Hair transplant is the only effective method of treating alopecia. What are the possible causes of pathological hair loss and when does it occur? Baldness can be caused by various factors, including genetic, hormonal disorders, autoimmune diseases. Androgenetic alopecia can begin as early as puberty, while areata (alopecia areata) can appear at any age. Telogen effluvium (massive hair loss) often follows some stressful event. In evidence-based medicine, there is only one solution to cover bald spots on the head. This is a hair transplantation.
Why is it pointless to treat alopecia on your own?
Cosmetics offer a temporary solution to the problem of thinning hair, adding volume or color, but they do not eliminate the underlying causes of hair loss. Alopecia is often hereditary. Significant hair thinning can be associated with a health condition. These factors require specialized intervention from doctors.
Many myths surround hair loss remedies, including topical solutions, serums, dietary supplements, and even laser therapy. Although some of them may provide minimal benefit. They do not solve the problem of restoring hair thickness, especially if baldness is caused by genetic or hormonal factors. Reducing stress is important for overall well-being, but it will not help restore lost hair.
Alopecia treatment products available in pharmacies, beauty salons, and cosmetic stores have no proven effectiveness. Products that are positioned as shampoos and lotions for baldness are part of marketing that has nothing to do with official medicine.
Which doctors should you contact if you see signs of active hair loss? To make sure that you have alopecia and understand what type it is, you need to contact a trichologist. A dermatologist and endocrinologist can help uncover the deeper causes of baldness in a patient.
When did hair transplants first start?
In 1952, Norman Orentreich, while studying at the Department of Dermatology at New York University, began his research on the treatment of baldness. His experiments yielded unexpected results that laid the foundation for future developments. It turned out that the hair growing in certain areas of the head retained its characteristics even after transplantation.
Baldness occurs unevenly: first, bald spots appear on the forehead and temples, then the crown thins. And the hair growing in the occipital region is most resistant to loss. Orentreich managed to prove that hair transplanted from the back of the head will successfully grow on the crown, since it is not so vulnerable to the effects of hormones. The doctor called this theory the concept of “donor dominance” and subsequently used it for further research.
In 1952, Orentreich performed the first hair transplant. Its essence was to extract round areas of skin with hair follicles from the donor area and transplant them to the recipient area. This method was far from perfect. To extract donor hair, Orentreich used large-diameter punches (cylindrical rods) of 6-12 cm, so the transplanted hair was arranged in tufts, like dolls. In addition, this technique did not allow for the restoration of the hairline, and unsightly scars remained in the area where the follicles were extracted.
The average patient would need about 4 procedures for hair transplantation with a 4-week break between them. That is, a total of 16 weeks. Transplantation of large areas of tissue was quite painful.
A few decades later, the situation changed dramatically. New, more advanced methods of surgical hair restoration appeared.
FUT (follicular unit transplantation)
This was the first innovative technique in the field of hair transplant surgery. Dr. Bobby Limmer came up with the idea of transplanting individual follicles rather than entire skin areas to achieve hairline modeling. He performed the first FUT procedure in 1988. As before, a section of tissue was removed from the donor area. Only now it was a narrow strip from which the doctor extracted individual follicles for transplantation.
By the end of the 1990s, this method became popular. Many celebrities who had transplants in the early 2000s most likely did it using the FUT method. However, very soon this technology became obsolete, giving way to a more effective and less invasive technique.
FUE (follicular unit extraction)
The FUE procedure was first performed by Dr. Ray Woods in 1988. However, it only became popular 14 years later, after the publication of an article by doctors Rassman and Berstein. The fundamental difference between FUE and FUT is the method of collecting donor follicles. During FUE transplantation, they are removed one at a time, which minimizes the risk of noticeable scarring.
Over time, more and more clinics began to use the new method. According to statistics, two out of three hair transplant operations performed in the world are performed using the FUE method. All other hair transplant methods that we will consider in this article are, in fact, improvements of this technology.
Innovative methods of hair transplantation
FUE and FUT, which began to be used more than 3 decades ago, cannot be called the latest achievements in the field of surgical treatment of baldness. After them, scientists developed and introduced more effective transplantation procedures into everyday practice.
DHI (Direct Hair Implantation)
In 1999, DHI Medical Group developed a new transplantation method that became widely popular throughout the world. It lies in the use of a special implanter pen. After extracting the grafts, the doctor places them in the implanter and immediately transplants, skipping the stage of preliminary opening of the channels in the donor area. The effectiveness of the robotic dhi hair transplant is justified by the dhi hair transplant results month by month and dhi hair transplant reviews.
Advantages and efficiency of DHI hair transplant include:
- with the help of the implanter it is easier for the doctor to set the correct angle of hair growth, and therefore the transplant result is more natural;
- due to the fact that there is no need to pre-open the channels in the recipient area, the trauma to the scalp is minimal;
- the implanter pen provides 360-degree protection of the transplanted follicles, which improves their survival.
Many doctors specializing in hair transplantation prefer the DHI method hair transplant, due to its high efficiency, successful hair transplant recovery, and the ability to achieve an excellent aesthetic result as well as affordable cost of dhi hair transplant for the patients.
Sapphire-FUE (sapphire hair transplant)
In this technique, a sapphire blade is used by the surgeon to open channels in the recipient area. The instrument is made of synthetic sapphire, which differs from ordinary medical steel in its high hardness, smoothness, and hypoallergenic properties.
Advantages of using sapphire-FUE technology:
- Precise implantation. Sapphire blades allow for narrower and deeper micro-channels, which increases the density of implanted hair.
- Reduced risk of scarring and inflammation. The edges of sapphire blades are very smooth and sharp, which minimizes tissue damage.
- Fast healing. The sapphire instrument creates less pressure on the skin, which accelerates healing and reduces the risk of crusting and swelling after the procedure.
The sapphire FUE method was invented in Turkey in 2016 by Dr. Kazim Sipahi. This became an innovation in the field of hair transplantation since sapphire blades allow for better aesthetic results. The technique has received wide recognition among surgeons, so it is actively used in both Turkish and European clinics.
FUE transplant using a punch for collecting follicles Edge Out
One of the main problems that affects the survival rate of transplanted hair is damage to donor follicles during the extraction stage. To solve this problem, a new tool was developed – a punch. It has thickened walls and a sharp cutting edge located along the outer diameter.
The punch effectively holds the follicle in the center of the lumen of the hollow needle. By placing the cutting edge along the outer diameter, the risk of transection (damage) of the extracted hair follicle is reduced. Many plastic surgeons in Turkey actively use this tool, since it helps to significantly reduce the percentage of damaged grafts when collecting donor follicles.
Robotic hair transplant ARTAS
Transplantation using robotic technologies is an advanced technology in the field of surgical hair restoration. The ARTAS robot, developed in 2007 and approved for use in 2011, became a medical breakthrough. It performs 2 tasks:
- Creation of a 3D model of the patient’s scalp. The system allows you to visualize the course of the operation and predict the final result.
- Collection of donor follicles. In one minute, the robotic unit can extract up to 60 grafts.
The main advantages of robotic hair transplantation with the ARTAS device:
- The 3-D modeling system allows the doctor and patient to plan the procedure together and discuss the result before the transplantation.
- High accuracy in extracting follicles, eliminating the possibility of a negative human factor.
- Minimal risk of damage to follicles. Using a robot allows to avoid damage to 90% of hair follicles, while with a standard transplant this figure is only 50%.
In Turkey, ARTAS transplantation is performed in leading centers of aesthetic medicine, for example, in the Esteworld clinic.
KE-Bot Hair Transplant Planning System
Some innovative hair solutions have been developed in Turkey. KE-Bot technology is one of them. The robotic system performs a 360-degree head scan using 3D modeling technology. This allows for an accurate assessment of the density, diameter and number of donor follicles before the operation. The device also helps to avoid overuse of donor hair by calculating coverage and maintaining density in both the donor and recipient areas.
The main advantages of KE-Bot include:
- High scanning accuracy. KE-Bot creates a 3D model of the head, which allows to determine the characteristics of donor follicles. This improves the quality of surgery planning and reduces the risk of errors.
- Optimization of transplant density. The system calculates the distribution of follicles to ensure uniformity and a natural look in the recipient area. At the same time, it does not allow depletion of the donor area.
- Analysis of previous operations. KE-Bot takes into account the results of previous transplants to adjust the plan and improve the accuracy of repeat procedures.
HypoThermosol FRS donor follicle storage medium
HypoThermosol FRS is a specialized medium for storing and protecting hair follicles during transplantation. Unlike conventional saline solutions, HypoThermosol maintains the viability of follicles at the molecular level due to pH buffering, ion balancing, and antioxidants. It preserves follicles in hypothermic conditions (from +2°C to +8°C), reducing the metabolic activity of cells and preventing their damage. This helps reduce apoptosis (cell breakdown) and ensure higher graft survival.
Advantages of using HypoThermosol FRS in hair transplantation:
- Increased follicle survival. HypoThermosol reduces stress for follicles outside the body, which increases their chances of taking root in the recipient area. Studies have shown that the use of HypoThermosol increases the percentage of graft survival to 44%, while with conventional saline solutions, the survival rate is significantly lower.
- Excellent aesthetic effect. The use of HypoThermosol promotes high density and uniform hair growth after implantation, providing a natural and long-lasting result.
Leading clinics in Turkey use special preparations that help increase the viability of donor follicles. These products can improve the results of the procedure, but it should be taken into account that their use may affect the overall cost of the transplant.
What will be the future of hair transplantation?
In terms of technological innovations, robotic and AI technologies are expected to develop in the near future. Over the past three years, the percentage of FUE operations performed using robots has increased significantly, indicating a growing interest in these methods. Equipment based on artificial intelligence will be able to more accurately determine the stage of alopecia and show patients the possible results of the transplant.
In the future, it is planned to create more affordable robotic systems that can be used in small clinics. This will expand the range of patients who want to get rid of baldness. A serious problem remains the shortage of donor follicles. In the future, this may be solved by growing hair follicles in a laboratory. Although this type of treatment may be expensive, it will become an alternative for patients with a limited number of donor hair.
BeBest by Experts Medical is your assistant on the way to the perfect hairstyle
For over 9 years, BeBest by Experts Medical has been cooperating with leading hair transplant clinics, providing clients with access to the most effective methods and technologies. We are aware of innovations in this field and know which of them really work, and which are still in the development stage. This allows us to offer patients only those methods that have proven their effectiveness in practice and do not simply increase the hair transplant cost without tangible results.
Our team consists of certified coordinators-doctors who carefully select clinics and doctors, focusing on the wishes and needs of each patient. We understand that successful hair transplantation depends not only on choosing the right clinic but also on the use of innovative technologies. Our specialists will help you choose a medical center where the most modern and effective approaches are used. If you are interested of how much does hair restoration cost, don’t hesitate to contact our team.
With BeBest by Experts Medical, you can be sure that your hair transplant will be as safe and effective as possible, and your new hairstyle will look natural and attractive.
Sources
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.13532
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2825128/
- https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/articles/new-year-new-hair-a-brief-exploration-of-hair-restoration-techniques
- https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/hair-transplants
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21519-hair-transplant
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