If you are unhappy with your hair, there are several options: shave your head (no hair - no problem), get a hairstyle like Lukashenko's, or transplant hair follicles.
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Important! Below are a few not-so-pleasant photos with anatomical details. If you eat, finish your food before reading further.
Let's understand how hair transplantation works and why people most often go to Turkey for this procedure.
Vladimir’s review of seamless hair transplantation – 2500 grafts
“To do something that is not only your profession, but also your hobby - I think I’m really lucky in this. However, I was not lucky in everything: from a very young age I began to lose my hair, at first the thinning hair could still be masked with hair, then with a cap, but when there was almost no hair left on my head, I realized that the only way out was a hair transplant...” Read Vladimir’s full review of hair transplant in Talizi.
What methods are used now?
FUE transplant: before and after
All techniques are divided into two groups – seamless ( FUE ) and suture ( FUT, Strip ). Theoretically, there are other experimental methods, but ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) only recognizes these two.
Both groups have their advantages and disadvantages. The number of FUE and FUT/Strip operations is approximately the same.
Recently, HFE and DHI - improved options for seamless transplantation. The grafts are smaller and the scars are not so visible.
A common drawback of all methods is that before removing the grafts, the hair in this area is shaved off. But if you are already used to shaving to hide your baldness, this is not a problem.
You can do without shaving only if you need to transplant a few follicles. For example, to disguise a scar or make new eyebrows.
If you need to transplant a lot of hair, but you can’t shave, pieces of hair are cut off. But this is not so convenient for the doctor; the effectiveness of the procedure decreases.
The operation itself is not difficult for the patient. You can watch TV, read a book or play. If necessary, you can stop at any time to walk or eat.
Seamless transplant
Seamless hair transplant process
FUE is the extraction (extraction) of follicular units. Groups of 1-4 follicles are called grafts.
Hair transplantation is carried out in three stages:
1. Grafts are drilled out of the skin under local anesthesia with a special tool – a punch. This is a metal handle with a beveled tube with a diameter of 0.5-0.9 mm inside.
2. Channels are made in the bald area. These are shallow cuts and will not need to be sutured.
3. The grafts are placed into the canals using tweezers in a checkerboard pattern. This way it turns out more natural - so that there is no “doll effect”.
How dolls' hair is sewn in: in large bunches along clear lines. Looks unaesthetic
Grafts are obtained manually or mechanically. You can manually cut up to 1.5 thousand grafts (yes, that’s not much!). In total, a person has 90-200 thousand hairs .
Grafts before transplantation
Need more? We'll have to take a microturbine and extract grafts with it. You can extract twice as many follicles.
It’s easier with a turbine - the doctor makes fewer movements and doesn’t get so tired. But the surgeon needs to feel how deep to take the grafts and how quickly.
The turbine rotates at speeds of up to 1 thousand revolutions per minute. The procedure requires serious experience and extreme care.
Advantages of the seamless method:
▪ Almost painless. ▪ Less traumatic. ▪ Punch marks will not be visible even on a shaved head.
Minuses:
▪ Suitable for small bald areas only. ▪ The procedure can last up to 8 hours. Not everyone can handle it. ▪ Up to 6% of follicles are damaged and lost.
Suture transplant
Suture hair transplant scheme
If the baldness is severe, you cannot do without stitches. The doctor will have to take a whole flap of skin and cut it into grafts. There are three main stages:
1. Strips of skin are cut out with a scalpel from the back of the head and divided into grafts.
2. The surgeon closes the edges of the wounds with sutures so that the scars are not so noticeable.
3. After this, the grafts are transplanted to the desired location manually or using an implanter. The surgeon takes into account the direction of hair growth to achieve naturalness.
Typically, the surgeon directly performs the transplantation, and assistants (up to eight people!) separate fresh grafts from the flaps.
Advantages of the suture method:
▪ Up to 5 thousand grafts – up to 12 thousand follicles – can be transplanted at a time. ▪ The operation takes 3-4 hours. ▪ Grafts are easier to remove. ▪ Rejection rate – less than 3%. ▪ Lower price.
Minuses:
▪ Scars from cut flaps of skin. ▪ Headaches due to damaged nerve endings. ▪ Inability to wear short hair.
Ivan about his hair transplants
“I was very lucky that I immediately got to such wonderful specialists, the fact is that our problem with hair runs in the family, starting from my grandfather. Since childhood, I have seen how my brother tries to maintain his healthy hair. Various masks, folk remedies, etc., nothing helped, a transplant was the only salvation. He performed his first operation in Moscow, the result was…” Read Ivan’s full review of hair transplantation in Talizi.
Hair transplant to Alexander from Moscow - Video and results
Alexander, a rising Russian pop star, arrived at the Talizi hair transplant center in Tbilisi. This is Alexander’s second hair transplant experience (the first hair transplant operation was performed in Russia). So this time he knew exactly what he needed, what to look for and how to make his choice. Alexander settled on the Talizi hair transplant center, and, after short negotiations, ended up in Georgia during the New Year holidays. Watch the video about Alexander's hair transplant and the results of the procedure.
When is hair transplantation used?
The most common indication for transplantation is the desire of the patient himself. If there are no prohibitions on the procedure, then this technique will not harm the body and will contribute to the appearance of new thick hair. Hair transplantation is also used for:
- androgenetic alopecia;
- cicatricial changes in the epidermis after injuries, burns or surgery;
- high location of the hairline of congenital nature;
- correction of the shape of curl growth;
- deep zones of lack of vegetation in the frontotemporal regions.
The technique helps eliminate pronounced defects in appearance, and is also indicated for the unsuccessful treatment of alopecia in men and women.
Damir's review of hair transplantation - 3200 grafts using the strip method
“For a long time I did not dare to write a review, although I had long ago promised to do so to the consultant and representative of the Talizi hair transplant clinic and just a good person, Zaza, who was and remains my accompanying mentor and Georgian friend. He probably just got arrogant and quietly enjoyed his result, didn’t believe his eyes. What can I say, I certainly didn’t expect this - to look 10 years younger, to regain my former head of hair...” Read Damir’s full review of hair transplantation in Talizi.
Advantages
- the procedure is minimally invasive;
- no traces of intervention in the donor area, its rapid recovery
- transplantable grafts contain 1-3 follicles, which increases hair density;
- absence of swelling and pain, low probability
- high survival rate - 92% - 95%
- maximum naturalness of the transplanted hair;
- the result lasts for life.
Hair transplantation can be performed at any stage of alopecia. A lot depends on the quantity and thickness of the patient’s donor material, the quality of the hair, and the mobility of the skin.
The hair in these zones is slightly different in structure: shorter, more fragile, and has a crimp that is not typical for hair, so it is used mainly to “thicken” the recipient zone.
Our clinic performs male transplantation of the head area and the beard and mustache area.
Peter about his seamless hair transplant in Talizi - 2000 + 2500 grafts
“In Talizi I performed 2 operations using the FUE method with a period of 1.5 years. When choosing a clinic, I considered options from Thailand, Turkey, Russia, and the USA. Despite the fact that in Thailand and Turkey they asked for the same money for the operation, I was worried about whether the doctors would be able to understand what I wanted, because they do not speak Russian. Having found out the prices for the operation in Russia and the USA in well-known clinics, I realized that I didn’t want to pay 30,000 USD for the operation...” Read Peter’s full review about hair transplantation in Talizi.
How to prepare for the procedure
In order for the transplant to be successful and give positive results, doctors prescribe a number of measures to prepare for the transplant. All patients should stop smoking at the time of preparatory procedures. This should be done 2 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks after it. Tobacco negatively affects the restoration process of the epidermis.
Tests required:
- general blood analysis;
- HIV test;
- for sexually transmitted infections;
- for hepatitis type C and B.
Additionally, the patient undergoes a biochemical blood test, coagulogram, and glucose. In some clinics, doctors prescribe special medications a few days before the transplant. These are antihemorrhagic drugs that prevent blood loss during graft collection.
Dmitry's review of seamless hair transplant in Talizi - 2090 grafts
“Hello to everyone who reads these reviews, I’m 27, I decided on OP half a year ago, I wasn’t happy with my front row of hair and angular bald spots (I don’t know what it’s called), I went online and found 3 clinics, Talizi, Moscow and one in St. Petersburg, (I will not advertise). I read the reviews, contacted Talizi’s manager, Zaza, and corresponded with him for quite a long time, for many months, I was scared to make up my mind. Initially, I decided for myself that I would do the FUE method and 2000 grafts on the front hairline, which I liked about Talizi initially, that there are very good reviews about the doctors, and they do large transplants in one day, which is not the case in other clinics...” Read the full review Dmitry about hair transplant in Talizi.
What kind of hair is transplanted?
Only your own hair is transplanted. Hair donation does not exist - foreign follicles do not take root. Theoretically, follicles can only be transplanted from one identical twin to another.
Where do hair transplants come from:
From the head
In 1952, plastic surgeon Norman Orentreich introduced the concept of donor dominance. He proved that hair from the temples and back of the head is the most resistant genetically.
They are resistant to male hormones, the imbalance of which causes androgenetic alopecia. This is what causes 90% of baldness cases.
The hair on the back of the head grows thickly, so that up to 50% of the follicles can be extracted without noticeable marks. This is if you choose a seamless method and drill individual grafts.
If you take flaps, the scars will remain. But often this is the lesser of two evils.
From the body
If there are few follicles on the back of the head, hairs are taken from the body. But they are sensitive to male hormones, and after transplantation they may fall out within 2-3 years.
Chest hair is sometimes transplanted into a beard or eyebrows. On the head - from the beard, they will grow longer than from other areas of the body.
If it is no longer possible to take the required number of follicles from the beard for transplantation onto the head (for example, during a repeat procedure), hair is taken from the groin area. Then the arms, legs, and chest go into action. But only if there are no other options.
This type of hair will not grow too long. Therefore, they are used either to fill in the crown and back of the head, or to create the front hairline.
Is it possible to transplant artificial hair?
Artificial hair next to real
hair. Artificial hair transplantation is performed in exceptional cases. In the USA, such procedures were banned in 1983 due to the high risks - from the development of infections to complete hair loss.
Artificial hair for transplantation is produced, for example, by the Italian Medicap (polymer single hair Biofibre and triple Medicap High Density) and the Japanese Nido. At the end of the hairs there are loops or hooks in a keratin sheath that prevent them from falling out of the skin.
But the effectiveness of such a procedure is much lower than if you work with living hair. The body can reject artificial hair.
Artificial hair cannot be dyed or curled, or used with a curling iron or iron. If you cut them short, it's gone forever. You also need to comb your hair very carefully.
Natalia's review of hair transplantation in Talizi, 3000 grafts
“I try not to look in the mirror. All the magazines and TV shows are vying to hammer into your head that hair loss is an absolutely normal phenomenon, which indicates that you are healthy, it makes you more courageous, more attractive, etc., etc. Articles and programs are generously flavored with photographs Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, Zidane, Gosha Kutsenko, finally. Everything is just fine... if you are a man. A woman’s problem in this matter is not a problem at all...” Read Natalia’s full review about hair transplantation in Talizi.
Artem's review of hair transplant in Talizi, 4500 grafts
“Good day everyone, a little about myself, at the time of the transplant I was 27 years old, the degree of baldness was 5. Almost a year and a half has passed since the hair transplant, and I finally pulled myself together and decided to write a review. Unfortunately, I no longer remember all the nuances of the trip, but I remember some things. A lot of time was spent searching for a clinic. The choice fell on Talizi, because two old friends lived in Tbilisi and they collected as much information as possible about this clinic for me...” Read Artem’s full review of hair transplant in Talizi.
How much hair will survive
On average, up to 95% of follicles survive. But everything very much depends on the qualifications of the doctor and the patient’s condition.
After a couple of weeks, some of the transplanted hair will fall out. But this is a natural update. The main thing is that the follicles will remain in place.
In general, a 100% guarantee on all follicles is a myth. Firstly, 3-6% of follicles will be lost before transplantation. Secondly, no one will count the transplanted hairs.
With artificial hair everything is sadder. About 10-20% of hairs fall out every year. You will have to adjust your hairstyle every 2-4 years.
Anton's review of the transplantation of 3500 grafts in Talizi
"Hi all. I am “formerly bald.” I had the operation in June 2010. Transplanted 3500. It was my first time in Tbilisi, so I took my wife with me, at the same time we saw the city, and we were also lucky with the weather. It took me a long time to plan, but somehow I decided right away. I'm from Peter. We had summer discounts in our city, about 1.5 euros, but they didn’t transplant more than 2000, and for me, given my volume, it would be like a drop in the bucket...” Read Anton’s full review of hair transplantation in Talizi.
Review by Vanka about hair transplant in Talizi, strip, 3500 grafts
"Hi all! So I got around to posting a story about my trip to Tbilisi. Although you can’t beat Maxim in this regard, so I think the photo report will be more interesting than re-listing what happened, I can only confirm that everything went fine, so I recommend everyone who is worried about the trip to Georgia to relax and think about the good )))." Read Vanka’s full review about hair transplantation in Talizi.
Maxim about his hair transplant procedures in Talizi
“I only want to tell you what I went through myself. And so on the way. I, like many others, got all the information I was interested in about hair transplantation from the Internet. At first it was difficult to understand the huge flow of information, but over time I learned to separate the seed from the chaff, so only two clinics remained in my field of vision - “Hair ru.” and "Talizi". I made the final choice in favor of the latter, for several reasons...” Read Maxim’s full review of hair transplantation in Talizi.
