Hair Transplant, Our specialist tells you everything

Hair transplant techniques 

A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of Grenoble, Dr Pierre Bonetti is one of the references in hair transplantation in Lyon. Dynamic and meticulous, this diving enthusiast explains the technique of hair transplantation, called FUE or what is best in hair transplantation. We met him at the Cleage Center for Aesthetic Medicine in Lyon, where he prescribes treatments and advice to measure.Magnéto.

What does FUE hair transplantation consist of?

The FUE hair transplant (Folicular Unit Extraction) consists of taking hair from the patient and implanting it in the area affected by baldness. This completely painless hair transplant technique is the most used and most effective technique in the world to obtain a result harmonious and natural.

What areas are affected by hair transplantation?

Baldness can affect several areas at the same time such as the temporal gulfs, the vertex (tonsure) or both at the same time. The areas needed for reimplantation will be chosen during the initial consultation.

At what age can a hair transplant be considered?

Baldness has a random evolution and can start from a very young age around 20 years old. The family history of androgenetic alopecia can guide the patient on the date of appearance of baldness and the speed of permanent hair loss.

Thus, a FUE hair transplant  can be done from the age of 25 but can be discussed during the consultation with the doctor in case of very early and severe baldness.

Can we find an interesting volume with a   hair transplant?

The objective of a hair transplant is to cover with a beautiful density the partially or totally   bald areas, following the appearance of baldness.

A graft or hair follicle can contain from 1 to 4 hairs (on average between 2 and 3). Thus, the number of implanted hairs will be multiplied on average by two or three compared to the number of grafts implanted.

How does a consultation with a surgeon for a hair transplant in Lyon take place?

An initial consultation will be carried out before the intervention with a plastic surgeon from the Cleage center in Lyon , near Bellecour,   in order to know the evolution of baldness (also called androgenetic alopecia), the treatments already carried out, analyze the donor area and the hair transplant implantation area . Photos from several angles will be taken, in order to follow the evolution of the post-intervention results.

How is the implantation of the grafts carried out?

The patient lies on his stomach for the harvesting phase and on his back for the implantation phase. Specific and tailor-made furniture is dedicated   to the hair transplant activity at the Center de Chirurgie Esthétique Cleage Lyon , thus making the intervention perfectly pleasant and comfortable. The intervention takes place under local and not general anesthesia. After fine injections of local anesthetics in the sampling and implantation areas, the entire procedure is completely painless.

What are the stages of a hair transplant in your center in Lyon?

The intervention takes place at  Cleage  in three phases:

Sampling

The graft harvesting area is located in the patient's occipital area, also called the hippocratic crown. Located at the back of the neck, this region has hormone-resistant hair, with a lifespan of more than 100 years, unlike the hair present. on the vertex (tonsure) or the temporal gulfs (front area of ​​the head) sensitive to dihydrotestosterone, which will quickly fall off in the event of baldness.

On average, the harvesting area includes a reservoir of 4000 to 6000 grafts.

However, in some people, the sampling area has little hair and can also be affected by massive baldness. This poverty of hair follicles makes the FUE transplant technique impossible.

The course of the intervention of a hair transplant

The patient is welcomed at the center in Lyon Bellecour , a sterile outfit is entrusted to him. A meticulous shaving of the sampling area will be carried out before the intervention by the patient and taken up at the Cleage center. After disinfection, local anesthesia by very fine injections along the neck will eliminate any pain in the sampling area to make painless the entire collection phase. A removal of the grafts is carried out by punch technique (manual or motorized) depending on the case. This technique  makes it possible to perform very fine carrots at the level of the scalp and to remove hair follicles. The number of grafts will depend on the indication for the graft and the level of baldness. The harvested hair follicles will grow back into the harvested area and will not grow back. However, a 50% decrease in the number of grafts at the back of the neck is possible without this being aesthetically noticeable.

The considerable advantage of the FUE technique compared to other techniques (strip technique or FUT) is the absence of scar left by the sample .

analysis

The second phase is the analysis of the grafts after their removal. A monitoring of their perfect integrity by the team of the Cleage center is carried out, so that the engraftment is complete during the implantation. In the event of transection (breakage of the bulb of the graft), it is removed and replaced by a perfectly intact and viable graft.

Hair transplant

The third phase is the implantation of the harvested grafts.

After discussing the needs and expectations of the patient with the doctor, a drawing of the implanted area will be made. Local anesthesia of the implanted area with injections will be performed, in order to remove any pain during the implantation. The doctor will make careful slits in the scalp into which the hair follicles will be embedded.

This intervention is ambulatory, the patient can go home as soon as the transplant is completed .

What is the duration of the intervention of a hair transplant?

It depends on the number of grafts needed. In general, the day is necessary for an intervention.

What are the post-operative consequences of a hair transplant?

About 3 weeks after the operation, a loss of the implanted hair is normal and expected. The hair shaft will fall to give way to the development of a new hair a few months later thanks to the bulb previously implanted in the scalp. The patient may also have thin scabs in the harvesting and implantation areas for 1 to 2 weeks. A detailed protocol for post- transplant care in both areas is explained to you and given to each of our patients. A follow-up consultation 2 weeks after the hair transplant is scheduled, then at 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Is there a risk of scarring?

The risk of scarring is non-existent due to the punch size of less than 1 mm and allowing perfect healing . Scalp infection is rare and antibiotic coverage for a few days after the hair transplant is routinely prescribed.

What are the results ?

To get results, patience is key. The hair will begin to grow approximately 4 months after the intervention, in order to obtain a satisfactory result at 9 months/1 year.

What are the contraindications to a hair transplant?

The major contraindication is the absence of a sufficient reservoir of grafts in the sampling area. Certain pathologies, in particular inflammatory of the scalp, major disorders of coagulation (too thin blood) and abnormal healing (hypertrophic or keloid) can make hair transplants difficult, as the expected results.

What are the precautions to take before and after a hair transplant?

A blood test will be carried out 1 week before the operation to ensure that there is no current infection or bleeding disorder.

A prescription will be given to you with anti-inflammatory treatments and cosmetic products suitable for post-interventional care.

As an aesthetic doctor, do you recommend complementary treatments to hair transplantation?

The association with treatments such as hair mesotherapy , PRP and injections of autologous stem cells,   can accelerate the good taking of the hair transplant, as well as the regrowth of the implanted hair.

Hair transplant in Lyon

To find out more about hair transplant, hair transplant in Lyon , come and consult our plastic surgeon in our Cléage centre.

The center for surgery and aesthetic medicine vosu offers many treatments including hydrafacial treatment, the number 1 treatment in the USA.