Hair Transplantation techniques: An update

Hair Transplantation techniques: An update

We have around 1 lac hair follicles (roots) on our head.  In baldness, we lose the temporary hair from the frontal head. Baldness is seen after 50% hair roots are lost.

Hair Transplantation Procedure:

 Hair transplantation is a minor but very delicate surgery done by highly experienced, qualified doctors. In this, permanent hair root from other part of body (usually head, sometimes beard, chest etc) is transplanted on the bald area. These hairs grow naturally after an incubation period of 1-3 months.

These permanent roots remain for the rest of life and undergo regular cutting. They don’t need any maintenance.

Usually hair transplantation is undertaken by males, and it is also successful in females.

We perform hair transplantation by three methods:  FUT, FUE and the most advanced DHT.

FUT: Follicular Unit Transplantation 

This is the oldest method of hair transplantation. Here a strip of skin containing hair roots is taken from the permanent zone of head (backside). The strip is dissected under microscope to individual “grafts” containing hair roots. This method leaves a scar on the donor site. This is more technician dependant.

FUE: Follicular Unit Extraction

In this method, individual grafts are harvested, leaving no scar on the donor area. This is a stitchless method.

DHT: Direct Hair Transplantation

While doing hair transplantation over the years, we were constantly striving to improve the results and reduce all the limiting factors.

Here, the grafts are extracted and immediately planted by a NO TOUCH technique.  The transit time (i.e. the time period for which grafts stay outside body) is reduced to minutes.  The procedure is carried by the doctors only, not left to the technicians. We named this technique as Direct Hair Transplantation (DHT)

Table:

	FUT	FUE	DHT
Percentage of time during which the doctor operates	30%	50%	100%
Graft handling by the doctor	30%	50%	100%
Transit time, time period during which the graft remains outside the body	2-5 hours	3-5 hours	Within minutes
Chances of graft survival	70-85 %	80-90 %	98-100 %
Storage solution	required	required	Not required
Mechanical handling	more	less	least
Chances of graft dessication	more	less	least
Chances of graft infection	more	less	least
Scar after surgery	A linear scar remains on the occipital scalp	No linear scar, no stitches, no scalpel	No linear scar, no stitches, no scalpel

Dr Pradeep Sethi, MD (AIIMS, New Delhi)

Dr Arika Sethi, MD (AIIMS, New Delhi)

dhtclinic@gmail.com

www.directhairtransplantation.com

429, Street number -8, Rajender Nagar, Dehradun

+91-8057541540, 0135-2750096