% of hair transplant patients suffer from hiccups that can last for several hours after surgery and then go away on their own due to local anesthesia.
- Infection: This occurs in only one person in a thousand and can be resolved with antibiotics. The occurrence of infection is due to the doctor not using well-sterilized tools or for any other environmental reason.
- Crusts: A crust may form on the donor site and the recipient site , which makes the patient anxious. These scabs are normal because the body is trying to help the wound heal on its own. And these crusts go away after a short period with the use of appropriate shampoos.
- Swelling of the scalp : due to the use of surgical tools. This effect is very normal and goes away on its own within a few days after the operation.