How are Grafts Obtained in the Fue Technique?
The most common term you encounter while researching hair transplant must be GRAFT. Since most of the hair transplant clinics and centers charge per the number of grafts, you often hear concepts such as the number of grafts to be transferred, single graft, double triple graft, and so on. As Now Hair Time Hair Transplant Turkey we will try to bring clarity to topics on how grafts are harvested and how they function in the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) in this article.
What Do Graft and Grafting Mean?
The term graft is used in many fields of medicine. Grafting means the removal of tissue in any part of the body, which is independent of the vascular and nerve connections that feed it, to be transferred to another location. The removed tissue itself becomes GRAFT.
The most used graft types can be in the form of skin, hair follicle, cartilage, bone, fat, nail bed, and stem cells. At this stage, the graft in hair transplant is the concept that concerns us.
What Does Graft Mean in Hair transplant?
The term "GRAFT" used in hair transplant refers to one or more hair follicles, the outer root sheath surrounding it, and the entire visible part of the hair attached to that root. The hair follicle is single; however, the graft may contain hair follicles in different growth stages. Therefore, it would be wrong to define the word graft only as of the hair follicle.
In a hair transplant, planning is made according to the number of grafts to be transplanted to the recipient area. Depending on the hair quality, density and the area to be harvested in the donor area of the person, varying numbers of grafts can be harvested.
Graft Collection Methods according to the Certain Techniques
How is Graft Harvested with FUT Technique?
In the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) method, the scalp is completely removed from the back of the head and between the two ears in the form of a rectangular area near the nape (donor area). Grafts are separated from this skin one by one. The piece of skin separated from the grafts is removed after the procedure.
Afterward, the tissues in the area are stitched together. For this reason, a scar in the form of a line is formed in the donor area in this method. Even after the healing process, this line eliminates the chance of choosing a short hairstyle. It is a method that is not preferred anymore.
How is Graft Harvested with FUE Technique?
FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is a very popular method used in hair transplants. This process consists of several stages. In the preparation phase, the area to be transplanted and the donor area are shaved very short. In this way, it will be easier to work in the application area and the grafts will be processed more easily.
Before starting the procedure, the donor and recipient areas are thoroughly anesthetized with the help of local anesthetics. In this way, you will not feel pain during the procedure. Then, the grafts are removed one by one from the area between the two ears in the back of the head with help of micro-motors. These grafts are classified according to the number of roots they contain and arranged in specially prepared containers.
A micromotor is a tool that helps to remove the hair, hair follicle, and some tissue around it microscopically and cylindrically without damaging the root. It makes it easy to harvest grafts one by one. The procedure will continue for varying times depending on the number of grafts to be taken. The grafts harvested in this way and lined up in separate containers according to the number of roots they contain are kept in special liquids to protect them from any damage until the channels in the recipient area are opened.
Thus, while waiting for the number of grafts, the channel opening process is started in the area to be transplanted. There are different tools used at this stage. With the help of punch, special slits or sapphire tipped pens, small channels are opened where the grafts will be placed. Moreover, this stage is where the most critical part of the process is performed. When done by people who are not experienced in their field, a natural and effective result may not be obtained, and the roots of the existing hair may be damaged. When it is done by experts and experienced people, there will be no problems to be experienced afterward.
Channels should be opened at right angles and density to achieve a natural-looking hairline and to transplant the hair in directions that will provide a natural appearance.
After the opening of a sufficient number of channels is completed in this way, the placement process of the grafts is started. At this stage, the single channels that are opened are started to be placed one by one on the previously determined hairline. This is the most important part to get a natural look. The placement process, which starts from the front without damaging the grafts, continues with grafts with multiple root numbers into the inner areas. In this way, a dense look will be obtained.
Sapphire FUE Technique
In the Sapphire FUE technique, unlike the classical FUE technique, sapphire tipped pens are used. This pen is used only for channel opening. For this reason, there is no difference as a graft removal method. Sapphire-tipped FUE pen enables smoother channels to be opened in the recipient area. In this way, it will be easier to place the grafts in these channels. In this way, the grafts that have been transplanted are placed more healthily, while the incrustation that will occur in the opened channels is less common. Therefore, both the incrustation rate is low and the scabs heal faster. It is a highly preferred method. It is possible to get more natural results with this method.
DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) Pen Method
In the DHI method, the graft removal method is not different from the FUE method. Graft removal processes are performed in the same way. Only the transplanting process is done with the help of specially developed pens. There is no channel opening step in the DHI method. The grafts placed at the tip of the pen are placed while the channel is opened when the pen enters the skin. Applying excessive pressure during transplanting may cause dislocation of previously placed grafts. It is important to pay attention to this part.
The Importance of the Number of Roots in the Graft
The success of a hair transplant does not depend only on the number of grafts transferred. The quality and density of the hair in the donor area will change the number of follicles in the graft. Thus, if most of the 3,000 grafts are made with triple and quadruple rooms, 10,000-12,000 hair transplants will be performed. However, 4,000 grafts can be taken in another case and if most of the grafts mostly contain single and double hair roots, a maximum of 7,000- 8,000 hair follicles will be transplanted.
In this way, after all the grafts are transplanted, the graft is placed in the epidermis (upper skin) and dermis (middle skin) tissue, and the roots it contains will begin to be fed by the capillaries in the tissue and after a while, their capillaries will be formed. After the process called shock hair loss is the normal phase of the process, is completed, these permanent hairs will be resistant to hair fall.
Hair Transplant Method and Effect of Graft Number on Hair Transplant Rates
In hair transplant procedures, the fee is usually determined by the number of grafts. However, in the pen method called DHI (Direct Hair Implantation), although the number of grafts is lower, it causes an increase in the cost because the time spent on the procedure is longer.
We tried to give information about how the graft is taken in hair transplant techniques. The most important factor determining the number of grafts to be taken is the person's hair structure and the size of the openings. Before having a hair transplant, your situation should be addressed correctly and the expectation level of the person from hair transplant should be discussed in detail. Please contact for detailed information.
