7 Common Mistakes in Hair Transplantation

Hair loss is one of the most common problems in men, but also in women. Since it is a common problem, hair transplantation, which is the only permanent solution to hair loss, is a very common procedure today. However, for this reason, there is a serious misinformation about hair transplantation in the society. From the Department of Hair Transplantation at Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital, Dr. Mahmut Alan Kaya gave information about the known mistakes in hair transplantation.

Wrong: “Hair transplant is not done in summer”

It is one of the most common misconceptions about hair transplantation that hair transplantation cannot be done in the summer months. Hair transplantation can be done in 4 seasons of the year. It is only necessary to be careful about the issues to be specified by the doctor for a certain period of time after the operation. For example, it is not recommended to swim in the sea or pool for the first month after a hair transplant. Every person can have hair transplant in any season by making the necessary plans on these issues.

Wrong: “Hair transplantation can be done by taking root only from the beard or only from the chest”

Hair transplantation is the process of taking the hair one by one from the safe area called the donor area and transplanting it to the places where there is thinning. The area used as a source is the area starting from the back of the ear and going towards the nape. This area is called the safe zone. Everyone always has hair in this area. The hair in the safe area is the hair resistant to shedding. Sometimes the roots in the donor area may not be enough, and in this case, roots can be taken from the chest or beard. For example, if the patient needs 4500 roots and 4000 roots can be taken from the nape, the remaining 500 roots can be completed from the beard. However, it is not correct to perform hair transplantation by taking roots only from the beard or chest. These zones can only be used for support purposes. The priority is always the nape, because the hair follicles in this area are permanent and have a high retention rate.

Wrong: “Sapphire method is better” or “DHI method is better”

There are great manipulations especially in DHI and sapphire techniques. While only the centers that perform DHI hair transplantation state that DHI is the newest method, important information pollution is circulating, such as the centers that apply sapphire claim that sapphire is the best. Sapphire and DHI methods are used separately, and sometimes both methods are used together. In the sapphire method, after the roots are taken with the FUE method, first the channels are opened with the sapphire tips selected according to the thickness and length of the roots, and then the roots are placed in these channels. In the DHI method, the roots taken are placed in the DHI pens one by one. DHI pen tips are selected according to the thickness and length of the root. Roots are transplanted directly to the area to be planted without opening a canal. In some patients, the areas where there is a lot of space are first transplanted with sapphire pens, and then transplanted with DHI pens for thickening between the hairs. That is, the two methods can be used together. These two methods do not have any advantage over each other. DHI is a better method in order not to damage the existing hair, especially in patients who have a lot of thinning and need to be tightened in between. Sapphire tips are more advantageous in patients where the gap is obvious and large numbers of transplants are required. The choice of method is decided in the pre-consultation of the doctor.

Wrong: “There is no risk of complications in hair transplantation”

Hair transplantation is in the group of minor surgical procedures. Therefore, like all surgical procedures, there are potential side effects and risks of complications. This risk increases depending on whether the planting center is a health institution and whether the planting people have sufficient experience and knowledge. The most common side effects are infection and necrosis. Infection is a side effect that is usually seen in non-sterile areas. There is a risk of infection most frequently in centers that are not sterile and do not use personalized materials. Infections such as HIV and hepatitis can be transmitted to different patients.

Necrosis, on the other hand, is a partial gangrene-like condition that occurs when the channels are opened in centers where the appropriate method is not used, causing the circulation in the region to deteriorate. In very severe cases of necrosis, skin collapses can be seen. Sometimes, patients can have permanent damage that will require very serious correction operations.

False: “Unshaven hair transplantation is suitable for everyone”

Unshaven transplantation is a method desired by everyone, especially because it provides a great advantage for early return to social life, but unfortunately not every patient is suitable for unshaven transplantation. The biggest disadvantage of unshaven transplant is that a limited number of transplants can be done in one transplant session. If unshaven sowing is required in those with large gaps, many repeated sessions are required.

Wrong: “A doctor will do my hair transplant in any center I go to”

The biggest handicap in hair transplantation in many centers is that the people who perform the procedure are not even medical personnel, let alone being doctors. One of the most important problems in many centers is that preliminary interviews are made with the doctor and the procedure is not done by the doctor. Generally, patients do not see the doctor when they come to the procedure. Transplantation is performed by technicians who are unknown to the patient. Especially for foreign patients, this situation creates a confidence-shattering situation for our country. At the time of the operation, patients need to know which technique will be used as well as who will do the operation. For this reason, it is very important that the procedure is carried out under the control of the doctor from the beginning to the end.

Wrong: “FUE method is a planting method like DHI and sapphire”

One of the most confusing issues in hair transplantation is that the FUE method is thought to be the transplantation method. Actually, the FUE method is a root retrieval method. In other words, the hair is taken with the FUE method and transplanted with the sapphire or DHI methods.