 "Hair Transplantation")
Turkey has been a favorite destination for men and women seeking hair transplants for decades. As such, hair restoration surgeons at clinics in Turkey have been able to make great advancements in the field by developing new techniques and utilizing cutting-edge equipment. The Dr Serkan Aygin Clinic in Istanbul has more than 25 years of experience in helping patients from all over the world by offering all-inclusive hair transplant packages. While hair transplants in Turkey can offer truly life-changing results (simply see the inspiring case of Wayne Rooney), they are not an option for every patient.
The first step for anyone interested in a hair transplant surgery is to assess the degree of hair loss. For patients with an extremely recessive hairline or those who are completely bald, a hair transplant may not be a viable option. To perform a successful hair transplant, the patient must have adequate healthy hair to be transplanted to the recipient area. Typically, hair loss is evaluated on a 7-point scale known as the Norwood Scale, it covers everything from no obvious hair loss, to complete baldness. During your free consultation, your doctor will begin by assessing your level of hair loss.
The Norwood Scale
The Norwood Scale is the standard metric by which hair loss is evaluated. It contains 7 levels defined as such:
Norwood Stage 1
There are no visible signs of hair loss. The patient has a full head of hair, though mild thinning may be present.
Norwood Stage 2
The hair has begun to fall out at the temples and the hairline is beginning to recede.
Norwood Stage 3
The hair loss has become noticeable. The patient’s hairline has receded from the temples resulting in the typical M-shaped hairline associated with pattern baldness.
Norwood Stage 3 (Vertex)
The patient’s hairline has not greatly receded, however, the hair at the crown (vertex) of the head has become noticeably thinner.
Norwood Stage 4
The patient’s hairline and vertex have become significantly thinner or even bald. These two areas are still distinctly separated by a line of hair.
Norwood Stage 5
The patient has continued to lose hair at the hairline and vertex. The areas are separated by an increasingly thin line of hair.
Norwood Stage 6
The receding hairline and vertex have connected. The patient is now nearly completely blad on top of the head, though some sparse hair may remain.
Norwood Stage 7
Hair loss has progressed to the back and sides of the head leaving only a thin line of sparse hair.
Additionally, there is a Norwood Scale Class A in which the hair loss begins at the hairline and gradually continues backwards.
Who Qualifies For A Hair Transplant?
During Norwood Stages 1 and 2, a hair transplant is generally unnecessary as any hair loss is unlikely to be noticed. The majority of hair transplant surgeries are performed on patients in the 3rd or 4th Norwood Stage. For patients in the 6th or 7th Stage, hair transplants are unlikely to be a viable option as the remaining hair is simply too weak. It is advised that patients seek hair restoration treatment no later than Norwood Stage 5.
How Are Hair Transplants Performed?
Follicular Unit Extraction
During an FUE transplant, the patient’s hair follicles are removed individually from the donor area and are stored in a special nutrient-rich solution before being implanted directly into the recipient area. At the Dr Serkan Aygin Clinic, we only perform FUE procedures using sapphire blades, as it allows for several additional benefits. Sapphire blades are capable of creating finer channels in the recipient area which enables denser and more precise placement of hair grafts. Additionally, Sapphire FUE hair transplants pose a significantly lower risk of bleeding and scarring and a faster recovery time than conventional steel blades.
Direct Hair Implantation
DHI is the newest technique used by hair restoration surgeons. It is a further refined version of the FUE technique in which the hair follicles are extracted one-by-one from the donor area and immediately implanted into the recipient area with the help of a Choi Implanter Pen.
Both of these techniques are available with soft anesthesia allowing for a totally pain-free experience. Hair transplants are typically useful for patients up to Norwood Stage 5 and will provide a permanent solution. Final results are typically achieved within 12 months following the procedure.
What Options Are Available for Completely Bald Patients?
For patients at the most advanced stages of hair loss (Norwood Stages 6 and 7), there are still viable options for a hair transplant. Hairs can also be transplanted onto the scalp from the beard or elsewhere on the body. Hair transplants from a patient’s beard are a popular choice for covering hair loss on the vertex, however, they do not provide the most natural-looking results when placed on the hairline. For receding hairlines, the most popular alternative is to transplant hair from elsewhere on the body, most notably, the chest.