Hair Transplant is a procedure where small pieces known as grafts are removed from the scalp from the areas that have healthy hair follicles. These can be micro-grafts of only one or two hairs, mini grafts of a few hairs, or larger grafts of up to 40 hairs.

Depending on which technique is being used, grafts are inserted into tiny slits or holes the scalp. Single-hair grafts are usually used for the soft hairline.  Mini grafts go behind those, and then large grafts, so the hair gradually becomes denser. The hair on the back and sides of the head usually grows throughout your life, so you don’t have to worry about losing it after it has been transplanted.

Transplantation can take up to 8 hours however it is done as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the patients’ requests including density and coverage, multiple sessions may be required.  The second session can generally be performed after six months.   The entire process can take as long as 2 years.

FUE (FUI) Hair Transplant

FUE stands for Follicular Unit Extraction. The FUE technique is the most basic of all the techniques used in hair transplant procedures.

FUE Hair Transplant is simply when the hair follicles are taken individually and transplanted individually to the area where hair loss occurs. With the FUE technique it has been possible to work with each hair follicle independently.

Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) Transplantation

This is a relatively new procedure and just like FUE and the Sapphire, it leaves no visible scars and results look natural. While the graft extraction process is similar to FUE, there are a few differences.

During the procedure the hair follicles are extracted one by one using a specific tool that has a diameter of 1mm or less. The hair follicles are then implanted directly into the recipient area using an implanter tool, also known as Choi Implanter Pen. With DHI, no holes or slits are created before the implantation.

During DHI transplantation a Choi Implantor Pen is used after the hair is removed from the nape of the neck. It has many advantages and is currently the most popular technique.   The DHI technique does not require the channels to be opened beforehand in the area where the hair will be added. With the Choi pen the hair is transplanted without the need to open a slit.  This technique results in the removed follicle to be left out for the scalp for a shorter amount of time.

Sapphire Hair (SHP) Transplantation

The Sapphire technique is a combination of the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and DHI (Direct Hair Implantation). There are three stages to a Sapphire DHI operation.

The donor hairs are extracted from the donor area with a micromotor punch. Following this the hair channels in the recipient’s area are opened with a blade made of the precious stone sapphire. The blade is sharper and finer than the usual tools used so the cuts are less invasive, and they can be more precise and closer together. Finally, a DHI Implanter pen (Choi Implanter Pen) is used to implant the hair root in the fine cut made by the sapphire blades.