Frequently asked questions about hair transplant

How much does a hair transplant cost?

The price of a hair transplant often depends on the number of grafts, or the number of hairs, depending on the medical and surgical teams. In general, the price of a graft varies from €1 to €4 in Western countries, and can be much lower in low-cost countries, and higher in Asia or the USA. The quality of treatment varies from centre to centre, and above all from country to country. Post-operative follow-up and patient care also vary from one centre to another. In low-cost countries, post-operative follow-up is not guaranteed, as there are no post-operative consultations for these operations.

At what age can hair transplants be done?

Traditionally, a hair transplant should be carried out once hair loss has stabilised. However, more and more requests are coming from young people, and it is very important to set up a medical treatment associated with the transplant, in order to stabilize the hair loss process. Indeed, it is very often in young people that the psychological repercussions are greatest, so a hair transplant can considerably improve the situation, provided that it is accompanied by medical treatment.

Are there any cases where a hair transplant is impossible?

In some cases, transplantation is impossible, particularly in the aftermath of recent chemotherapy, or when there is an inflammatory dermatological disease. Certain autoimmune diseases cause hair loss and are associated with eyelash and eyebrow loss. In these cases, the graft is contraindicated because the grafts will not take and will fall out. On the other hand, when the patient's requests are unrealistic, hair transplants should not be carried out, as this could lead to therapeutic failure. Finally, there are cases where the capacity of the donor area is insufficient to cover the area to be treated, in which case the transplant should be advised against, and the patient referred to another solution.

Does the donor area grow back after a hair transplant?

It is acknowledged that the donor area does not grow back after a graft has been harvested. However, some studies have reported cases of regeneration of the donor area after application of PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment. These results are still the subject of debate and are being called into question by other teams. A study is currently underway at our centre.

How should the donor area be treated after a hair transplant?

The donor area is usually the occipital area (back of the head) as well as the parietal and sometimes temporal areas on either side of the head. This area will be marked by the presence of a large number of tiny holes, which are the marks of the coring of the scalp carried out during FUE harvesting. These microscopic holes are less than a millimetre in diameter and will heal spontaneously within a few days. From the day after the operation, they are much less visible than on the day of the graft. An antiseptic ointment can be applied to the donor area, and the skin cleansed daily with shampoo. If irritation occurs, moisturising the area by applying aloe vera gel or spraying thermal spring water can soothe it. As hair grows back very quickly, in a fortnight harvesting will be invisible, and a new haircut will then be possible.

Will scars be visible after a hair transplant procedure?

In general, the scars left after a hair transplant using the FUE technique are invisible, which distinguishes this method from the out-dated strip techniques, which left transverse scars on the back of the skull, visible on a patient with short hair. The FUE technique involves micro-coring the scalp with perforations of less than 1mm. With a hair length of just a few millimetres, there is no visible scarring. When the patient is completely shaved on the back of the head, punctiform scars may be slightly visible. The advantage of this procedure is that the scars are not very visible and there is no pain.

Why does hair fall out after a hair transplant?

It is completely normal for hair to fall out after a hair transplant. Once the hair has been removed from the back of the head, it is placed in a physiological serum or saline solution at fairly low temperatures. During this time, the grafts are no longer vascularised and lack oxygen, which precipitates the passage of the hair follicle cells into the last phase of the cycle, marked by hair loss. This generally occurs around the 15th or 20th day after the transplant. The first hair regrowth will only be visible from the 3rd month after the operation. Densification will take place gradually. Not all the hair will grow back at the same time.

What are the risks of a hair transplant?

The risks of a hair transplant depend on the technique used. The old FUT technique, known as "strip", involved risks of suture disruption and bruising, which do not occur with hair transplants using the FUE method. The risk of infection is very low, as the scalp defends itself very well against infection. Infections are exceptional. Nevertheless, some patients may be subject to keloid scars or epidermal cysts during healing or hair regrowth. The main risks are insufficient hair regrowth, which depends on several factors: the experience of the team that performed the operation, the patient's hygiene, and state of health.

What is the best hair transplant technique?

Today, the FUE technique is the gold standard for hair transplants. In fact, it has supplanted the strip technique (FUT). Some people still use this technique because they have not fully mastered the FUE technique. The FUE technique gives the best results and, above all, avoids scarring at the back of the head and is much less painful. It is currently the most frequently used technique in the world. Harvested grafts can be implanted in 2 ways:

• Initial incision of the skin with a scalpel blade and placement of the grafts in a second step.
• Incision and placement of the grafts at the same time, using CHOI implanters, a technique also known as DHI (Direct Hair Implant).

How can baldness be stabilised?

Over the last 3 years, medical treatments have become much more effective, thanks in particular to genetic analysis, which allows us to better identify the biological mechanisms responsible for hair loss. Depending on the patient's results, this DNA analysis enables us to offer you more specific, personalised and much more effective treatments. In many cases, we observe hair regrowth that can be very significant.

How do you remove scabs after a hair transplant?

After a hair transplant using the FUE technique, there are micro-scabs on the grafted areas which will disappear in the days following the operation, thanks to shampooing. These shampoos should be carried out the day after the operation, which will soften the scabs and allow them to fall off gradually. The scabs normally last 8 to 10 days. Occasionally, when shampooing is carried out a little too cautiously (because the patient is afraid of removing the grafts), the scabs may persist for longer, around 3 weeks. In these circumstances, they need to be softened by applying Vaseline in the evening, which softens the scabs and rehydrates them, making them easier to remove in the morning when shampooing.

How long does the hair implanted last?

The hair taken from the donor area, i.e., from the back of the head in the occipital and parietal areas, will last, once transplanted, for as long as the hair that was not harvested from the back of the head, and will have the same lifespan as the hair from the donor area. This means that the hair will persist throughout life, as it is less affected by hair loss. However, in the later years of life, it is possible to observe hair loss when the donor area has also been affected.

What is the difference between baldness and alopecia?

Alopecia is the result of hair loss that is higher than the daily renewal observed in the normal state. In fact, it is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs every day, which are renewed and replaced by the new hairs that grow back. When hair loss exceeds regrowth, the loss of density on the scalp progresses, and this is alopecia (hair loss). When this has been going on for several months or years, the result is baldness, with areas heavily affected by this alopecia. Baldness is therefore the result of alopecia that has developed over several years.

Is it necessary to take vitamins after a hair transplant?

It is not essential to take food supplements after a hair transplant. However, if you are taking vitamins and minerals, which are usually necessary for hair regrowth, this will not affect the result of the transplant. On the other hand, it is important to ensure that iron, vitamin B and vitamin D levels are correct before having a hair transplant, as this can lead to hair loss.

Why are hair transplants cheaper abroad?

As in many sectors of the industry, the price of services is cheaper abroad, the main reason being the taxes in force in France. Also, a nurse's salary is 6 to 7 times lower in Turkey than in France. The other important factor is the cost of the Turkish currency, which has undergone a significant devaluation, resulting in very favourable trade with the euro. Finally, the Turkish government is paying for advertising campaigns, internet ads and television reports on European and American channels, in order to attract people. For them, this is revenue-generating medical tourism.

Is hospitalisation required?

No hospitalisation is required after a hair transplant using the FUE technique, unlike the old techniques of 20 years ago, which required hospitalisation when skin flaps were produced under general anaesthetic. This is the advantage of these techniques, which are performed under local anaesthetic on an outpatient basis.

Is it possible to correct a previous hair transplant?

Yes, it is possible to correct a previous hair transplant with insufficient results. But first of all, it is essential to check the grafting capacity of the donor area. In other words, the residual hair density in the donor area must be measured to determine whether it is still possible to harvest hair. We carry out these corrections very regularly in our centre, sometimes with deplantations and replacements.

How long to wait before having a haircut?

A haircut after a hair transplant can be carried out from around the fifteenth day, i.e. when the scabs have completely disappeared and hair regrowth has begun. This makes it possible to even out the length of the hair and achieve a socially presentable haircut.

Are there other alternatives to hair transplants?

Various medical treatments exist for people who have not lost all their hair. At our centre, we offer several NHT treatment protocols, to prevent hair loss, to halt the progress of baldness, or as a complement to a hair transplant. Wearing a hairpiece may also be recommended. Today, there are custom-made, undetectable hair prostheses that allow you to lead a normal life.

What is PRP?

PRP means Platelet Rich Plasma. The session begins with a blood sample being taken, which is centrifuged to separate the red blood cells from the plasma and platelets. The platelets are reinjected into the scalp and release a number of growth factors.

The injection of PRP stimulates regrowth and an increase in hair density is frequently observed. This procedure can be carried out in addition to a transplant to improve results, or to prevent hair loss.

Can women have hair transplants?

Yes, we can recommend hair transplants to women following hair loss, to fill in balding areas, but also to change the hairline on the forehead or conceal a scar.

Some women with fairly high foreheads want to lower their hairline and round it out at the level of the fronto-temporal gulfs, to make it look more feminine.

We perform transplants using the Long Hair technique, without shaving either the donor or the recipient area. This is a very important step forward, because it means we can offer this procedure to women without the psychological blow of shaving the head.

What are the different hair transplant techniques?

There are several hair transplant techniques, including FUT, FUE and DHI.

For a long time, FUT was the most widely used hair transplant technique in the world until 2015.

This technique involves cutting a strip of scalp 1.5 cm to 2 cm high and 15 cm to 25 cm wide from the back of the head (donor area). This technique, known as "strip grafting", leaves a transverse, linear scar at the back of the head.

Nowadays, the most widespread technique is FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). Teams using this technique micro-core the scalp to extract the grafts. This is the technique we use at our centre.

This harvesting technique leaves no visible scar on the donor area. To transplant the grafts, in our centre we use CHOI implanters, which make it possible to make the incision in the skin and place the graft in the same movement. This method was developed in South Korea. The technique is sometimes known as DHI (Direct Hair Implant).