Hair transplantation is actually an organ transplantation, so it must be carried out meticulously by experts.
Hair transplantation, which was first performed in the 1950s, is now performed in many parts of the world and provides a solution to many people suffering from hair loss problems.
Thanks to hair transplantation, individuals with natural hair regain their self-confidence, and individuals who are at peace with themselves and begin to feel happy looking in the mirror again experience improvements in their social lives.
There are many questions in the minds of patients about hair transplantation. We usually encounter questions such as; how is hair transplantation performed, will I feel pain during the hair transplantation procedure, how long does the procedure take, what is the recovery process afterwards, is hair transplantation difficult, is hair transplantation risky?
When people do research on the internet, they come across a lot of information, whether true or false. We have prepared this article to clarify these points.
How is Hair Transplantation Performed?
In fact, for those who have no idea about hair transplantation, we can compare it to planting a flower in another area. In the example we gave, we take out the flower without damaging the root, preserving some soil around the root, and then we put it in another prepared place and cover it.
Simplified hair transplantation is very similar to this procedure; the hair is removed with some tissue around it, channels are opened with incisions to replace it, and then the grafts are placed into these opened channels.
There are three stages of hair transplantation: Harvesting/extraction of the roots (grafts) from the donor area, opening of incisions/channels and transplantation. The order of graft collection and incisions may vary depending on the patient’s needs. The operation takes 6-8 hours in total.
Before the hair transplantation operation, the steps we have detailed in our article Before the Hair Transplantation Operation should be applied and the points such as the diet recommended by the doctor and the selection of appropriate clothing should be taken into consideration.
The most important point is that the hair transplantation plan is carried out by evaluating the patient’s nape, head, face and forehead area and examining the hair follicles, and all possible results that the patient may encounter are clearly explained to the patient, no matter what, and a realistic expectation is created.
Otherwise, individuals feel deceived and disappointed. To avoid this, it is always best to get support from professional clinics that you believe you can trust.
At the beginning of the operation, local anesthesia is first applied to the patient’s head area. This procedure can be performed with a needle or with a needle-free anesthesia method applied with the latest technology devices. You can get more detailed information on this subject by clicking on our Needle-Free Anesthesia article.
This procedure is much less painful than local anesthesia applied with needles and has been used frequently in recent years. The patient is fully conscious during the operation but feels minimal pain, during which time the patient may be given some medications to help them relax.
Needle-free anesthesia is unfortunately used as a marketing tool and patients are promised “painless anesthesia”. Such promises do not reflect the truth.
For hair transplantation, grafts are usually taken from the nape of the neck. In medical terminology, a graft is any tissue taken from the body without any vascular or nerve connections for the purpose of transplanting to another part of the body.
In hair transplantation, hair follicles are taken with some tissue around them and are called grafts. Grafts are kept under appropriate conditions until the transplantation stage. If there is not enough hair in the nape area, the procedure can be performed by taking hair follicles from different parts of the body.
Grafts must be taken from the person who will receive the hair transplant; hair transplantation from another individual is not possible.
The nurses involved in the operation work at appropriate temperatures and with appropriate chemicals, separating and classifying the grafts according to the number of follicles and their characteristics. It is of great importance that this stage is carried out meticulously so that the person can have good and natural looking hair after the hair transplant.
The most important stage in hair transplantation, which creates a natural appearance and causes negative results in terms of appearance when not applied correctly, is the channel opening point.
The direction of hair growth varies from person to person and in different areas. The channels where the transplanted hair will be planted should be opened at the most appropriate angle and depth for the person’s natural hair. At this stage, the doctor’s expertise and experience in this field are very important.
The point where hair transplantation is completed is the stage where the hair follicles are placed into the opened channels.
Once the hair transplantation is completed, patients can return to their homes or hotels on the same day. At this stage, it is very important to pay attention to the points that we have included in our article After Hair Transplant Operation and emphasized by the doctors after the operation. The first thing to pay attention to is to protect the area where the hair transplantation is done from impacts.
Is Hair Transplantation Difficult and Painful?
One of the issues that patients wonder about hair transplantation is whether the procedure is painful or difficult. Local anesthesia applied during the operation eliminates the pain felt during the procedure. Local anesthesia application has become much easier and more reliable with the needle-free anesthesia method used in recent years.
It is normal for patients to feel anxious before the procedure; this anxiety usually decreases once the procedure has started and patients do not experience any major pain after the procedure is completed.
Symptoms such as bruising and swelling may be seen from time to time. Painkillers recommended by doctors can also be used to make the post-operative process easier.
Is Hair Transplantation Risky? Is Repeat Transplantation Necessary?
Hair transplantation is not a risky procedure when performed by expert and experienced physicians, with the right devices and under the necessary hygiene conditions. Rarely, some complications may occur.
Hair transplantation can be considered a long treatment process. While some patients get excellent results with a single transplant, some patients with insufficient donor area and large area to be transplanted may need to undergo a second transplant within 1-2 years following the first transplant.
After the transplant, there is a period of a few weeks where patients are very happy and provide information about how the hair that will grow will be, after this period it is normal for the transplanted hair to fall out. The hair that has fallen out will start to grow back healthy and renewed within the first 6 months after the transplant, and the process will take 12-24 months to complete.
