WHAT IS HAIR TRANSPLANTATION?

Hair transplantation is distributing hair follicles onto the balding area of head from the area where there is a lot of them. Back of head and temple areas are mainly used as donor areas, though in case of necessity hair can be transplanted from beard or other parts of body as well (chest, back, etc.)

There is a common question _ why do we use hair only from back of head and temples for transplantation and why don’t they fall after the procedure?

Hair transplantation has cardinally defined indications like:

1. Androgenic or male type of alopecia
2. Traction alopecia
3. Congenital defect correction (beard, mustache, brows, so called high forhead, etc.)

Androgenic alopecia is expressed in 95% of hair loss occasions and it is the major pathology which is the reason for hair transplantation. Androgenic alopecia can also be expressed in women.

Thus, androgenic alopecia mechanism became the base of hair transplantation principles.

You may have noticed that all bald men have maintained hair lines on their temples and back of head areas, the width and density of which is individual in each case. Why does this happen?

Two main types of male hormones – Androgens participate in male hair loss mechanism, they are testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Dihydrotestosterone is formed from testosterone. The Enzyme 5 alpha reductase transforms relatively inactive testosterone into more active Dihydrotestosterone. Thus, the main enzyme involved in hair loss is 5 alpha reductase. Being transformed into active hormone, DHT is able to contact with all types of receptors of hair follicles and influences on them harmfully. Damaged hairs decrease in size and diameter becomes thinner, shorter and gain relatively lighter color. Such hairs gradually start falling and their follicle dies.

An important fact is that the described changes take place only in the areas of forehead and summit, that’s why they are sometimes called androgen-depended. However the hair located in the areas of temples and back of head aren’t affected by the harmful influence of androgens because the androgen sensitive receptors’ consistence is very low in their follicles as well as 5 alpha reductase concentrations. That’s why these hairs never fall and they are sometimes called permanent hairs. These hairs are used as donors for hair transplantation. They retain their morphological and physiological features even after transplantation, they continue growing and never fall. This is called Donor Dominant Phenomenon by Norman Orentreich (1959) and the hair transplantation theory is based exactly on this.

Besides hormones, genetic code is also important in developing androgenic alopecia. Coexistence of these two factors is essential. If there is genetic predisposition, hair loss mechanism can be switched on, and in case of no genetic code hairs don’t fall. At the same time, if androgens don’t circulate in blood, even in case of genetic predisposition no hair loss is distinguished. Even Hippocrates noticed that the eunuchs didn’t go bald in the earliest past.

It should be mentioned that some firms produce artificial or synthetic hairs (microfilms), which are rarely used in transplantation. The reason for this is that artificial hair doesn’t grow, causes disturbing itching in patients, results in a lot of complications (skin nodular processes, infections, developing scars) and eventually they even fall.

Thus, the only effective way of solving the problems caused by androgenic alopecia is distributing genetically healthy hair follicles _ transplanting patient’s own hair.

DeaMed Clinic uses the newest non-traumatic hair transplantation technology – Follecular Micro transplantation, when only micro-grafts are transplanted (graft is a follicular unit consisting of 1to 4 hairs) and the best result is achieved. Developing scars is eliminated in both donor and recipient areas, maximum hair density and absolutely natural look is achieved, which significantly improves aesthetic effect of hair transplantation.

Hair transplantation is an ambulatory procedure, its duration depends on the volume of the work and lasts for 3-6 hours.

The manipulation id conducted under local anesthesia, absolutely painlessly, without any side effects, in free conditions for a patient (patient sits comfortably in an armchair, able to watch a desired TV show or a film, to make a phone call, listen to music, etc.)

After transplantation, due to hair growth physiological stages, perfect healthy hairs start growing from the follicles after 2-3 months. After 6 month the effect is significant and maximal result is achieved after 10-12 months.

It is impossible to distinguish transplanted hair from the rest of hairs, is grows normally and and doesn’t fall. Patient can cut, dye or style it according to their desire.