Capillary graft

The capillary graft is currently one of the most popular cosmetic treatments worldwide among those who suffer from alopecia . A technique that, taking advantage of the hair from the neck and other areas of the patient’s body, is transplanted into the bald areas of the head.

The hair loss is one of the main aesthetic problems of men over 30 years relative to its image. When talking about baldness, reference is made to androgenic alopecia, which occurs most frequently, and which implies that hair does not grow back naturally.

Spain is precisely one of the countries in the world with the largest number of bald men. From the age of 25, 25% of Spaniards begin to suffer the first signs of baldness. From the age of 50, the percentage of bald Spaniards increases to 50%.

Baldness

Baldness is a very common condition, especially among men, whose causes in the vast majority of cases are related to hormonal changes . However, recent studies have also linked alopecia to genetics .

The most common of all is what is known as androgenic alopecia , which occurs in men and its direct cause is linked to the fact that the hormone dihydrotestosterone damages hair follicles.

Those who suffer from this type of alopecia begin to progressively notice how their hair is getting thinner and weaker, until it reaches a point where the hair follicles disappear.

What is the hair graft?

In general, this procedure consists of taking advantage of hair from the neck or from other areas of the patient’s body to transplant it in those areas affected by alopecia.

The main benefit of hair transplantation is that the patient is the donor himself , so the risk of rejection is practically nil. In addition, it is a treatment that does not require general anesthesia, but only local anesthesia is administered.

As for the time of duration, it depends on what the needs of the patient are. There are times when a single session is sufficient, while others require several.

Advantages and disadvantages of the hair graft

In the following sections we explain in detail what are the advantages and disadvantages of this aesthetic treatment depending on the technique used.

FUSS technique

This is today the most used hair graft technique as it allows covering large areas affected by alopecia. Of course, it is necessary for the patient to have areas from which to extract hair, such as the nape or the beard, for example.

One of the main advantages of this technique is that the survival rate of the follicles is considerably higher since more tissue is removed during the procedure. In this way, the density of hair in the receiving area is also higher.

In relation to the drawbacks of the FUSS technique in hair implants, the most notable is that the scar in the donor area resulting from the intervention is larger and more visible. There are stitches, so the recovery process is slower and more troublesome.

FUE technique

In this case, the hair graft is carried out by obtaining hair follicles one by one, each of which contains one or more hairs. Thus, it is a procedure that requires a large number of sessions.

The most outstanding advantage is that there are no scars as the extraction is carried out individually. Thus, the recovery process is much more bearable since there are no stitches; it is not even necessary to rest.

As for the drawbacks, the most important of all has to do with the time it takes to perform each graft, which significantly lengthens the duration of the treatment. Furthermore, in the vast majority of cases of generalized alopecia, total repopulation using this technique is very complicated.

How is the hair graft done?

First consultation

Once the patient goes to the clinic to undergo this treatment, first the doctor takes his medical history , taking into account different factors such as age or if he suffers from a chronic disease, among others.

Next, proceed to perform a hair examination to determine which is the most recommended technique and which is the procedure to apply. The study is carried out in a totally individualized way.

Preparation

Before the hair graft, there are a series of cares to take both the day before and the same day of the intervention.

First of all, it is essential to wash your hair 24 hours before with a special shampoo to disinfect both the hair and the scalp. Second, it is recommended to fast for at least eight hours before the intervention.

And finally, it is essential to inform the doctor of all the medications that are taken on a regular basis. During the days of the intervention, it is not advisable to take any drug that may impair blood clotting, such as aspirin for example.

Process

The hair graft intervention lasts approximately six hours. It is done on an outpatient basis, so it does not require hospital admission. The patient is given local anesthesia as well as an oral anxiolytic to keep him calm.

One of the most important procedures of hair grafting is the extraction of donor hair, which can be done using two different techniques.

• Removing a strip of scalp: the technique consists of making a small incision in the nape of the neck to remove a strip of skin with hair. This band is later divided into groups of between one and three hairs, which are later implanted in the bald areas of the head. The main advantage of this technique is that a large number of follicular units can be implanted in a single session.
• Extraction of follicular units: this procedure is more laborious since the follicular units are extracted individually and later implanted in the recipient area. Its main benefit is the absence of scars, although the number of follicular units implanted per session is very small.

In the vast majority of cases, medical professionals choose to follow the scalp strip extraction technique . It is only not recommended when the patient does not have sufficient hair density at the nape of the neck, as well as when the hair present in this area does not meet the conditions for implantation. Of course, in these cases, donor hair can also be extracted from other areas of the body, such as the beard or chest.

Once the follicles have been extracted, the next step is to implant them in the recipient area . The follicles that contain more hairs are placed in the area where you want to achieve a higher capillary density. Meanwhile, those that only contain one or two hairs are implanted in the transition zone. And finally, hair follicles with a single hair are placed on the line where the hair begins.

For implantation, a large volume is injected under the scalp. In this way, very small incisions are made, which are distended to make way for the follicles.

After the intervention

Once the hair implant has been carried out, the doctor proceeds to clean the area. It is not necessary to cover the donor and recipient area with any dressing. Once the patient arrives home, it is recommended to apply local cold to reduce inflammation. It is also recommended to hydrate the area with physiological saline frequently.

If the intervention has been carried out using the FUSS technique, within approximately 10 to 12 days the patient must go to the clinic to remove the stitches.

Results

It is important to note that the implanted hair falls out, but the hair follicle remains, so it will grow like normal hair. The first results begin to be seen six months after the intervention . The new hair is usually very fine, but as time goes by it becomes thicker and thicker. Thus, the definitive results are given one year after the hair graft.

No special treatment is necessary for new hair. However, in some cases patients come to the clinic periodically for a check-up .

Hair graft complications

The hair graft is an intervention, and as such it has a series of complications that are interesting to know. It is important to note that these complications are not very frequent and that in practically 100% of cases they are mild.

One of the most common is local pain in both the donor and recipient areas. To calm him down, the doctor recommends the administration of painkillers and the application of local cold. Also the inflammation in the implantation area, which decreases over time.

Infections occur rarely, and improve after days with the administration of antibiotics.

Hair transplant in Turkey

Currently Turkey has become the world destination for all those who want to have a hair transplant. Only in Istanbul it is estimated that today there are more than 250 specialized clinics in this treatment. In the case of Spain, the figures indicate that around 10,000 people travel to Turkey to undergo this intervention.

The reasons for going to Turkey are various. The first, and generally the most important of all, is price; in many cases it is 50% cheaper than in Spain.

The second is that Turkish clinics are offering increasingly better service to patients. They put at your disposal a telephone number in Madrid or Barcelona so that the first contact is easy. Once the call is made, the doctor evaluates each case and offers a personalized pack to the patient; In addition to the intervention, the price includes transportation, accommodation and a translator upon arrival in Turkey.

Cheap can be very expensive

Due to the fact that thousands of foreigners come to Turkey every year to have a hair graft, clinics specializing in this intervention have proliferated in the country. However, in many cases they do not have qualified medical professionals or adequate facilities for such treatment.

Thus, in some cases, patients present moderate infections , as well as healing problems. There are also cases in which the hair graft has not had the expected result.

That is why it is essential to find a trustworthy clinic that has medical professionals specialized in this procedure and that has a safe sanitary environment.

In recent years, the demand for hair grafting has increased at a dizzying rate . A minimally invasive aesthetic intervention that allows a solution to the problems of alopecia. This procedure emerged more than 50 years ago and since then the techniques used have progressively advanced; the FUE technique emerged only 12 years ago.