Crown Hair Transplant

Vertex is a Latin term; that means the highest point, top point. We call top hair transplant – a vertex hair transplant. A top or crown hair transplant can also be used. This hair transplant type varies from the regular procedure. On this page, you will find detailed information about crown hair transplant.

Crown Thinning

Crown thinning is a typical example of androgenic hair loss. It is related to genetic and hormonal problems. If a candidate’s father faced crown thinning, most like this candidate will have crown hair loss too. Here is a crown thinning classification based on the Norwood scale:

1. Type 3. Crown started thinning
2. Type 4. Crown thinning progress and the hairless area gets wider.
3. Type 5. Crown baldness is clear, thinning progress on nape and front. Hairless area widens
4. Type 7. Baldness is advanced and thinning continues. Usually, the whole head is shedding.

Thinning speed in the described above types is individual for each patient. Genetically factor plays the main role.

How Crown Hair Transplant is Done?

Since a person is a public creature, face and appearance is important. People with hair loss prioritize frontal hair. Those patients who face 6th – 7th type loss have frontal line implanted first, the rest is secondary. In the meantime, type 3 or 4 patients can rely on covering front and vertex areas.

Crown hair transplant is planned based on hair loss speed, donor area capacity, and hairless area. If there is not enough hair to cover the hairless zone, a vertex hair transplant is meaningless. Medical treatment is a more appropriate solution in this case

It is worth mentioning that crown hair transplant at a young age is risky. A transplant plan based on family inheritance/history alone is wrong. It is hard to assume hair loss intensity and type at a young age. However, 45 – 50-year-old patients with 3rd type only vertex hair loss are ideal for crown hair transplant. 

The crown before the hair transplant stage is similar to the regular one. The hairless area is calculated together with the number of the needed grafts.

• Crown hair loss usually gets the shape of a circular opening. The calculation is made based on the Pi*r2 formula, needed grafts number for every square centimeter is determined and extracted from the donor area. The ideal number is 35-40 grafts per square centimeter.
• Local anesthesia and graft extraction is the same as in classic fue hair transplant. One of the other good alternatives for crown hair transplant is beard and chest donor’s hair. Beard hair must be mixed with nape donor hair for a more natural outcome. In addition to that, the beard hair is stronger and thicker than the vertex, this is why they will be rooted strongly.
• Crown hair transplant differs from others in implant way.

Crown Hair Implant

Crown hair transplant is a difficult procedure in terms of technical knowledge and a successful outcome rate. Crown skin is thicker than the frontal and there is less bleeding as well. Consequently, implanted hair has a slower growth rate due to the last. This is why crown hair transplant waste (not grown hair) must be approximately determined in advance.

The Crown or vertex area is anesthetized before a hair transplant. The anesthesia stage is the same as in the ordinary procedures.

Channels are opened and hair roots are implanted on the second stage. This is operated by classic FUE and DHI methods. We prefer to perform hair transplants with an implant pen. Crown hair grows under various angles and directions, remembering this is very important. Moreover, the directions and angles are individual in every patient. If channels are opened incorrectly, the operation results in unnatural or bad hair transplants.

Let us briefly determine the vertex hair growth direction.  The crown hair grows in the rotational and circular fold. Channel opening must be made according to the diverse direction of each hair. Surgeons who do not have experience can easily misoperate this procedure and end in bad hair transplant results.

The channels must not be straight. 20-25 degree slots are ideal. Crown’s middle and front hair should be directed towards the hairline. In addition, the directions have to be dispersed like a fan to the right and left. Vertex hair if any helps to identify proper directions. Grafts are implanted parallelly to the existing follicles.

There are several options to plan the crown hair transplant. Such factors as hairless area, donor capacity, patient’s age, and hair loss intensity are essential. Here are the planning types:

1. A circular drawing is made on the vertex and grafts are implanted from sides to the middle. The purpose is to reduce the balding cırcule not to cover the whole hairless area. This plan suits candidates who have limited donor hair.
2. When donor hair volume is low, grafts are implanted from top and front towards the back of the head. In this case, the patient must keep the hair long and comb it back. The purpose of this transplant is to let long hair camouflage the hairless area.
3. This planning is suitable for 3rd type patients whose donor area capacity is enough. A big graft number can be transplanted to cover the entire crown.

After Crown Hair Transplant

Crown after hair transplant period is similar to regular one except for a few points:

• Hair wash is the same as in the ordinary postoperative period. Hair is washed the next day after the procedure. Scabs must be cleaned in 10 days
• Swelling that occurs after a regular hair transplant is absent at all. Sleeping is relatively comfortable.
• The shock loss of vertex is more intense. The recovery period is the same as in ordinary hair transplant.
• Unshaven hair transplant is easily operated by DHI on vertex. Moreover, existing hair helps to determine direction and angles.

Crown Hair Transplant Results

As mentioned above, crown hair transplant is a more complicated procedure. The hair wastage ratio is higher. To obtain the desired density, another session with a year interval may be needed. Additionally, medical treatments can significantly support hair recovery. In the ordinary FUE hair transplant grafts start growing in 4 months. In vertex, they do in 6 months. You must be more patient with crown hair transplant results. Get in touch with us for Before and After crown hair transplant result photos.

References

1. Hair Transplantation: Current Concepts and Techniques