Period Before Hair Transplantation

Adventurous processes await those who want to have a hair transplant in the period before hair transplantation. It is a situation that you have encountered for the first time in your life. You have encountered very different comments from your environment and the Internet, you are quite confused. In this article, you will find answers to all the questions you will encounter in the period before hair transplantation.

During this period, some people surrender themselves to the first environment they encounter without doing enough research. Some people get the results they want after long researches.

Pre-hair transplantation period

a) Research Phase

b) Decision and Preliminary Discussion Stage

c) Time from Decision to Hair Transplantation

We can divide them into 3 main groups.

Research Phase Before Hair Transplantation

How do people who want to have a hair transplant access information? How do people who want to have a hair transplant decide on this operation? It is useful to examine these briefly.

a) Recommendation from a Friend Generally, people see a person who has had a hair transplant and contact the place where he/she had the transplant directly. They do not do much research.

b) Barbers and Hairdressers Especially in men’s barbers, the most talked about subject when shaving is done is hair. Men who get their hair cut usually trust their barbers and follow their advice.

c) Internet There is a deep source of information for people doing research before hair transplantation on sites such as Google, Facebook, Instagram. Care should be taken when doing research here. There is a high probability of information pollution. In addition, hair transplantation centers engage in fierce competition and advertising activities on the Internet and social media.

d) Internet Forum Sites It is possible to reach very serious information on forum sites about hair transplantation. The recommendations and positive or negative opinions of people who have had the transplantation themselves are an important reference for those who will have a hair transplant.

Decision Stage Before Hair Transplantation (Preliminary Meeting with Doctor or Clinic)

Before hair transplantation, one of the first things to do is to contact the center or doctor where the operation is planned. This first contact is a face-to-face preliminary interview or doctor’s examination by making an appointment with the center. As a result of the doctor’s first examination, it is decided whether the person is suitable for hair transplantation after the necessary medical processes are completed.

Generally, communication is established through various communication tools such as clinics’ phone numbers, e-mail addresses or whats-app. Generally, clinics will request photographs that include the person’s front right, left top and donor areas. Although these photographs do not provide a definitive judgment in the process before hair transplantation, they are quite indicative for hair transplantation. In addition, if the person has special health conditions, these should be known in advance as they will affect hair transplantation. A good dialogue is required between the doctor and the patient before hair transplantation. The doctor will decide whether you are suitable for hair transplantation after a short preliminary interview and examination.

Now, assuming that you have a face-to-face meeting, we will try to simulate a preliminary meeting at a hair transplantation center. What is done during the preliminary meeting and examination? What is asked? If we look at these under headings;

1. Contact Information and General Information
2. Physical Examination Hair Examination
3. Previously Used Medicines and Applications (For Hair)
4. Questioning Anamnesis
5. Laboratory Tests
6. Person’s Expectations and Doctor’s Opinion After Examination
7. Graft Number Planning and Fee Given

Now let’s look at the details of these 7 main topics.

1. Contact Information and General Information

You may be asked for information such as your name, surname, e-mail address, telephone, and emergency telephone number. These are the information requested to contact you before and after the transplant. We also request the telephone number of a second relative to be able to reach you in an emergency.

a) Age

Having a hair transplant at a very young age can be risky. Planning should be done by taking into account donor capacity and familial hair loss. Very young people generally have high expectations. If the number of grafts that can be taken is not enough to meet the person’s expectations, it may not be appropriate to have a hair transplant.

b) Gender

The causes of hair loss in women should be clearly revealed with more detailed laboratory findings before hair transplantation.

c) Profession

Hair loss may occur due to chemical causes, especially in paint workers working in the industry and in people exposed to benzene.

d) Blood Group

Blood group information is part of routine practice in general medicine. It may be necessary in very rare cases.

2. Physical Examination Hair Examination

The physical examination will be mostly hair-oriented. In some cases, the doctor may perform other examinations if deemed necessary.

Hair Loss Type

The degree of hair loss should be determined according to the Norwood hair classification in men and the Ludwig hair classification in women. We will explain the types of hair loss in detail in another article. Hair transplantation may not be suitable for very wide hair loss types such as Norwood 7. In the period before hair transplantation, it is necessary to calculate the donor area capacity well. For this, Norwood and Ludwiq classifications guide us.

Structure – Quality of Hair

We can classify it as thick, thin, medium hair. Very thin hair is always a disadvantage. Also, beard and other body hair can be examined. In many people, beard hair transplantation can be considered due to donor insufficiency.

Hair Shape:

It can be classified as wavy, straight curly hair. Especially in curly hair like black people, graft loss may occur when taking with the FUE method. Especially in America, there is a tendency to direct very curly haired people to the FUT method.

Hair Color

White, black, brown, red, blonde are the general hair colors. White hair is relatively more difficult to harvest and transplant. It may be recommended that the person dye their hair before the operation.

3. Medications Used and Previous Procedures

In order for the doctor to reach an opinion before hair transplantation, he/she must ask questions and have information about the medications, shampoos and products you have used before. Those who have hair loss problems have used certain medications and products to prevent hair loss at certain times in their lives. Some of these are as follows.

• Previously Performed Hair Transplant The doctor knows this during the examination. In order to determine the total graft capacity, it is useful to know the amount of grafts used in a previous hair transplant.
• Finasteride Usage (Proscar – Propecia is sold under the names.) It is one of the most powerful drugs for hair loss. It may have some side effects.
• Minoxidil – Rogaine: It is one of the two FDA-approved drugs along with Finasteride. It is available in spray and foam forms.
• PRP and mesotherapy applications. It should be known whether or not the patient has had these applications before and their results.
• Use of Biotin, Procapil (Hair Forte).
• Using Blue Water is quite popular nowadays through advertisements.
• Some people may use prosthetic hair at some point in their lives and then give up and turn to hair transplantation.
• Toppic or Used Shampoos
• Smoking and Alcohol Use

4. Questions Asked by the Doctor

During the pre-hair transplant examination, your doctor will ask you some questions. These will give you important clues for a possible operation.

• The Person’s Hair Loss Story It should be known how long the person has been losing hair, whether there is a relationship between seasons. The relationship between the speed of hair loss and age gives the doctor an important idea.
• Hair Loss History in the Family Hair loss is closely related to genetic dominance. The type of hair loss in people with blood ties such as father, mother, sibling, older brother, uncle, etc. should be questioned. It is important to determine the rate of hair loss that may occur in older ages.
• Chronic Disease History: Especially if there are diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, they should be stated in advance. If the physician deems it necessary, he/she may request consultation from the relevant branches.
• Medications Used (Especially Blood Thinners) Some medications may interact with local anesthesia medications used in hair transplantation. Blood thinners such as heart and blood pressure medications and coumadin may need to be stopped for a certain period of time before the operation, as they will increase bleeding. In this case, it is best to refer the person to the doctor under his/her control or to a cardiologist or internal medicine specialist. It is necessary to decide whether there is an obstacle to receiving local anesthesia and whether it is harmful to stop taking the medications for a certain period of time, after consulting a specialist doctor.
• Allergy History: There may be an allergic reaction to the medications we use in hair transplantation. The physician must know if the patient has a previous allergic history.

5. Laboratory Tests

The tests that may be required before hair transplantation will guide us in terms of hair loss. Laboratory tests should definitely be performed, especially in hair transplants to be performed on women. Hemogram gives an idea about anemia. It is necessary to be informed about infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV (Aids) before the operation. In our country in particular, there is a tendency not to accept people who are HIV positive for hair transplantation. In our opinion, this is a very wrong situation. Of course, we cannot tell a patient who is HIV positive how to perform a hair transplant, and it is done very well. Just as an appendectomy is performed on an HIV positive patient, hair transplantation can also be performed. Our purpose in performing such tests is due to the situations that require additional precautions to be taken by the doctor performing the operation and his assistant team to protect him.

People with heart problems may need additional tests such as ECG. In this case, it is best to refer the person to a cardiologist. In addition, if a hair transplant is planned for a woman, additional tests such as hemogram, thyroid function tests (T3, T4, TSH), thyroid ultrasound, total testosterone level in the blood are needed.)

6. What is the Person’s Expectation and the Doctor’s Opinion as a Result of the Examination?

It is one of the most important criteria for a doctor to decide on hair transplantation. After the above procedures, it is time for the doctor to make an opinion about a possible planned operation. An experienced doctor can more or less predict whether a successful result will be obtained before and after the hair transplantation. The expectations and thoughts of the person who wants the operation are also important here. The doctor must clearly tell the hair transplant candidate what kind of an image he/she can expect at the end of 8-10 months. A good hair transplant doctor will definitely not start this operation if the donor capacity is insufficient and if there will be no serious image change, and most importantly if he/she thinks that the person will not be happy with the hair transplantation result. Otherwise, there is a high probability that he/she will encounter an unsuccessful hair transplantation result.

7. Determination and Distribution of Graft Number and Pricing

It is one of the most important aspects of planning a hair transplant. We need to know the total amount of grafts that can be taken from the area behind the head, especially the nape. It is also necessary to calculate the amount of beard and chest grafts that can be used as reserves. But the main thing here is hair. It should not be forgotten. According to our belief, creating from nothing is reserved for God. The job of us doctors who perform hair transplants is to take the hair from the donor area and transfer it to the hairless area. In other words, it is a displacement process. In addition, it should be stated to the patient in detail whether the operation will be performed with or without shaving, and whether roots will be taken from body hair.

Therefore, how many grafts can we take in total from the donor area without damaging the donor and causing deformity? How many square centimeters is the hairless area where we will transplant these grafts? In other words, how many grafts will fall on average per square centimeter as a result of transplantation. If there is a logical proportion, hair transplantation can be decided easily. However, if a maximum of 2000-2500 grafts can be taken from the donor area and for an area such as Norwood 7, which has a very wide hairless area and can be covered with an average of 10,000-15,000 grafts, it is not right to plan hair transplantation. Especially if the person’s expectations are very high, and especially if they are very young, the person will never be happy at the end of the operation. For this reason, a correct graft planning is vitally important in the period before hair transplantation.

Then the clinic will tell you the fee requested for this operation. Prices may be independent of the graft head or the number of grafts. You can review the subject of hair transplantation prices in our relevant article.

You Have Decided and How Long Does It Take to Get a Hair Transplant?

You have met with one or more doctors / hair transplantation centers. You have decided to have an operation at one of them. Now an exciting process begins for you. Your doctor may offer you some suggestions until the day of the transplant. What should and should not be done before the transplant? They will make some recommendations such as things to be careful about. We recommend that you follow these suggestions.

Before the operation, some centers may ask for an advance payment under the name of a deposit. It would not be right for us to comment on whether this is wrong or right. You should be especially careful to stay away from places that want to attract you to their centers with slogans such as campaigns without seeing you live or even seeing your photos on the phone or other means of communication. It is possible for you to encounter such situations in the period before hair transplantation.

Which Criteria Play an Effective Role in Decision Making Before Hair Transplantation?

There are many criteria that will affect those who do research before hair transplantation. Let’s take a look at them;

• Hair transplant prices: Prices are a very important criterion for people who want to have a hair transplant. For some people, the place that offers the cheapest price is the best. Some people believe that this job will be better in high-priced luxury places. As we mentioned above, forum sites are very effective in this regard.
• Hair Transplant Before and After Results: The number of people who make decisions by looking at the before and after images of a person who has had a hair transplant is also quite high. Especially seeing a person live through pictures is very effective in a person’s decision.
• Whether or not a doctor is present during the operation: Unfortunately, hair transplantation is perceived as a simple hairdressing service in our country. As a result of a conscious research, those who research whether or not a doctor is present during the hair transplant operation before the hair transplantation and make their decision accordingly also have a very important place.
• Those who examine technical details such as the Applied Operation Technique FUT FUE DHI hair transplantation, micro motor or manual method show more interest in the hair transplantation centers that they find suitable.
• Advertisements: Google advertisements in particular are areas of interest for people who are going to have a hair transplant. The number of people affected by these advertisements is also important.
• Place of Operation: Healthcare areas such as hospitals, polyclinics and medical centers are defined as legal hair transplantation places by the Ministry of Health. While many people do not want to have hair transplantation in places that do not comply with medical rules, unfortunately there are many people who are not aware of this situation.
• Post-Operative Support: This is actually one of the most important issues that is not given much importance. The doctor or center you choose should be a place where you can communicate at all times after the hair transplant and can provide support in any possible situations you may encounter.

Things to Consider Before the Process:

Let’s not forget that hair transplantation is a surgical procedure, even if it is minor. Just as this operation should not be exaggerated beyond medical necessity, it should not be taken too lightly. Hair loss was not a medical disease. Approximately two out of every three people after the age of 30 experience hair loss to a greater or lesser extent. Hair loss is not a deficiency or defect of the person. It is a condition that occurs as a result of genetic dominance. Therefore, the common feature of all those who want to have a hair transplant is that they apply to feel happier. If the person who will have a hair transplant has become very seriously obsessed with this before the hair transplant, it would be beneficial to first refer them to a psychologist.

One should act logically and realistically. If the person has a bald area above the donor capacity, one should not have very high expectations. A person who has lost 50,000-60,000 grafts of hair can never go back to their old state with a 4-5,000 graft hair transplant. In the pre-hair transplant process, it is useful to be careful about promises that they can have the hair of an 18-year-old.

Do’s and Don’ts

• On the day of the operation, choose clothes that will fit comfortably over your head. It can be a button-down shirt. There is a risk of damaging the transplanted grafts when wearing clothes such as crew neck sweaters.
• The pre-plantation principles of applications such as hair transplantation, eyebrow transplantation, beard transplantation for women are generally the same. The situations that require special attention are explained under their own subject headings.
• If you drink alcohol, it is also beneficial to stop a few days before. The negative effect of smoking before hair transplantation on the results of the operation has not been scientifically proven.
• It is beneficial to stop taking blood thinners. If you are using such medications, be in contact with your doctor.
• It is beneficial for people using Minoxidil to stop taking this medication 1 week in advance.
• Those who have diseases such as diabetes and hypertension should definitely state this in advance. The only disease that hair transplantation cannot be done is Hemophilia, a genetic disease in which clotting factors are not present at birth. In other diseases, there is no obstacle to hair transplantation provided that the doctor who will perform the operation decides and the necessary conditions are met. For example, a patient who is being treated for diabetes can easily have hair transplantation if he/she is receiving the necessary antibiotic treatment and his/her diabetes is under control.
• People who are under extreme excitement and stress before hair transplantation may be given sedatives.
• If the hair transplantation will not be performed under sedation (short-term sleep), it is beneficial for you to come to the operation on a full stomach. If the operation will be performed with sedation, you must fast for 5-6 hours beforehand.

Frequently Asked Questions