Most women and men notice that their hair has thinned significantly as they age. If earlier people suffering from alopecia or baldness had to either accept or rely on traditional methods, today this problem is not a death sentence. Nowadays, hair loss is compensated by transplantation.
Hair loss can be due to various reasons, but the most common are:
- androgenic alopecia. It occurs when testosterone predominates in the body. This problem can affect not only the stronger sex, but also ladies;
- damage to hair follicles due to trauma, burns, wounds.
Both of these problems can be solved with hair transplantation. There are two ways:
- hair transplantation;
- hair implantation
These two methods are often confused with each other. However, there is a significant difference between them. During transplantation, the patient's hair is used, and during implantation, artificial hair is used. Each of these procedures has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Effectiveness of hair transplant
Did you know that the situation when 9 out of 10 transplanted hairs takes root is not even the maximum value, but the norm? This is a surprising result, given the complexity and ambiguity of the procedure.
A person's normal hair density is about 300 hairs per square centimeter of scalp. When transplanted, the density is maintained at 70-80 percent of this value. Such values also look like a very good indicator. Once the hair grows back, there will be almost no noticeable difference.
As mentioned above, the transplanted hair remains in its place. There is nothing mystical or marketing about this. The final result becomes visible about a year after the transplant, but the hair actually takes root and does not go anywhere. This happens because male pattern baldness is baldness in the forehead area. This happens due to fluctuations in the amount of the hormone testosterone. Hair from the occipital and temporal areas of the head is immune to testosterone fluctuations. Therefore, on the bald part of the head, they grow even better than the “original” hair.
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At the dawn of the transplantation procedure, evidence of the influence of the characteristics of the follicle on the ability to transplant was the demonstration of hair transplantation from the back of the head, and then back. In the first case they took root, in the second they did not.
There is an effect - you can’t say anything
We hide flaws without intervention
An unaesthetic hairline on the forehead can not be eliminated, but simply hidden using:
- Bangs. It can be made oblique or straight, short or up to the eyebrows. In any case, the defect will not be visible.
- Loose voluminous curls. This method is suitable for those who have thick hair.
- Hair fixation products. Foam or varnish will help style the strands so that the unsightly forehead line will be hidden.
The hairline is not the most visible part of the face, but its lack of aesthetics can cause problems. Fortunately, they can be solved; if necessary, you should use one of the methods for correcting the upper forehead line. And it won't necessarily be an operation.
When did you have your hair transplanted for the first time?
The first to describe the process of hair transplantation and demonstrate in practice how it works was the Japanese doctor Suji Okuda, who practiced in the Kwantung Army. He did the transplant in order to reduce the impact of the scars on the soldiers’ heads on their appearance.
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After World War II, in which the Japanese were defeated as an ally of Germany, it was not customary to discuss scientific issues with them. That is why the name of another doctor, considered the founder of the hair transplant method, is more often found. Although, in general, he did not offer anything new. This doctor was the American surgeon Norman Orentreich. He formulated the concept of donor dominance, which became the basic principle of hair transplantation.
Preparing for transplant
Before starting the procedure itself, the specialist will assess the degree of baldness and also determine the areas for collecting donor material. Such material is taken from the patient himself, most often from areas of the head with sufficient hair cover (back of the head, temporal and behind-the-ear parts), but hair from the body can also be used.
In addition, during the preparation stage, the doctor will identify possible complications and contraindications. Among other things, a suitable method will be selected.
How to transplant hair
Without going into too much detail, hair transplantation is precisely a transplantation in the truest sense of the word. A team of doctors, usually consisting of more than eight people, takes hair from one area and inserts it into another during a multi-hour operation. Sometimes the operation time reaches 8 hours or more, and during this time up to 5,000 follicles are transplanted. As a rule, follicles are taken in the form of follicular units of 2-4 follicles (rarely more). The associations have one power system and it is in this format that it is easier to transplant them.
The hair follicle (lat. folliculus pili, also hair follicle) is a dynamic organ located in the dermal layer of mammalian skin and consists of 20 different types of cells with different functions.
Small pieces of tissue called grafts are used for transplantation. Depending on the transplantation method, the grafts are removed by the surgeon manually or using a special tool, which speeds up the work and reduces the percentage of defects. This method is used when more than 3000 grafts are transplanted. The size of the grafts is about 0.6-1 mm in diameter. At earlier stages larger “calibers” were used. As a result, the patient's head often began to look like a doll's, with the hair growing in tufts.
Already in 1936, Suji Okuda said that the smaller the size of the graft, the better the result.
Once the grafts are removed, the surgeon's assistants take care of them. They sort them by type and best suited to each specific zone. Sometimes hair is used for transplantation not from the occipital or temporal region, but also from the chest, legs and other parts of the body. In this case, only your own hair is suitable. The body is designed in such a way that foreign hair does not take root. This has been proven many times through various experiments and studies.
This is what the graft collection site looks like. In a few days everything will heal, and a little later new hair will grow.
Once Grafts are sorted, they can be placed in new locations. To do this, there is another tool that makes small punctures into which the follicles are placed.
With this method of operation, there are almost no scars left in the places from which the grafts were taken. Even on a shaved head it is almost unnoticeable. Over time, the follicles in the donor areas are restored, and the area becomes overgrown with hair again. The procedure does not remove hair from the donor area.
If you need to transplant a lot of hair, there is another way. It involves cutting larger pieces than conventional grafts. To do this, tissue flaps are taken, which are then cut into grafts and transplanted to the desired areas.
Prices for hair transplantation in Moscow
How much hair transplantation costs depends on the specific clinic and your individual indications. The cost will be based on the following factors:
- chosen method;
- required number of procedures;
- transplant area area;
- anesthesia (in some clinics);
- price for transplantation of one graft or follicular unit.
Expensive clinics where hair transplantation is performed charge prices for a graft at about 100–200 rubles per unit. Average prices are 70–100 rubles/transplant, low prices are 50–70 rubles. Typically, about 2000–2500 grafts are taken for transplantation. When transplanting using the HFE method, prices vary within the same limits, but not per graft, but per follicular unit. In 1 day, within a few hours, the HFE technique allows you to transplant up to 6000 FU.
Contraindications
Hair transplantation is recommended for all patients who are concerned about thinning or hair loss, for anyone who would like to restore or get a thicker beard, mustache, eyebrows, as well as cover scars of various origins. But hair transplantation must be approached with the principle of reasonable sufficiency, understanding that the donor area is not infinite, i.e. so as not to exhaust your physical capabilities ahead of time.
Hair transplantation is not performed if:
- mental illness;
- skin diseases in the acute stage.
You should be careful when choosing a hair transplantation technique for diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Such patients are best suited to the non-surgical HFE technique, which is painless and has no complications. After transplantation procedures, be sure to follow all doctor’s recommendations for caring for your scalp and hair.
Hair follicle transplantation in a Moscow clinic: minimal intervention and aesthetic result
The HFE (Hair For Ever) clinic has patented an innovative technology for transplanting hair follicles, Hand follicul extraction (HFE), which allows you to restore hair even with focal or patchy baldness.
It is also used to shape eyebrows, mustaches, beards, and to cover scars. Thanks to the latest micro-instruments, which only the HFE clinic has in Russia today, the procedure is painless, leaves no swelling, and the healing process can take only 3-5 days. The result is natural hair thickness and a natural direction of hair growth. You can learn more about the clinic, HFE technology and the hair follicle transplantation procedure on the website www.hfe-hfe.ru. License to carry out medical activities LO-77-01-017926 dated April 19, 2020, issued by the Moscow Department of Health.
How does transplanted hair survive?
Since the hair, roughly speaking, is simply inserted into the holes, it needs to be fixed somehow. It would seem logical to use bandages to prevent the hair from falling out as soon as the wind blows or the patient shakes his head. In fact, this is not necessary at all, since the hair holds on perfectly with the help of natural glue - the protein fibrin.
This is how the transplant area is designated before surgery.
This fixation, combined with the low-traumatic nature of the procedure, in which anesthesia, if used, is local, allows the patient to go home on the same day.
Depending on your hair type and color, within a year you will be able to evaluate the results and be surprised at how modern medicine works.
Total
Seamless transplantation (FUE, HFE, DHI) is less traumatic. Up to 1.5 thousand grafts can be transplanted at a time. The procedure lasts 8 hours. There will be no scars after it. Suitable for slight baldness. Rehabilitation takes 2-3 days.
Suture transfer (FUT, Strip) is when flaps of skin with hairs are cut out and then the edges of the wounds are sutured, leaving strips of scars. Up to 5 thousand grafts are transplanted at a time, the procedure takes 3-4 hours. Will help hide severe baldness. Rehabilitation lasts up to a week.
with artificial hair . It's expensive ($4.5 thousand). After 2-4 years, the transplant will have to be repeated, because the artificial hairs fall out more quickly. You will have to forget about frequent haircuts - artificial hair does not grow. Rehabilitation – 2-3 days.
How much does a hair transplant cost?
The exact price of the operation varies greatly, and is determined individually in each case, but it should be noted that it is quite high. Due to the fact that it is done over a long period of time by a large team of doctors and laboratory technicians, using the most advanced means, it simply cannot be cheap. But, as mentioned above, the effect of the operation is not temporary, but lifelong. You won't have to pay a second time.
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Among the wealthy patients of this type of doctor are former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berluscono, actors John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage and Kevin Costner. Of the singers - Elton John, and of the athletes - Wayne Rooney, who himself said that he spent about 30,000 pounds on operations.
Wayne Rooney is a cool footballer with good hair
Indications for hairline correction
The desire to make the face harmonious forces people to change the upper border of the forehead. But it should be adjusted according to indications, otherwise there is a risk of getting the opposite of the expected result. Changes are made in the following cases:
- the hair growth boundary is unevenly outlined, there is asymmetry,
- it is necessary to make the forehead more feminine (indication applies to representatives of the fairer sex and for feminized transvestites),
- harmonization of facial proportions requires a different shape of the hairline,
- forehead too high
- bald patches have formed on it,
- the forehead is too low, which gives the face a gloomy appearance,
- there is a lot of vellus hair on it, disrupting the regular outline.
In the case where the shape of the forehead has deteriorated due to alopecia, correction will be only one of the stages in improving the area. After all, it will not stop further baldness. And the patient will have to combine it with hair transplantation, treatment by a trichologist, endocrinologist.
The dangers of hair transplant
Since hair transplant has become a very popular and expensive procedure, there are many people in the world who want to profit from it. As a result, there are a large number of clinics in which the patient is assured that the procedure has been worked out and there is nothing complicated in it. The patient believes and the work is done by a “specialist” who does not even have a specialized education.
You need to run away from such clinics as far as possible and as quickly as possible. Despite the relative ease of the operation, it should still be performed only by a specialist, since this is precisely an operation. You can get dirt into your skin, damage it, or get into other troubles. It’s better not to skimp on your health.
In many countries, including Russia, there are special laws regulating the activities of hair transplant clinics, but some still manage to bypass them or work underground. This is the most unpleasant case.
If you decide to have a hair transplant, know that there is nothing wrong with it, and the procedure is really effective, but it is quite expensive. Don’t skimp on yourself, have it done in a good clinic and everything will be as it should.
What methods are used now?
FUE transplant: before and after
All techniques are divided into two groups – seamless ( FUE ) and suture ( FUT, Strip ). Theoretically, there are other experimental methods, but ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) only recognizes these two.
Both groups have their advantages and disadvantages. The number of FUE and FUT/Strip operations is approximately the same.
Recently, HFE and DHI - improved options for seamless transplantation. The grafts are smaller and the scars are not so visible.
A common drawback of all methods is that before removing the grafts, the hair in this area is shaved off. But if you are already used to shaving to hide your baldness, this is not a problem.
You can do without shaving only if you need to transplant a few follicles. For example, to disguise a scar or make new eyebrows.
If you need to transplant a lot of hair, but you can’t shave, pieces of hair are cut off. But this is not so convenient for the doctor; the effectiveness of the procedure decreases.
The operation itself is not difficult for the patient. You can watch TV, read a book or play. If necessary, you can stop at any time to walk or eat.
Seamless transplant
Seamless hair transplant process
FUE is the extraction (extraction) of follicular units. Groups of 1-4 follicles are called grafts.
Hair transplantation is carried out in three stages:
1. Grafts are drilled out of the skin under local anesthesia with a special tool – a punch. This is a metal handle with a beveled tube with a diameter of 0.5-0.9 mm inside.
2. Channels are made in the bald area. These are shallow cuts and will not need to be sutured.
3. The grafts are placed into the canals using tweezers in a checkerboard pattern. This way it turns out more natural - so that there is no “doll effect”.
How dolls' hair is sewn in: in large bunches along clear lines. Looks unaesthetic
Grafts are obtained manually or mechanically. You can manually cut up to 1.5 thousand grafts (yes, that’s not much!). In total, a person has 90-200 thousand hairs .
Grafts before transplantation
Need more? We'll have to take a microturbine and extract grafts with it. You can extract twice as many follicles.
It’s easier with a turbine - the doctor makes fewer movements and doesn’t get so tired. But the surgeon needs to feel how deep to take the grafts and how quickly.
The turbine rotates at speeds of up to 1 thousand revolutions per minute. The procedure requires serious experience and extreme care.
Advantages of the seamless method:
▪ Almost painless. ▪ Less traumatic. ▪ Punch marks will not be visible even on a shaved head.
Minuses:
▪ Suitable for small bald areas only. ▪ The procedure can last up to 8 hours. Not everyone can handle it. ▪ Up to 6% of follicles are damaged and lost.
Suture transplant
Suture hair transplant scheme
If the baldness is severe, you cannot do without stitches. The doctor will have to take a whole flap of skin and cut it into grafts. There are three main stages:
1. Strips of skin are cut out with a scalpel from the back of the head and divided into grafts.
2. The surgeon closes the edges of the wounds with sutures so that the scars are not so noticeable.
3. After this, the grafts are transplanted to the desired location manually or using an implanter. The surgeon takes into account the direction of hair growth to achieve naturalness.
Typically, the surgeon directly performs the transplantation, and assistants (up to eight people!) separate fresh grafts from the flaps.
Advantages of the suture method:
▪ Up to 5 thousand grafts – up to 12 thousand follicles – can be transplanted at a time. ▪ The operation takes 3-4 hours. ▪ Grafts are easier to remove. ▪ Rejection rate – less than 3%. ▪ Lower price.
Minuses:
▪ Scars from cut flaps of skin. ▪ Headaches due to damaged nerve endings. ▪ Inability to wear short hair.
