DHI Hair Transplant

What is a DHI hair transplant?

The DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) is one of the most popular hair transplant methods nowadays. It is a procedure by which hair is taken from one part of the body (a donor area) and implanted into bald or thinning areas. 

Your doctor extracts the grafts from the donor area, usually the back of your scalp, and implants them in the targeted areas. These hair follicles will eventually grow new hair, which never falls out for life.

Here are the steps you can usually expect during the DHI procedure:

• Your surgeon or team member may shave your donor area and apply local anesthesia.

• The surgeon extracts the hair follicles from the back of your head using a micromotor with a diameter of 0.5 - 0.7 mm.

• The hair follicles will be loaded into the Choi implanter pen and implanted into the bald part of your hair.

How effective is a DHI hair transplant?

DHI hair transplant is undoubtedly an excellent way to cover the areas affected by progressive hair loss and baldness. If it is the correct procedure for you, the results can be pleasing, natural, and appearance-changing. 

However, you should remember that a hair transplant does not act on the leading causes of Alopecia. It does not stop hair loss. 

But because the transplanted hair is taken from the back of the scalp - the most resistant to balding - the hair growth continues throughout a lifetime and never falls again. 

The most important thing is to get a professional consultation and determine if a DHI hair transplant is right for you. 

Who can benefit from a DHI hair transplant?

The best candidates experience pattern baldness, as do 50% of men over 50. Surgeons can take follicles from areas of healthy growth and implant them in bald spots. 

For example, if baldness spreads from the crown, the new follicles can restore coverage there.

Other DHI hair transplant candidates share the following traits:

• At least 25 years of age: Hair loss can be challenging to predict in people under this age.

• Thick Hair Texture: Although people with thin hair can get good results, transplants usually work best for thicker hair as each follicle has broader coverage.

• Realistic Expectations: Surgeons find that people with realistic expectations for their results are generally the most satisfied.

You must consult an expert before engaging in DHI, or any form of hair transplant, to confirm that you are a suitable candidate.

How much does a DHI hair transplant cost?

A DHI hair transplant can cost between $ 7,000 and $ 17,000 for DHI in countries such as the U.S. or Canada and from €4000 to €12000  in most European countries. Prices usually vary from one clinic to another, one surgeon to another but also based on the number of grafts necessary for the transplant. 

Other factors that can affect the prices of a DHI hair transplant are the following:

• The clinic's location: for example, clinics in some states can be more expensive depending on local tax laws. 

• The number of follicles required: naturally, the bigger number of follicles you have transplanted, the higher the cost. 

• The brand of the clinic: established famous names tend to charge higher rates.

Insurance providers usually refuse to cover hair transplant costs, as DHI is classified as a cosmetic procedure rather than a necessary surgery. 

You can reduce the price of your hair transplant by going to a clinic abroad and paying as low as $2000, such as in Turkey, where living expenses and salaries are lower, but service standards can still be high.

DHI hair transplant vs. FUE hair transplant

DHI hair transplant is a modified version of FUE hair transplant and follows a similar procedure: 

   FUE Steps:

1. The first step of an FUE hair transplant is extracting hair grafts. 
2. Then the channels are opened by making tiny micro-incisions. 
3. Finally, the grafts are inserted into these channels. 

   DHI Steps:

1. The first step of a DHI hair transplant is extracting hair grafts, the same as FUE.
2. Then the grafts are sorted and inserted into the Choi implanter pen.
3. Finally, the implanter pen is used to insert the grafts into the targeted area directly without previously making incisions, thanks to the blade built at the end of the pen. 

DHI aims to simultaneously perform the incision and the implantation of the new hair follicles so that the grafts spend less time outside the body. 

This is the main benefit; hence the survival of the follicles is more remarkable, and the recovery period is believed to be shorter. 

This relatively quick process is carried out using a high-tech instrument called the "Choi Implanter," as a hollow needle connected to a cylinder and a device to make the incisions on the scalp.

Pros And Cons Of DHI Hair Transplant

Pros of DHI hair transplant:
DHI hair transplant has three main advantages: 

1. The main advantage of the DHI technique is that it allows hair transplant without shaving. For this reason, it has become the favorite hair transplant technique for women and men with long hair. It is also because it is the technique chosen by many people who prefer to hide the fact that they have undergone a hair implant.
   
   

2. Another significant advantage is that the follicles during the DHI procedure remain much less outside the body before re-implanting into the scalp, so the survival of the hairs is much higher, and they remain firmer and safer. 
   
   

3. In addition, the "Choi implanter" allows the doctor to have more precision both in the depth of the graft and in the angle of the incision created by inserting the follicle, which helps natural regrowth.

Cons of DHI Hair Transplant:

DHI has a few disadvantages as with any surgical procedure, for example: 

1. DHI procedure usually costs more than FUE one. This is due to the following;

   1. More expensive equipment

   2. Requiring several DHI expert technicians working alongside the surgeon at all times

   3. More effort and attention from surgeons

2. It requires extreme accuracy in its execution, so the medical team must have significant experience.

3. A smaller quantity of grafts: Most surgeons cannot perform extraction of more than 3000 to 4000 follicles per DHI session. 

FAQs

such as in Turk