FUE Hair Transplant

The main indicators are:

• Male and female androgenetic alopecia
• Cicatricial alopecia, stable and of small extent, such as Lichen Planopilaris (LPP) and scarring alopecia
• Eyebrow hair restoration
• Facial (beard, moustache) hair restoration
• Scars (derived from a former FUT-Strip session) restoration

One of the most crucial factors that define the success of hair transplantation lies in the plastic surgeon’s experience in the hairline design and distribution of hair follicles during implantation. Furthermore, essential factors that one should take into consideration prior to hair transplant are the following ones:

• Patient’s age
• Patient’s facial features
• Patient’s grade and extent of alopecia
• Patient’s donor area availability
• Patient’s expectations
• Patient’s prospects for a future hair transplant operation

The design and the distribution of hair follicles during a hair transplant session with FUE method, is a completely personalized procedure, as it should respond to each patient’s needs. Moreover, the following basic conditions should be fulfilled:

• Have the minimum possible effects on the donor and recipient sites (no linear scars or marks, uniform hair coverage)
• Provide a completely natural-looking result
• Result in the maximum possible density, taking into consideration the duration of the session, the availability of hair follicles and the patient’s needs.

When the above mentioned specifications are met during an FUE hair transplant operation then, the success rate is quite high, exceeding 95-98% in cases performed by Advanced Hair Clinics.

• Pre-operatively, the donor area is defined and local anesthesia is applied.
• Hair follicles are extracted one-by-one using an automated FUE extracting device.
• The grafts are temporarily stored for up to 6 hours in a moist and cool environment of 2 to 4 degrees.
• Design and mark up of the area where the hair follicles will be implanted.
• Implantation of the grafts by using a specialized implanting device.

The hair follicles one-by-one implantation can be performed in one of two ways:

1. By creating reception holes in which transplants are going to be implanted. The reception holes are created either with a needle or with a scalpel, which is a long-established method. The majority of hair transplantation clinics, regardless of whether they apply FUE, Strip or FUT method, still use the pre-mentioned old implantation technique. According to this method, the first step is the creation of hair follicle’s reception holes. Then, the implantation follows by using forceps or the implanter. This technique is frequently followed by significant bleeding and swelling, often accompanied by an unnatural looking result. This outcome derives from the fact that the doctor cannot accurately control, when forceps are being used for transplant implantation, the angle and direction of the hair follicles implantation.
2. By automatically implanting the follicles without creating reception holes. The implantation is performed by using an implanter device. In this way no wounds or scars are caused in the recipient area and the hair growth is naturally looking. This derives from the fact that the implanter is adjusted with respect to the specific area that the implantation is being performed, allowing for the proper control of the angle, depth and direction of the implantation process.

In Advanced Hair Clinics, Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD, Plastic Surgeon, and his medical team apply One Step Implantation, that does not necessitate the creation of reception holes and leads to excellent results.

The hair transplantation complications are more frequent when FUT-Strip method is being applied, because of the latter’s invasive nature. In FUE hair transplantation the complications are minimal and include:

• Folliculitis situated in the recipient area (<0.3%)
• Εdema on the forehead that subsides within 1-2 days (<1%)
• Limited growth (growth rate >90%)
• Shock loss after the implantation

The Follicular Unit Extraction is applied successfully in:

Eyebrow transplant. Many women end up with permanent thinning in their eyebrows because of excessive waxing or laser hair removal. The Follicular Unit Extraction method is the ideal way to overcome this problem. Eyebrow transplant provides the best possible and natural-looking results. Therefore, one has no need to use a micro pigmentation tattoo to cover a potential hair loss in the eyebrows’ area.

Facial hair restoration. One might wish to enhance one’s facial hair (i.e. beard transplant) either because of a past injury that has affected the hair density of the area, or due to personal need to obtain thick beard. The Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplant method once more provides the best possible results when a specialised and experienced medical team applies it.

FUT scars’ restoration. Former FUT-Strip hair transplant operations quite commonly result in permanent and ugly scars. In order to repair those scars, a great number of people undergo an FUE hair transplant operation. In Advanced Hair Clinics, a great number of hair transplant operations are required to remedy problems caused by these FUT / Strip techniques.

The Follicular Unit Extraction method usually requires the shaving of a small part of the donor area. The hair’s length should be 2-3 mm, so as to assist the extraction of the hair follicles. In many cases, though, professional, social or personal reasons do not allow for a short haircut in preparation for hair transplantation. For those that would prefer not to reveal that they have had hair transplantation, having a short haircut could be an issue.

Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD, Plastic Surgeon, assisted by his medical team, constitute the only specialized team of experts in Greece that can apply unshaven FUE hair transplant sessions, even in challenging cases. During the unshaven session, the doctor extracts the transplants one-by-one in between of the donor area’s long hairs and then transplants them accordingly.

After the completion of the session, the hair length is still the same as it was before the session and there are no signs of the operation. The unshaven hair transplant session is very common among artists, show business professionals, businessmen, politicians and VIPs. Moreover, it is the ideal method for those that have to get back to their daily social and professional activities without revealing signs of a completed operation. The majority of women also prefer the Unshaven Follicular Unit Extraction, as shaving the donor area is generally unacceptable in ladies.

The method of Follicular Unit Extraction provides absolutely permanent and natural results. The results after an FUE hair transplantation can vary from satisfactory to excellent depending on the doctor’s experience and training. Actually, the growth of new hair is usually over 95% and a totally natural result is expected only when a specialized doctor performs hair transplant with the FUE method.

The growth of the new hair is achieved gradually after the transplantation and the final result is completed within the first 12 months. No linear scars are left behind as the method is minimally invasive. The majority of hair is preserved and starts growing from the very first days post-operatively. Some hair might fall off during the next 2 to 6 weeks since they fall in the telogen phase of their hair growth cycle. The gradual regrowth of the new hair follows a process that is completed after 10-12 months post-operatively. Growth of new hair has been recorded even after 18-24 months. It is interesting to underline the fact that when hair implantation has been applied in the hair line and facial area (for example beard transplant, eyebrow transplant) hair growth is faster because of the rich blood supply to these body areas. The growth reaches 80% within the first 4-6 months after the application of FUE hair transplant.

For those that want to achieve the greatest possible density or wish to cover larger areas, as it happens in the case of advanced alopecia, two-day sessions are usually required. The minimally invasive nature of Follicular Unit Extraction method in comparison to FUT-Strip technique, enables the usage of the donor area in a future hair transplant.

The cost of the sessions may vary, depending on patients’ needs. Elements that form the final cost are the duration of the session, the number of the transferred hair follicles, the presence of scars as a result of a former Strip operation, the option of having an unshaven FUE session. An unshaven FUE session lasts longer and demands a great level of skillfulness on behalf of the performing doctor. The cost of eyebrows or scars’ restoration depends on the level of the session’s extent, and the degree of difficulty of the case.

Advanced Hair Clinics is the most highly specialized hair transplant clinic in Greece. Hundreds of sessions take place annually, and a great proportion of the patients come from abroad and fly to Athens so as to undergo hair transplant in Advanced Hair Clinics.

• Advanced Hair Clinics is awarded as the Best International Hair Clinic (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) by the respected, non-for-profit International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) organization. Advanced Hair Clinics is the only clinic in Greece that has succeeded in being globally and officially recognized as leading.
• Head of the medical team is Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD, who has the cumulative experience of more than 6000 FUE hair transplant operations, performed in Greece and abroad (USA, United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait etc). Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD and his medical team are solely in charge of the hair transplants, guaranteeing a 100% success rate and natural results. Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD, is one of the very few doctors in Greece who are members of ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery). He is invited on an annual basis to international hair transplant congresses around the world in order to provide training and guidance in the FUE method to other doctors.
• Advanced FUE is the latest, the most innovative and the minimally invasive method as it minimizes the extent of injury in the donor and recipient area. This is achieved by the use of tools of very small diameter during the procedure. Moreover, thanks to One Step Implantation, it not necessary the creation of reception holes thus the patient gets excellent results without having scars, marks and stiches.
• Many failed and unsuccessful hair transplant operations that have been performed by non-specialized doctors are being rectified by Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD, in Advanced Hair Clinics. Furthermore, in Advanced Hair Clinics, FUT-Strip scars are regularly treated. Advanced FUE is the one method that enables the successful completion of those operations.
• The medical team of Advanced Hair Clinics, led by Dr Anastasios Vekris, MD, is the only hair transplant unit in Greece and one of the very few globally, that are experienced in FUE technique, including the restoration of challenging and exceptional cases such as beard transplant, eyebrow transplant, body hair transplant, scar restoration etc. It is essential to underline the fact that Advanced Hair Clinics’ medical team has the experience to complete FUE hair transplant sessions that provide more than 3000 hair follicles (7000 hairs) during a daily session of 8 hours duration.