SURGERY FOR HAIR LOSS

History

Hair loss surgery has evolved from flap surgery, scalp reduction surgery and the older mini-graft or micro-graft hair transplantation surgery. As surgical methods improved, less invasive surgery is now available and more natural hair growth results.

The AHTI Difference

Our Hair Surgeon - Dr Chan uses the latest technology in Permanent Hair Restoration to help you regrow your own hair. It is a minimally invasive surgical technique, meaning there are NO SCALPELS, NO SUTURES, and NO visible SCARS. Dr Chan extract each follicle one by one from the donor site, using the most advanced method – Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), and at the recipient site, he implant each hair graft one by one with specialized Implanters for precise implantation resulting in a totally natural result and better graft survival.

The result is permanent and perfectly natural, without any visible scarring.

1. Extraction: the removal of hair follicles from the donor site
2. Implantation: the placement of hair follicles into the recipient site.

There are 2 main stages of hair transplantation, and with each stage there are 2 main methods currently used. AT AHTI, we use the most advanced method in both the extraction and implantation stage.

Extraction

FOLLICULAR UNIT EXTRACTION (FUE)	STRIP
No scalpels, No staples or sutures	Wound edges closed with sutures or stables
No visible scars	Permanent linear scar, up to 30cm long, can range from 1mm to 10mm wide
Minimal pain on recovery	Can be painful on recovery
Faster healing, wounds heal in 3 to 4 days, quicker return to normal activities	Slower recovery, need to remove sutures or staples at 2 weeks
Up to 3000 grafts per session (2 days)	Up to 4000 grafts per session (1 day)
1-4 hours of extraction	1-2 hours of extraction
Donor site options: scalp and body hair	Donor site limited to the scalp
Higher cost	Lower cost

Follicular Unit Extraction

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is the most advanced hair transplantation technique used today. It is minimally invasive with absolutely NO SCALPLE and NO SUTURES. It is a principle of extracting hair follicular units one at a time. As compared to the strip method, a strip of scalp skin is removed with a scalpel, and then the follicular units are separated from the skin.
For most clinics, the FUE technique can be very time consuming. However, we have made a revolutionary breakthrough by shortening the time of the procedure and increasing the total number of grafts transplanted per session. As far as we know, AHTI is the only clinic in Australia that can successfully transplant up to 3000 grafts in a 2 days session.
With hair loss, we understand that each hair follicle is very precious. Therefore, at AHTI we make sure that follicular units are extracted at the correct angles and depth utilising precise control, perforation and traction. This way we preserve the maximum number of hairs in the donor site.

Common Indications of FUE:

1. Ideal for patients who wish to wear their hair very short or may even want to shave their hair in the future without having to worry about a scar at the back of the scalp.
2. It is suitable for patients who are afraid of having surgery, as they suffer minimal discomfort and very little bleeding from the procedure.
3. Patients can resume their normal activities without having to explain any sutures or staples on the back of the head.
4. It is useful for patients whose scalp is too tight for a strip procedure.
5. It is very useful when a smaller number of grafts are needed, e.g. Hairline and Eyebrow restoration.
6. It is possible to harvest non-scalp hair, e.g. body hair, to be transplanted to the scalp, this significantly increase the number and choice of donor hairs available for transplantation.
7. It is the best option for hairline and eyebrow, because this region contains very fine hairs. With FUE, we can selectively extract hairs that best match the hairs in the recipient site.

FUE may not be suitable for all cases of hair loss. The disadvantages of FUE include it being time consuming and the limited number of follicular units harvested in the donor area per session. This is not the case with a normal strip hair transplant where as much as 4000 grafts can be done per session. To discuss whether FUE is suitable for you, please contact our hair surgeon for a consultation.

Implantation

The final result depends very much on how each graft is implanted and not all implantation techniques are the same. At AHTI, we use the implanter technique.

The Implanter technique uses advanced implanters for precise control and graft protection. Each graft is placed inside implanters of less than 1mm diameter. The implanter is then implanted one by one by Dr Chan at the desired angle and direction for optimal hair growth. This is very important to ensure a totally natural result. It also results in improved survival rate.

The stick and place technique involves making holes in the recipient site with needles and then pushing the grafts into each hole with forceps. In most other clinic, this crucial step is often done by one or two technician and not the doctor.

The AHTI difference - Art of Implantation:

Our hair surgeon is experienced in hairline and eyebrow design. He listens to personal preferences and will design with you the hairstyle or eyebrow shape you like. He has extensive knowledge of the intricate details of a natural hairline and eyebrow. The facial proportion, ‘zigzag’ pattern, the shape and features of your face, the different characteristic of each hair on the scalp will be taken into consideration.
The final design is determined by implanting the correct sized follicular units at the correct angle and direction. This will ensure the optimal distribution maximising the resulting fullness and natural look.
Furthermore, the characteristic of each hair varies between different regions of the scalp and body. We can utilise this knowledge to develop the most natural result. For example, the finest hair around the nape of the neck can be donated to the first few rows of the hairline or eyebrow resulting in a softer natural look. This is not possible with the strip method, as it can only utilise what is available from the excised scalp strip, this region often contains the thickest hair in the body, so the hairline or eyebrow may still be slightly unnatural if examined closely. FUE gives you this added option in the design. Our surgeon equipped with this knowledge, will personally implant each hair follicle to make certain of the final natural result.