Hair transplant – step by step

Our consultation process consists of two steps. The initial consultation takes place online; since we perform hair transplants in Istanbul, Turkey, this is the most convenient option for the patient.

Consultation  

Our consultation regarding hair transplant procedures consists of two steps.

The initial consultation takes place online; since we perform hair transplants in Istanbul, Turkey, this is the most convenient option for the patient. Interested patients simply send us photos of their head from five angles: front, back, both sides, and the top.. Dr. Altan evaluates whether the individual is a suitable candidate for a hair transplant. If the assessment is positive, the patient receives a personalized offer—including available dates within their preferred timeframe—along with a medical questionnaire to complete and return via email. Provided there are no contraindications to the procedure (which should be verified with a local trichologist or physician, you can not have scalp disease at day surgery), the next step is to pay the reservation fee and submit flight details so that transfers can be arranged.

During the second consultation directly with Dr. Ahmed Altan—which takes place on the day of the procedure, prior to the start of the hair transplant—the patient is informed about the entire process they will undergo that day, and the medical questionnaire is reviewed again.   

Preparation for a hair transplant procedure

The first step after the consultation is the collection of a blood sample, which is sent to the laboratory located in our private hospital.

If tests return positive for the presence of any one of the three—HCV, HBV, or HIV—we do not perform the procedure, in accordance with the hospital's medical policy.

Each patient is informed about these steps individually in advance. Upon receiving negative results—meaning the absence of any of the three conditions mentioned above—the patient is directed to have their hair shaved, if necessary. We advise against cutting your hair prior to the procedure, as this allows Dr. Altan to more precisely plan the placement of the new hair follicles by taking into account the hair's length and natural growth pattern, and to tailor the design to your usual hairstyle. 

Anesthesia before the hair transplant procedure

We almost always perform the procedure under local anesthesia. We also use a painless anesthesia method for hair transplants, which is available upon the patient's request made with sufficient advance notice.

We most often choose the classic local anesthesia method due to potential complications associated with pressure-based anesthesia. "Painless anesthesia" does not mean you will feel no pain at all, as the sensation stems from the anesthetic agent itself, which is used in both methods.

The pain does not stem from the mere act of the needle piercing the skin. There is no need to risk complications such as necrosis, as pressure-based devices can cause tissue necrosis due to unregulated, excessive pressure.

There is also a method known as sedation, used for patients with a panicked—even paralyzing—fear of needles or pain. It involves administering a substance to calm or sedate the patient while local anesthesia is being administered. Upon waking, the patient is fully aware of their situation.

Hair follicle extraction

This is the first stage of the microsurgical procedure and typically lasts 3–4 hours. Using specialized instruments, each hair follicle is extracted individually; this requires a steady hand and the proper technique.

Dr. Ahmed Altan uses a 0.7 mm punch (a cylindrical part of the device that cuts the skin around the hair follicle).

Thanks to this technique and the instruments used, patients experience no pain the following day, and the marks on the scalp are minimized.  

Do three hair follicles produce seven hairs?

Hair follicles—also known as grafts—can contain one, two, three, or four hairs. We can assess the donor area to determine whether the follicles predominantly produce single, double, or triple hairs. If most grafts contain more than one or two hairs, this can signal excellent final results for the crown and vertex areas. We harvest and transplant the entire hair cluster (the root) rather than individual hairs separately. The result of transplanting 4,500 follicles may differ from the result of transplanting 4,500 follicles in another patient, as the total number of transplanted hairs can vary significantly between the two cases. Consider this scenario: if, out of three grafts, one is single and the other two are triple, the final result is seven transplanted hairs. Conversely, if all three follicles are single, only three hairs are transplanted.
 
 

Opening channels

Opening the channels is the second and most important part, and it takes 45 minutes to an hour.. 

Dr. Ahmed Altan performs this stage of the procedure personally.

Skill and precision at this stage determine the final outcome; knowing the number of harvested hair follicles is essential for planning their placement to achieve optimal density while effectively covering the recipient area. If the channels are positioned too close together, they may merge and form a blood clot, which poses a significant risk to the new hair; conversely, sparse placement results in an unsightly appearance.

During this stage, the doctor determines the direction and angle of the new hair growth; naturally, these range from 20 to 90 degrees. The angle of the incisions depends on the existing hair in the immediate vicinity; if no hair is present, the doctor selects the angle that appears most natural for that specific area.

Typically, this angle is between 45 and 60 degrees. For this step, we use a steelp blade, which does not tear the tissue and is precisely matched to the shape of the hair follicle. As a result, the newly transplanted follicles are not implanted too deeply and do not shift during the post-procedure healing period.

Hair follicle implantation

This is the third stage of the hair transplant procedure, lasting between 3 and 4 hours. We implant the hair follicles manually using specialized instruments. Each graft is placed individually into pre-prepared channels at its specific location, which is why the process is so time-consuming.

Aby uzyskać najbardziej naturalny wygląd, mieszki włosowe z jednym wyrastającym włosem obsadzamy w pierwszej linii czołowej, pozostałe dwu i trzywłosowe w kolejnej, na środku i koronie głowy.

Post-hair transplant check-up and care

The day after the hair transplant procedure, the patient must return to the clinic for a consultation with the doctor to have their hair washed for the first time and to learn how to wash it correctly in the coming period.  

The patient should send photos for consultation after 5, 10, and 12 days, and subsequently on a monthly basis. With our team monitoring the hair regrowth process, the patient will be able to take appropriate action by following Dr. Altan’s recommendations to achieve the best possible final result from the procedure.