For patients considering a hair transplant, perhaps the key thing that worries them the most is whether their hair restoration will actually work. Nobody wants to spend thousands of pounds on hair grafts which later fall out.
In general, hair transplantation is a procedure that offers a good chance of success. However, there is a lot of variation between the different types of hair transplants, the different clinics, and the surgeons that there are to choose from. Some patients find this choice overwhelming and don’t know what to expect.
Follicular Unit Extraction FUE – tried and tested technique
The most widespread hair transplant technique used today is FUE, or Follicular Unit Extraction. This involves taking donor hair follicles from the donor area, usually at the back of the head. These are known as hair grafts.
The hair grafts are then transplanted into the recipient area which is suffering from hair loss. For the most common types of hair loss such as genetic hair loss in men, this is most commonly on the crown area of the scalp and at the front of the hairline.
Success rates for a FUE hair transplant vary wildly. At the bottom end of the market, where a clinic cuts costs and uses unqualified staff, the survival rate for individual hair grafts can be less than 50%. There are also more likely to be side effects such as infection, which further damage the chances of hair grafts succeeding.
A reputable hair clinic offering FUE will usually have a hair graft survival rate of around 60-70%. This is considered to be the industry standard.
There is a similar success rate for an older hair transplant technique, Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). However, this technique often leaves scarring in the donor area so it is falling out of use amongst the most modern hair clinics.
Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) is an offshoot of FUE. It offers a higher hair graft survival rate as the hair grafts are protected during transplantation by a specially designed implanter pen.
DHI is typically used when fine-detailed work is required, such as when constructing a convincing natural-looking hairline. As individual hairs are important to achieving a natural look, the increased survival rate is important to the effect desired.
Sapphire DHI – the best just got better
Cosmedica Clinic in Istanbul has pioneered Sapphire DHI, which offers the highest graft survival rate of any treatment in the world. Hair grafts transplanted using Sapphire DHI have a survival rate of over 99%. No other technique comes close.
How has Dr. Levent Acar, the developer of this technology, achieved this? Through a combination of the most advanced technologies in the hair transplant industry. Firstly, he uses operating tools made of the precious stone sapphire. These are sharper and finer than traditional steel and make finer incisions, reducing wounding and infection and reducing the chance of damaging hair grafts.
Then, using a special implanter pen, the hair grafts are afforded 360-degree protection during the transplant. This means that none of them are damaged during moving and they all thrive.
For patients interested in the specifics of Sapphire DHI, more information is available here.
How you can help your hair transplant success rate
It is important to remember that the operation is not the culmination of a hair transplant process. Patients need to take steps to guarantee a successful hair transplant.
Firstly, patients need to follow exactly the instructions given by the hair surgeon. This usually means avoiding direct sunlight on the scalp, being very careful with washing hair, and avoiding contact between the head and other objects.
For more detail on how to help guarantee the success of a hair transplant, check out this blog post.
Newly transplanted hair will fall out a few weeks after the operation. This is nothing to worry about. The hair grafts are simply re-establishing themselves in their new environment. Full hair growth is usually achieved between 6 and 12 months after the operation.
Next steps
No clinic can 100% guarantee success in hair transplant surgery, as this depends on the physiology of individual patients. However, Sapphire DHI offers the best survival rates of any technology on the market.
Amazingly, although Sapphire DHI is the most advanced hair restoration surgery in the world, it is also very cost-effective. This is because Cosmedica Clinic is based in Istanbul, the most competitive and advanced place for hair surgery in the world. Sapphire DHI with Dr. Levent Acar is cheaper than an FUE or FUT operation in other countries but offers a greater chance of success.
