Hair transplantation can be defined as "the permanent solution for hair loss".
You can find detailed information on this page about hair transplantation, a microsurgical operation that is performed in a hospital setting, and about how it evolved over the years, as well as about different techniques performed today and the steps of the operation.
Permanent Solution to Androgenetic Alopecia
(A.K.A. Male Pattern Hair Loss)
A hair transplant operation is an effective and permanent solution for individuals experiencing "male-pattern baldness" which is also referred to as androgenetic alopecia in medical terms. Not only those suffering from Androgenetic Alopecia, but also individiuals who have scars or have lost hair due to various kinds of hair diseases can also safely undergo a hair transplant surgery.

Progressive pattern hair loss is extremely common worldwide. 85% of men and 40% of women suffer from hair loss problems. It is not surprising at all, that for this reason, hair transplant procedures have been developed and almost perfected to give the volume back to thinning hair and to help those who want to regain the hair they have lost.
The psychological improvement of patients who obtain the image they have dreamed of with the help of hair transplantation, and the health benefits that follow, suggest that this procedure is more than a microsurgical procedure.
Recent History of Hair Transplantation
While hair transplantation has a long history, the first uses of hair transplant as we know it started in the mid 1990s.
Hair transplants conducted with the FUT technique during the nineties, were replaced by the FUE method which was developed in the early 2000s and introduced in 2005.
Even though the technique has been in continuous development with some further refinement, the basic principles of FUE remain the same. The FUE technique is still used as the most developed hair transplant method today.

Types of FUE Hair Transplant
One of the newest and most developed hair transplant techniques and a golden standard in the industry, the FUE method allows patients who live with hair loss to have natural looking hair. FUE method can be successfully performed on a wide spectrum of patients who suffer from starter level hair loss to advanced cases.
The main difference of using the FUE technique for hair transplantation is that it leaves almost no scars and has a faster recovery process. The patients can travel the day after the operaiton and can return to their daily lives. The success rate of the operations is continously rising with the developments of new materials used in the FUE method. With the rise in quality of the materials used in the hair transplant operation and new implantation processes, the hair growth rate on the transplanted area has reached 98%.
The FUE technique has differenty types known with a few different names, such as:
- Classic FUE (via micro motors)
- Robotic FUE
- DHI technique (FUE performed with Choi implanters)
- Sapphire FUE (FUE performed with Sapphire blades)
Classic FUE | Robotic FUE | Sapphire FUE |
Manual extraction of grafts (expertise required) | Automated extraction of grafts by a machine | Manual extraction of grafts (expertise required) |
Micro-punches (circular incisions) vary in sizes according to the number of hair follicles and thickness of hair to decrease scabbing and crusting after a hair transplant | Larger micro-punch sizes could increase the risks of trauma and tissue damage | Micro-punches vary in sizes according to the number of hair follicles and thickness of hair to decrease scabbing and crusting after a hair transplant |
Hair can be harvested from other donor areas in the patient’s body (chest, beard, or back of the head) | A very limited donor hair site. Hair can only be harvested from the flattest part of the back of the head | Hair can be harvested from other donor areas in the patient’s body (chest, beard, or back of the head) |
Metal lateral slits are used to open channels | Metal lateral slits are used to open channels only on the scalp. | Sharp sapphire lateral slits are used to open channels on any part of the body. The use of sapphire tips enables denser hair implantation and minimizes the scab formation |
Fast recovery after hair transplant process and tissue healing | Faster and smoother post-operative tissue healing |

Sapphire FUE Hair Transplant
For example, FUE hair transplantation technique with using sapphire blades is a significant technique in terms of allowing high number of hair follicles to be transplanted in one session. The difference between clasic FUE and Sapphire FUE is that it heals much faster because the channels are opened with sapphire, which is a much smoother material and thus, leaves less scars.

DHI Hair Transplant
DHI technique also stands out for achieving high density hair transplants. With this hair transplantation technique using Choi implanter needles, natural and satisfying results can be obtained.
A Complete Pain FREE Method in Hair Transplantation!
Thanks to the use of sedation given under the direct supervision of our anesthesiologist, you feel almost no pain even during the administration of local anesthesia prior to the hair transplant procedure.
This way, you will be having a more comfortable and pain-free hair transplant experience. Even though hair transplants are generally considered as painless procedures, this new method will help our patients who suffer from Trypanophobia (needle phobia), to feel at ease, allowing them to relax during the procedure. This method helps to completely eliminate the already minimal amount of pain involved with the procedure. Please check to get further information about the sedation that will be performed during the hair transplant.

Hair Transplantation Steps
All hair transplant methods share these three basic steps:
- Harvesting Hair Follicles
- Opening Channels
- Transplanting Hair Follicles
1- Harvesting Hair Follicles

This is a charachteristic of FUE which allows the hair follicles to be collected with an extremely high aesthetic success rate. With the FUE method, the hair follicles are harvested one by one using cylindrical needles. This way the follicles can be harvested with minimal damage.
Depending on the length of each follicular unit it is important to utilize needles that have a diameter of 0.7mm to 0.9mm or if the follicular unit grafts contains 3-4-5 hairs needles with a diameter of 1.0 mm should be used. The sharpness of the needles as well as being single-use with each patient are the elements that have a considerable impact on the operation's success.
Another important factor is to extract hair follicles with precise accuracy so as to avoid any follicular damage. For example; if the person who is having a hair transplant has very curly hair, a curved needle called u-graft should be used to extract follicular units to eliminate the risk of follicular damage.

All of these elements are refinements planned by the doctor prior to the operation, which are tailored specifically to each patient's condition.
2- Opening Channels for Hair Transplantation
In the classic FUE technique, metal slits were utilized to open channels in the transplanted area. Nowadays, much sharper and smoother sapphire tips are used. The use of sapphire tips makes it much easier to determine the correct angle and direction of the transplantation.
The direction of the transplanted follicles is adjusted as the channels are opened and the angle is an important part to consider during the implantation to the skin.
For each patient, according to hair follicle thickness, just a few needle tips will be needed. It is important that every needle tip should be used for one patient alone.

3- Transplanting Hair Follicles
The final stage, which is transplanting the hair follicles; is the process of transplanting the follicles one at a time at an angle of 40-45 degrees, within the channels. All three phases have certain specific technicalities and the most important technicality within all stages is certainly experience.
Sapphire FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) technique is successfuly applied by Dr. Serkan Aygın without leaving any scars or needing any stitches.
While opening channels for the hair implantation is an important step in the FUE method, in the DHI method the channels are opened with an implanter during the implantation and the hair follicules are implanted with the push function of the implanter into the channel. Which means that in the DHI method channel opening and hair implanting steps happen simultaneously.
An Outlook on the Glossary
Oftentimes patients experience confusion of terms, such as ‘hair implant vs hair transplant’ or ‘hair restoration. This constitutes an impediment for the patients to fully grasp the treatment they are going through and leads them to have different or misguided expectations. At Dr. Serkan Aygın Clinic, we believe in the importance of thoroughly informing the patients to help them have realistic expectations.
What is Sedation?

Sedation is a state of sleep under controlled sedative drug administration without loss of any reflexes, calibrated specifically to the patients needs. The depth of the sedation can be adjusted accordingly.
Do I Have to Receive Sedation?
Safe even for use on younger children, sedation allows for a almost zero discomfort hair transplant. Still, we offer hair transplant without sedation for patients who prefer not to get sedated at Dr. Serkan Aygın Clinic.
What is Hair Restoration?
Any of the treatments that aim to do away with hair loss is a hair restoration treatment (such as medications, laser treatments and hair transplant surgery).
Hair Implant vs Hair Transplant:
Yet, if we compare hair implants with hair transplants, we should perhaps remark that ‘hair transplant’ indicates that a hairy tissue (ie. a graft with hair follicles) is removed from a donor place. These grafted hair tissues are implanted into another, which is why it is called ‘transplantation’ just like any other organ transplantation.
Though these terms are often used interchangeably, because the most of times hair transplants and hair implants refer to the same thing; also note that in hair implants, hair inserted into the patient’s scalp could also be synthetic, which is often referred to as bio fibre hair.
Hair Transplant Basics
- Individuals aged between 20 and 60 years can undergo a hair transplant surgery.
- The patient will need to spare only 3 days for a hair transplant, including pre and post operative procedures.
- The operation, while it can change according to the number of follicles needed, takes approximately 6-8 hours.
- In order to respond to possible complications, the operation must be conducted in a fully-equipped hospital.
- A hair transplant procedure is performed with a doctor and at least 3 medical technicians.
- It takes around 6 to 18 months to see the final outcome of hair growth. Starting from the day following the operation, the patient can expect to see hair growth until the 18th month.
Hair Transplant Process in 6 Steps
- Consultation: This is the stage where the doctor develops the patient's operation plan and creates the hairline design. Please click to reach the online consultation form which will only take 2 minutes of your time.
- Preparation: It covers the stages of sterilization and sedation to the patient's operation area on the day of the procedure.
- Extraction: The process of extracting hair grafts from the donor area of the patient.
- Opening Channels: It is the process of determining the hair transplantation line and opening channels in a direction suitable for natural hair growth in this area.
- Transplantation: This is the process of placing the grafts in recipient sites at right angles to hair direction.
- Postoperative Care & Hair Wash: This is the washing procedure that is to be carried out for 15 days. Both the donor and the transplanted area will be sensitive during this period, so it important to carry out the washing with extra care. The wash helps to deal with the scabbing and fasten the healing process.
Hair Transplantation with Laser Hair Therapy

The fastening effect of low level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as cold laser, on the healing process increases the success rate of the operation considerably.
The main objective of applying low level laser therapy after hair transplantation is to speed up the healing time, to help reduce side effects such as redness, swelling as well as pain within the operated area and to promote the fastest hair growth possible.
As low level laser performed after the hair transplant operation emits not heat, there are no side effects such as a burning sensation or possilbility of burns occuring.
For treating Androgenetic Alopecia or hair loss, a different low level laser device is used at Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic. When it is applied on the scalp twice a week for 20 minutes, this device helps to stop hair loss. With concurrent treatments it was also observed that it helps thicken the hair in the long run.
LLLT, or low level laser therapy is a treatment that has been approved by the FDA.

Hair Transplantation at Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic
Dr. Serkan Aygın Clinic, with its experience of almost 25 years, is a renowned hair transplantation clinic in Turkey that performs hair transplant procedures and offers hair loss treatments for patients from all around the world.
Dr. Serkan Aygin and His Operating Staff
For over 24 years, Dr. Serkan Aygin and his operating staff have only been performing hair transplant procedures and offering hair loss treatments. Dr. Serkan Aygin attends multiple international seminars and panels as a speaker every year. Thousands of patients from over 150 countries visit Istanbul to recieve hair transplant services from him.
Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic: The Formula of Success
Now, what about the important criteria that determines success in hair transplantation?
Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic owes its success in the hair transplant field to the principles we cannot do without. Dr. Serkan Aygin Clinic continues to pioneer and shape the hair transplant sector in Turkey with our surgical experience, patient experience, specialization factor and the value we give to artistic qualities.
Experience
Over 24 years of experience in performing hair transplant procedures for thousands of patients has provided us with extensive experience to understand our patients’ needs better.
Our unique position helps us to correctly identify patient needs and arrange the correct treatment method accordingly, as well as to perform the best hair transplant methods.
Specialty
Hair transplant consultations and operations must only be conducted by specialized doctors. People may suffer from hair loss because of different health conditions. A correct diagnosis made by a doctor specialized in the field is necessary for deciding on the best course of treatment possible.
As a dermatologist, Dr. Serkan Aygın can determine a patient’s suitability for the operation, taking into account their different hair loss conditions and provide them with all the detailed instructions on what should be done or avoided prior, during and after the operation. As a doctor who has become a household name in his field, he does not only care about the final results of the hair transplant, but also his patient's overall health as well.
Artistry
For a successful and natural looking hair transplantation result, the hairline design should be natural and compatible with the patient’s facial shape and appearance. This requires experience and a sophisticated aesthetic understanding.
Understanding the Patient
The starting point of an operation is the initial consultation. At this stage, it is extremely important to understand the patients needs correctly in order to conduct an analysis and develop the correct operation plan.
At Dr. Serkan Aygın Clinic we always put the patient expectations and needs to the front and act accordingly for ultimate satisfactory experience. This way, every passing day new patients join our portfolio of "tens of thousands of happy patients".
Alternative Solutions for Hair Transplant
For patients who don't have enough hair follicles in the nape area, which is considered the main donor area for hair transplants, there are alternative transplant options. In such cases, beard or body hair follicles can be used for transplantation. Hair follicles taken from body hair or the beard will eventually adapt to the area they are implamented on, transform to fit the existing hair in thickness and length.
Beard to Hair Transplant

Hair transplant using beard grafts is generally performed in cases where the patient has inadequate nape donor supply and when the bald patches are too wide to be covered. Beard grafts remain in the growth (anagen) phase for long periods of time and after the back of the scalp, are an excellent alternative donor source for hair transplantation. Beard follicles are known to be thicker than the follicles from the nape. For this reason, to provide better volume in the transplanted area, hair grafts extracted from the beard are transplanted in the middle part, and not to the front.
Body Hair Transplantation

For men planning on undergoing a hair transplant, body hair is considered as a third source of grafts recipient. If grafts extracted from the back of the head, then the beard area are still not sufficient for full coverage, among other options, chest hair can be considered as a good alternative source of hair follicles in hair transplantation. There are 2 underlying reasons why body hair is considered as the third donor source in hair transplantation. The first reason is; body hair grafts, like beard grafts, come in thick, singular grafts and grow much shorter. This being said; hair grafts obtained from the chest cannot be used in front hair restoration.