May 21th 2024

Hair implant: What is it and is it the same as hair transplant?

Baldness is a condition that, in most cases, causes notable self-esteem and even psychological problems. The alopecia It is the disease that causes irreversible hair loss, which affects a large part of the population, especially men, although there are also many cases of female alopeciato. In this context, the hair implant is presented as an effective solution to put an end to baldness.

The hair implant is, therefore, one of the most widespread techniques currently in the field of aesthetics. This is why more and more people are questioning what a hair implant is, what the procedure is like and, on many occasions, whether a hair implant is the same as a hair graft, since both terms tend to be used. But it is the same? From Hospital Capilar We tell you everything you need to know about the hair implant.

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Capillary implant in the extraction phase

What is meant by hair implant?

The hair implant refers to the surgical intervention aimed at restoring the patient's hair that has fallen due to alopecia. It is a minimally invasive outpatient surgery that does not require hospitalization and the patient can return home at the end of it.

It is currently the only method by which hair that has stopped growing naturally can be recovered. It consists, broadly speaking, in extracting Hair follicles where the hair from the area of ​​the head that is not affected by alopecia comes from and is implanted in the area with baldness. For its realization there are hair clinics in Spain specialized in this type of hair restoration methods.

Is it the same hair implant as hair transplant?

When referring to the hair transplant we can hear other terms such as hair graft, and even hair transplant. They actually refer to the same surgical technique and procedure, so could be considered the same. However, the more accurate term is "hair graft", since "hair transplantation" could be confused with the implantation of another person's follicles, a technique that is not viable, and "hair implantation" specifically refers to the phase of implantation of those hair follicles and not the whole itself. Anyway, is used interchangeably and both terms refer to hair surgery.

FUE hair implant procedure

The hair implant can be performed in two different ways: by FUE technique (Follicular Unit Extraction), the most used, and with the fuss technique (Follicular Unit Strip Surgery). The difference between them lies in the way the follicles are extracted: the FUSS technique removes skin, leaving a visible scar on the patient's scalp, while the FUE technique does not leave scars since the hair follicles are extracted one by one without the need to remove the patient's skin. Thus, the FUE hair implant is the most widespread and the one that offers the best results. Below we will tell you how is the procedure of a hair graft with FUE technique.

Medical diagnostic

The first thing is to make a capillary diagnosis of the patient. With this study, the medical team mainly determines the viability of the hair transplant, since there are candidates not suitable for hair grafting. That is, not everyone can perform this technique, the main reason for this is the scarcity of hair to implant. When alopecia is very advanced, it is likely that hair surgery cannot be performed.

On the other hand, with the medical diagnosis, professionals determine the type of alopecia of the patient, the most recommended hair treatment in his case, as well as evaluating the general state of health of the patient and that of his scalp, among others. Also in this capillary analysis, they estimate the number of hair follicles that will need to be extracted and implanted to perform the capillary implant.

hair shaving

On the day of surgery, the team proceeds to shave the hair. This is necessary to do since In order to extract the hair follicles, the hair is required to be approximately 1 or 2 millimeters long.. However, there is the hair graft without shaving for patients with long hair who do not want to shave completely. In these cases, only the donor zoneWhile receiving area it keeps.

Design

The surgeon performs the front line design, define the donor area and draw the entire recipient area. This is carried out according to the physiognomy of the patient, in addition to his tastes and preferences.

Local anesthesia

The hair implant is performed with Anesthesia local, not general, so the patient remains awake and conscious throughout the intervention. Anesthesia is injected into the scalp so that the patient does not feel pain. However, this is usually an annoying phase and, therefore, in Hospital Capilar we have the pre-anesthesia to considerably reduce the pain of it.  

Pre-anesthesia phase in a hair graft

Extraction and study of follicular units

After finishing the anesthesia phase, the healthcare team proceeds with the follicular unit extraction from the donor area. This is done with an instrument containing a micromotor punch. This device opens the channels in the scalp through which the hair follicles are extracted with tweezers.

The extracted follicular units are placed in Petri dishes for better conservation and survival. The team studies each follicular unit, orders and separates them based on the number of hairs contained in each unit. The same follicular unit can contain up to 4 or 5 hairs.

Incisions in the recipient area

Once all the necessary follicles have been extracted, normally between 2.000 and 3.500 hair follicles, the surgeon makes incisions in the area affected by baldness. For this, it uses a sapphire scalpel with which he makes the channels taking into account the angulation, design and natural growth of the patient's hair.

Implantation of follicular units

Follicular units are implanted in each opening made in the incisions. It is carried out with tweezers and one by one. With this, the capillary surgery is finished and the patient begins the hair implant postoperative. You can return home normally, but taking into account the relevant medical indications.

3 frequently asked questions about hair implants

After knowing what the hair implant is and its procedure, it is common for doubts to arise in this regard. This is why it is recommended that they be professionals in a hair clinic who resolve the doubts first hand. In Hospital Capilar We will solve them delighted!

When does hair start to grow after a hair implant?

The most frequent question about hair surgery is when we will begin to see results. It must be taken into account that this is a long process, specifically 1 year in duration. At 6 months we will be able to appreciate new hair, although we will be at 50% of the process and the other half will still have to grow. Therefore, the definitive results of the capillary implant are given one year after surgery. In cases where the crown is intervened, this period is usually extended to 18 months.

Is the hair implant painful?

As we have previously mentioned, local anesthesia is used to make the process painless. The only moment that can cause discomfort in a hair implant is precisely in the application of anesthesia.

How much does a hair transplant cost?

Hair implant prices vary depending on the clinic and the services included with the surgery. Normally, it usually oscillates between 2.000 and 5.000 euros hair surgery in Spain. In any case, it is highly recommended to consult the hair transplant price, in addition to the services that they include, since we must not forget that it is a long process where cures and certain hair treatments are required to achieve an optimal result.

Results of a hair graft

Get your hair back in Hospital Capilar

En Hospital Capilar, with clinics in Madrid, Murcia and Pontevedra, you can recover your hair from the hands of professionals in hair surgery. Request your medical diagnosis at no cost and recover the best version of yourself. 

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