Hair transplantation

A hair transplant is a surgical treatment in which the patient's own hair, including the root, is removed from a part of the body (donor area) and transplanted to a thinning or bald area (recipient area). This makes the hair on the head appear much fuller and thicker.

Hair transplantation is also known as own hair transplantation and own hair redistribution, as no new hair is added during the procedure, but the existing own hair is strategically redistributed. The donor area should therefore have sufficient healthy hair roots.

If sufferers do nothing about their hair loss for too long, it could be too late even for a hair transplant - because hair that has fallen out will not come back. So don't wait and get help from one of our hair consultants in good time.

Almost every second man suffers from severe hair loss. In 95 percent of cases, this is known as androgenetic alopecia, which is hereditary. This form of hair loss can occur at a very young age and is best treated permanently with a hair transplant.

Male alopecia usually occurs in patterns. It can be divided into 7 phases using the Norwood-Hamilton pattern. With this scheme, we can assess how far your hair loss has progressed during the hair analysis.

What should be considered before a hair transplant?

1. It usually makes sense to let the hair grow a little longer before the transplant. Possible traces of the operation can be easily concealed in this way.

2. To ensure that your hair transplant is not negatively affected, you should refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages for at least one week before the treatment. You should also stop smoking at least 3 days before the procedure. We will also give you other important behavioural tips, including temporarily avoiding certain medications.

3. On the day of the treatment, it is best to wash your hair and choose a comfortable top with a zipper or buttons that you will not have to take off over your head later. We also recommend that you eat a light meal before the procedure. However, drinks containing tein and caffeine should not be consumed.

Can a hair transplant be performed without shaving beforehand?

Hair transplantation without prior shaving is entirely possible, especially for smaller procedures. For the FUE method (Follicular Unit Extraction), in which individual hair follicles are extracted, it is necessary to shave the donor area in order to precisely extract the hair follicles. However, the recipient area, where the hair is transplanted, does not always have to be completely shaved. Partial shaves are possible here in order to meet the aesthetic needs of the patient. Whether shaving is necessary depends on the individual circumstances and will be discussed during the consultation.

Are there alternative treatments to hair transplantation?

For patients who do not have enough donor material for a hair transplant, or for those who have already undergone a transplant and do not wish to undergo further procedures, we offer scalp pigmentation as an alternative. This treatment method achieves amazing optical effects and is ideal for simulating the appearance of full hair.

Hair transplant procedure for men

1. Before a scalp hair transplant can even be performed, we carry out a comprehensive hair consultation with our patients as well as a detailed medical history and medical examination. We then plan the redistribution of hair precisely in order to make the best possible use of the limited hair available. Among other things, we determine the number of grafts (hair follicle groups) as well as the recipient and donor area.

   Important: If you are being treated elsewhere, make sure that all these preparatory measures are carried out in full. If this is not the case, we recommend that you obtain a second opinion from us.

2. On the day of the procedure, your surgeon will explain the exact steps and answer any questions you may have. We also take photos of the initial situation for a before-and-after comparison. We then mark the area from which the hair is to be removed and shave it if necessary. For a low-pain and relaxed treatment, we will give you a local anaesthetic and, if you wish, a mild sedative.

3. Regardless of the method (FUT technique or FUE technique), we usually remove the hair follicles from the crown area at the back of the head and prepare them for transplantation. In order to insert the individual or bundled hair follicles into the bald areas, we make tiny incisions in the skin that are barely visible after the healing phase.

4. When inserting the grafts, we pay close attention to the distribution of the hair and the direction of growth so that the follicles grow well and can adapt optimally to their new environment. In a healthy scalp, up to 98 percent of the transplanted grafts can grow.

5. After the hair transplant, we will give you a medical head wash and a sterile cover for the treated area. Before we discharge you home, you will have the opportunity to recover a little from the procedure.

Beard hair transplant

Many men today like to wear beards again - not least because facial hair is seen as a sign of masculinity and self-confidence. However, some suffer from weak, patchy beard growth. The causes of this vary and can be attributed to hormonal disorders, genetic predisposition, acne scars or injuries. In such cases, a beard hair transplant offers a permanent solution that can be used to fill in bald patches.

As with a hair transplant, the hair follicles are usually removed from the back of the head and transplanted to the beardless area. We can even use donor hair in scarred areas so that we can optimally conceal your scars. As soon as the beard hair has grown into its new location, it remains in the recipient area for the long term and looks completely natural.

As not so many grafts are usually required in the face, the FUE technique is mainly used for beard hair transplants.

Hair loss in women is viewed and treated differently to that of men, which is often due to gender-specific causes. Although the main reason for female hair loss is the same as for men, namely genetic alopecia, women lose their hair either diffusely, on the crown of the head or above the ears. This pathological hair loss also leads to a receding hairline and a high forehead.

To assess hair loss in women, we use the Ludwig scheme. With this, we can divide female hair loss into 3 degrees of severity.

However, an overly high forehead or receding hairline are not always due to alopecia; they can also be present from birth and cause women considerable stress even in adolescence. Only a permanent hair transplant can help here.

However, those suffering from early-stage androgenetic alopecia can counteract their hair loss with scalp or hair treatments. At our AEZ hair, we offer two effective treatments for hair preservation: PRP treatment and mesotherapy.

Other causes of female hair loss can also be illnesses or hormonal fluctuations. In such cases, other treatments can usually help. It is therefore essential for successful treatment to seek advice from one of our hair specialists in order to get to the bottom of the cause in good time. Make an appointment now - we will be happy to help you!

Hair transplant procedure for women

The hair transplant procedure for women hardly differs from that for men. Depending on the size of the recipient area, we also use either the FUE method or the FUT method for women. Which of the two methods is used always depends on the personal requirements and the number of follicular units needed.

1. If a scalp hair redistribution is the optimal treatment for you and you have decided on the procedure after a successful personal consultation and diagnosis at AEZ hair, precise planning will take place. Among other things, the required transplants are calculated and the donor and recipient areas are determined.

2. For women, we can take grafts from the entire back of the head. These hairs are the most resistant and are normally immune to hair loss. In addition, they usually remain permanently in the transplanted areas.

3. The donor area may need to be shaved briefly before the hair is removed. Many women are put off by the idea of having their own hair transplanted. However, as most women wear their hair longer than 2 centimetres, the shaved areas are covered by the hair and are therefore not normally visible.

4. We perform the actual hair transplant on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. If you wish, we can also give you a sedative for a relaxed treatment.

5. Depending on the procedure, we either gradually remove individual hair follicles (FUE) or a scalp strip (FUT), which is then divided into follicular units. The extracted follicles are then temporarily stored in a nutrient solution and checked for quality. After the doctor has made small, irregularly distributed incisions in the recipient area, the tested hair roots are inserted into them. In this way, we achieve a natural-looking hair pattern.

6. After the transplant, which can take between 3 and 8 hours, you will be given a medical head wash and a special head covering. You will then be able to rest a little before returning to your daily routine. However, you should take it easy for the next few days.

The number of grafts required for a hair transplant depends on individual factors, in particular the condition of the patient's hairline (donor area). We generally use between 3,000 and a maximum of 4,000 grafts. Impressive results can be achieved with a number of 3,000 to 3,500 grafts, which almost reflect a natural hair density. Harvesting more than 4,000 grafts is only carried out in exceptional cases and after careful examination in order to protect the donor area. In some cases, additional grafts can be harvested from other areas of the body, such as the beard or breast, to treat larger areas.

What is the difference between a graft and a follicular unit?

In modern hair surgery, the term "graft" is often used to describe a transplant. However, "graft" is very unspecific and does not provide a precise description. In hair medicine, we therefore prefer to speak of a "follicular unit". This precisely describes what is being transplanted - usually 1 to 4 hair follicles, which are harvested and inserted together as a unit.

What needs to be considered after a hair transplant?

1. After having your own hair redistributed, you are immediately socially acceptable again, but you should still recover for a few days afterwards and take a break from work and everyday stress.

2. You should not wash your hair in the first few days after the treatment and it is also advisable to use gentle, medicinal shampoos afterwards. As part of your treatment with us, we will of course advise you in detail on how to care for your hair properly after the transplant. We will also provide you with precise instructions for wound and scar care.

3. Make sure that your scalp is not exposed to pressure or heat during the first few months, such as hot air from a hairdryer, sunlight or excessive water pressure when showering. You should also avoid going to the solarium, swimming pool and sauna for a few weeks. Sport and strenuous activities should also be temporarily avoided.

4. In order not to impair wound healing and the result, it is advisable to temporarily stop smoking and drinking alcohol during the healing phase.

When can results be seen after a hair transplant?

You will have to be patient after the treatment until you see the first results. Initially, the transplanted hair will fall out, which is completely normal. After about 3 months, the transplanted hair will start to grow. You will be able to see your final result after about 12 months.

How often do follow-up appointments take place?

Follow-up appointments are scheduled approximately 2 to 4 weeks after the operation. Further check-ups are carried out after 6 months and finally after 12 months to assess the final result and plan further steps if necessary.

We offer our patients at AEZ Hair in Munich two different methods of hair redistribution: the FUE method and the FUT method.

The abbreviation FUE stands for Follicular Unit Extraction. In this procedure, follicular units (FU) are removed individually from the patient under local anesthesia. These follicular units consist of 1 to 5 hair follicles (HF) or grafts (transplants). How many units are removed depends on the extent of the hair transplant.

The removal area is defined before the treatment so that there is no visible thinning of the area as a result of the hair removal and is therefore significantly larger than with the alternative FUT method.

Hair transplantation: Facts about the FUE method

*The prices listed here are approximate. The costs of the treatment can only be reliably determined after a personal consultation, depending on the individual circumstances. Services are billed in accordance with the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ).

FUE method: The treatment procedure

Hair removal

Special motorized hollow needles with a diameter of 0.6 to 1.1 mm are used to remove the hair roots for transplantation. For the extraction, the hollow needle is placed over the follicular unit under local anesthesia and inserted up to 3 mm into the skin to loosen the hair roots. The hair follicles are then carefully removed with tweezers. This process is repeated until the number of grafts required for the treatment has been reached. After extraction, the donor hairs are placed in a nutrient solution, processed, checked and sorted by hand.

The insertion of the hair follicles

The insertion of the hair follicles is the same for the FUE technique and the FUT method. First, small channels are created in the recipient area. The hair roots are then inserted using tweezers.

Both the cut and the insertion of the hair require a great deal of experience and an eye for the overall picture to determine the spacing and insertion angle of the hair. This is the only way to achieve a completely natural-looking overall result.

Advantages and disadvantages of the FUE procedure

The FUE procedure is low-risk, tissue-friendly and low in pain for the patient. The small holes at the donor hair extraction sites do not require stitches, but close on their own. The healing phase is therefore shorter than with the FUT method. Thanks to the modern extraction technique, there is no noticeable scarring.

Thanks to the option of spreading the hair removal over the entire hairline, the removal sites can also be selected in such a way that there is no visible thinning of the hair in the donor area.

Compared to the FUT method, the FUE method is more time-consuming due to the more complex extraction of the grafts and more cost-intensive due to the additional work involved. The procedure also does not allow as much donor hair to be transplanted at once as the alternative FUT harvesting method. In addition, a larger area must be shaved due to the larger extraction area.

Sapphire FUE

Sapphire FUE hair transplantation is a further development of the classic FUE method, in which we use sapphire blades instead of the usual steel blades. The sapphire gemstone is much harder than steel and the blades are much finer and more precise. This allows the hair transplant to be carried out with greater precision. The scalp and the existing hair follicles are spared as much as possible.

i-FUE

The term i-FUE stands for "Intermittent Follicular Unit Extraction" and refers to a variant of the classic FUE method in which we significantly reduce the dwell time of the grafts outside the skin. This protects the grafts from damage caused by long storage times. The i-FUE hair transplant is more complex for the surgeon but can sustainably improve the growth rate and vitality of the donor hair.

The abbreviation FUT stands for Follicular Unit Transplantation. In this procedure, the follicular units required for the transplant are not removed one by one as in the FUE method, but all at once. For this purpose, an elongated strip of skin is removed from the back of the head and the hair follicles contained therein are used for transplantation in the recipient area.

Hair transplantation: Facts about the FUT method

*The prices listed here are approximate. The costs of the treatment can only be reliably determined after a personal consultation, depending on the individual circumstances. Services are billed in accordance with the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ).

FUT method: The treatment procedure

Removing the hair roots

With the FUT method, a strip of shaved skin up to 1 cm wide is first removed from the back of the head under local anaesthetic. To do this, the border of the donor strip is opened with a scalpel and the skin strip is then carefully removed.

The length of the skin strip depends on the number of hair follicles (grafts) required for the transplant on the one hand and on the density of the hair in this donor area on the other. The length can therefore vary between 10 and up to more than 20 cm. Following the extraction, the skin at the back of the head is closed using a special suturing technique.

The hair follicles contained in the strip are then prepared for the hair transplant: Under the microscope, the strip is divided and sorted by hand into follicular units (FE) consisting of 1-5 hair follicles.

The insertion of the follicular units

Regardless of which harvesting method you choose for your hair transplant, the hair implantation process is the same for both techniques. Small channels are created in the recipient area, into which the prepared follicular units are inserted using tweezers.

In order to achieve a natural-looking treatment result, a great deal of experience and a feel for aesthetics are important both in the distribution of the incisions and in inserting the hair roots at the right angle.

Advantages and disadvantages of the FUT procedure

Performed by an experienced practitioner, the FUT technique can achieve completely natural-looking results. Patients can return to social life immediately after the hair transplant but should take it easy for a few days.

The treatment is usually low in pain and involves few risks. As it only takes a few minutes to remove the hair follicles, it can be carried out more quickly than the FUE technique and is therefore more cost-effective. In addition, the procedure allows more follicular units to be harvested than is the case with the FUE extraction procedure. The area that needs to be shaved is also generally much smaller.

Compared to the FUE method, the FUT method generally involves a longer healing phase for the patient. The removal of the skin strip results in an elongated scar at the back of the head, but this can be covered up, especially if the hair is worn half-long or long and is therefore not visible to others.

• Hair calculator Calculate grafts and price yourself
• 3D consultation Plan your hairline and density on a 3D model Simulation, not a promise of results. (opens in a new tab)
• Appointment Book online or call

AEZ Hair Munich

AEZ Hair Wiesbaden