Leukotrichia

Leukotrichia is a type of acquired hair discoloration that can occur at some point in a person’s life and can have a negative effect on their psychology, as white hair is usually associated with aging,

People suffering from vitiligo and those who have scattered white hairs in their hair can resort to the extraction of specific hair follicles with the FUE technique to get their hair back to a uniform colour, without white hairs.

LEUKOTRICHIA

How to deal with this condition

To date, various therapeutic approaches have been attempted for leukotrichia, but usually without success. The most common treatments are laser hair removal, radiofrequency and waxing. The disadvantage that these treatments have is that white hairs lack melanin and therefore cannot be eradicated by laser hair removal. Also, neither the wax method nor the radiofrequency method offers a permanent result. In contrast, hair follicle extraction with the punch tool used in the FUE hair transplantation method can effectively address the problem.

Benefits FUE HAIR EXTRACTION

Painless application under local anaesthesia
Immediately visible result
No scars or marks

STUDY

Patient satisfaction with FUE for leukotrichia

A study conducted on Caucasian individuals who underwent FUE white hair follicle extraction showed 87% overall satisfaction and 56% result in one session.

The paper on the contribution of FUE and the use of punch in leukoplakia was presented by Advanced Hair Clinics’ Scientific Director Dr. Anastasios Vekris at the 22nd Annual ISHRS Scientific Conference, October 8-11, 2014, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The results show that FUE white hair follicle extraction eliminates the problem to a significant extent. In addition, the advantages of the technique include the absence of serious adverse effects and scarring.

In any case, it is important for someone who suffers from leukotrichia to choose an experienced plastic surgeon who is familiar with the FUE method, who will answer honestly to their expectations and will help to avoid side effects such as scarring.

Dr. Anastasios Vekris, Plastic Surgeon Scientific Director of Advanced Hair Clinics

FAQs

FUE (Follicular Unit Excision) technique performed with Individual Hair Follicles Transfer, is a minimally invasive technique, used for extracting and implanting hair follicles, during a hair transplant session. This process is performed with the use of “punch”, a tool that is as small as a pen. Punch has been used in Hair, Beard, and Eyebrow FUE Transplant for many years now. Thus, the extensive knowledge we have acquired all these years using punch allows us to successfully use it during white hair removal on face and body.

Prior to the implementation of White Hair Removal with FUE technique in Advanced Hair Clinics, Dr. Anastasios Vekris, Medical Director of the clinic, conducted a study in which 32 patients (24 women and 8 men) participated in. The average age of the participants was 51 years old, with I-IV skin phototype. In 15 out of 32 cases, FUE technique was applied to the face, in 9 cases to the beard, in 5 cases to the neck, and in the rest 3 cases to the bikini. The aim of the study was to show the effectiveness of FUE method, and to determine whether the hair regrow 3 months after the treatment.

Each one of the participants had visible white hairs. Punch extraction was performed with tools of different diameter ranging from 0.75mm to 0.9mm. The one with the smallest diameter was used for the facial hair extraction, while the biggest one for the body hair extraction. Using the punch tool, the doctor manages to remove the hair follicle from the root. Follow-ups took place after 1 week and after 3 months, by using digital photography, in order to evaluate the results.

Out of a total of 32 people who participated in the study, 18 experienced a permanent result in just one session, and no regrowth of white hair was observed. No contraindications were observed, except for a little bleeding during the extraction (only in 5 participants, representing the 15.6% of the total number), and bruises (in 4 participants, representing the 12.5% of the total number). No infections or permanent side effects, such as scarring or discoloration, were observed.

It is of high importance to mention that the majority of the patients, approximately 88% of the participants (28 out of 32) were satisfied with the result. In almost half of the participants, more than one session was needed in order to permanently remove white hairs.