February 09, 2022

Hair transplantation surgery in Korea

Korea’s Hair Transplantation Method, Price & Side Effects

Hair loss varies in types and shapes, such as M-shaped hair loss that starts along both sides of the forehead, O- and U-shaped hair loss on the top of the head, and stress-induced circular hair loss that occurs in several places on the scalp. The blind point of hair loss treatment using drugs is that the hair follicles must not be destroyed. Just as seeds sown on a rocky field do not grow, if there are no hair follicles from which new hairs can grow, the herbal medicine is invalid. Hair loss is one of the diseases for which early detection is very important, and treatment time and continuity are of the utmost importance.

If you miss this time, you will be thinking about a hair transplant. Hair transplantation surgery technology has already attracted worldwide attention, and medical staff with excellent technology for hair, scalp and hair loss are taking the lead in the treatment of domestic and overseas patients.

Before visiting the hospital and receiving counseling, you should fully understand the review of hair transplant surgery in Korea and hair transplant failure before visiting the hospital. As with other types of surgery, hair transplant surgery carries some risks, including bleeding and infection as well. In order to answer your questions about hair transplant surgery in Korea, this blog post has compiled a list of various surgical methods, the advantages and disadvantages of each surgical method, side effects, and frequently asked questions.

 

Incisional Hair Transplant Surgery


What's Incisional Method?

After shaving the hair on the back of the head, an incision is made to a certain length and the hair follicles are separated and transplanted.

 

Incisional Surgery Sequence

  1. Peel off the scalp about 6 to 10 inches long from the back of the head. Store the peeled skin and suture the gaping scalp.
  2. Divide the peeled scalp into 500-2000 small pieces.
  3. Separate the hair follicles
  4. Disinfect and anesthetize the area to be transplanted, and make a small hole according to the surgical tool such as a slit/transplanter/DNI, etc. to plant hair follicles.

 

Advantage

  1. Compared to the non-incision method, many hair follicles can be collected in a shorter time.
  2. Less risk of damage to hair follicles during the collection process

 

Operation Time

It takes an average of 4 hours * May vary depending on the size of the hair loss area of ​​the patient

 

Target

In case of mass transplantation / when hair density decreases, etc.

 

Cost

More economic than non-incisional method

 

Disadvantage

It leaves an incision scar on the back of the head. However, the scar can be covered with hair, so it will be invisible eventually.

 

Non-Incisional Hair Transplant Surgery in Korea

What's Non-Incisional Method?

After shaving or unshaving a certain area, hair follicles are collected one by one with a specially designed tool without incision.

 

Non-Incisional Surgical procedure

  1. Unshaven/shaved the back of the head (different depending on hospital and doctor)
  2. Collect hair follicles one by one from the area (these areas leave scars like small dots, but these areas are also covered with hair and are almost invisible)
  3. Disinfect and anesthetize the area to be transplanted, and make a small hole according to the surgical tool such as a slit/transplanter/DNI, etc. to plant hair follicles.

 

Advantage

Either you do not shave or shave, you can decide to shave in parts by some case. There are various types of shaving shapes, so you can choose the type of haircut depending on your hairstyle, hair quality, and amount of hair.
When shaving i not necessary, hair will be collected while maintaining them. Since the hair follicles are piled up in the thick hair, there is hardly any trace of removal of the hair follicles even after collection.

 

Operation Time

Longer compared to incision

 

Target

Who are reluctant to make an incision scar.

 

Cost

More expensive than incisional method.

 

Disadvantage

  1. The collection process is difficult and takes a long time.
  2. It is difficult to determine the shape of the hair follicle.

 

Hair Transplantation Terminology: Slit VS Hair Transplanter


In order to transplant hair, hair is collected from the back of the patient's head, and there are two types of methods for transplanting the collected hair: the use of a hair transplanter and the SLIT.

 

Slit

SLIT method literally means making a slit, that is, a narrow long hole in the area where the hair will be transplanted. The separated hair follicles are sequentially transplanted into the pre-made "slits". When making a "slit", it is as dense as possible, and the hair in the area to be transplanted is adjusted to the angle and direction that can be seen naturally.

 

Advantages

  1. Minimize scalp irritation by creating a place for hair follicles to enter the transplant site in advance.
  2. Although the operation requires a lot of time, it can be transplanted with "high density" compared to hair transplanter method, and the engraftment rate is comparatively high.

Disadvantage

Unfortunately, SLIT hair transplantation is not easily accessible to many hospitals due to the problem that the surgeon's skill and the surgical team's skill must be mandatorily accompanied.

 

Hair Transplanter

In the shape of a needle with a sharp tip, make a hole in the scalp while inserting the hair follicle collected from the occipital region into the empty inner space.

 

Advantage

  1. The speed of hair transplantation through a hair transplanter is much faster. This is because it is a process of inserting a core into a mechanical pencil and planting the hair in the desired location.
  2. It is possible to maintain a low price by taking advantage of the fast operation time through a hair transplanter.
  3. It is easy to adjust the direction and angle of the hair, so you can emphasize the natural look.

 

Disadvantage

  1. Because of the thickness of the hair transplanter itself, it is impossible to implant more densely than SLIT.
  2. In order to insert hair like a core into a mechanical pencil called a hair transplant device, the tissue surrounding the hair follicle needs to be made thinner, so damage to the hair follicle is inevitable.

 

DNI Slit

After creating artificial pores on the scalp like a slit, the hair is inserted into the pores with a blunt hair transplanter.

 

Advantage

Alleviates the shortcomings that may damage the hair follicles in the process of picking and transplanting the hair follicles with forceps in the slit method. Time can be shortened rather than slit for insertion with a blunt hair transplanter

Disadvantage

Since it uses a hair transplanter, the density may be lower than that of the slit.

 

Hair transplantation surgery in Korea FAQs

(Symptoms/Down Time/Engraftment Rate/Side Effects/Price/Hair Loss Drug/Failure, etc.)
 
Q. What are the symptoms after surgery?

Immediately after the procedure, reddish red scabs remain at the transplant site, which is quite disturbing to look at, but after a few days, the scabs all fall off. Usually, physical stimulation should be avoided for about 10 to 14 days, and the hair, the stem of the transplanted hair follicle, will fall out and the roots will be established in about 2 weeks to 3 months. After that, depending on the rate of hair growth, vellus hairs can be found from the 3rd to 4th month, and the final hardening is observed for about 6 months at the shortest and about a year at the longest.

 

Q. What is the hair transplant engraftment rate and recovery period?

After surgery, the scalp becomes very weak. You can take painkillers for several days. After the surgery, you will be prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs at the hospital. You can receive shampoo treatment at the hospital the day after surgery, and although it is inconvenient, you can go about your daily life as much as you want after being discharged from the hospital on the same day. The engraftment rate of hair transplant surgery may vary depending on the surgical method and the individual's level of follow-up care.

 

Q. What are the side effects and precautions after hair transplantation?

Folliculitis, in which the hair follicles become infected and inflamed, can occur during the hair transplant recovery period. This is done by following the precautions such as taking the prescribed antibiotics well and wrapping the scalp well with a bandage. Rarely, a sudden "shockcross" may result in sudden loss of hair in the newly transplanted area. However, this is a temporary phenomenon and new hair will soon grow.

 

Q. Please recommend hair transplant hospital and how much is for hair transplant cost

The cost varies greatly depending on the promotion, and the hair transplant cost is usually set according to the specific condition of the patient. On average, the cost of hair transplantation depends on the amount of hair transplanted, and non-incisional methods are more expensive than incisional ones. The cost varies from as low as 2.5 million KRW to as high as 9 million KRW based on 3,000 hairs.

Example)

Based on a famous hair transplant hospital in Korea

  • 3000 hair transplantation: Incisional surgery costs 5.5 million KRW (tax included)
  • 3000 hair transplantation: Non-incisional surgery costs 8.25 million KRW (tax included)

 

Q. Do I need to take any medications?

In general, doctors recommend hair transplantation along with drug treatment for patients who have passed the initial treatment stage. You should not stop drug treatment after receiving a hair transplant saying that “hair loss has been cured.” This is because the planted hair does not fall out even if drug treatment is stopped, but hair loss continues in other areas. Likewise, it can lead to an unsightly hair shape, so you should be more diligent in taking medication after transplantation.

 

Q. Can't I use someone else's hair follicles?

Even if transplanted, the hair follicles retain their original properties. Theoretically, hair transplantation can be done anywhere on the body, and if you use your own hair follicles, hair grows in the transplanted area without rejection. However, hair in areas other than the head is rarely used for hair transplantation. This is because the nature of the curly hair is maintained as it is and there is a great sense of heterogeneity. As with other transplants, other people's hair cannot be transplanted due to immune rejection. Some hospitals specializing in hair transplantation also collect and transplant beard hair follicles in addition to the sides and back of the head to improve hair loss more clearly.

 

Q. Hair transplantation surgery in Korea cases where hair transplantation fails?

The complete result of hair transplantation can be known only after 6 months to 1 year after surgery. Also, even with the same results, there can be a big difference depending on the patient's satisfaction.

 

Tips from Jivaka Beauty
  1. After treatment for hair loss such as finasteride and minoxidil as much as possible, a decision should be made through sufficient consultation.
  2. Since there are not many hair transplants available, it is more important to know whether the hospital has a skilled surgeon and a trained surgical team rather than the price.
  3. Since the transplantation method is applied differently depending on the patient's style, scalp condition, hair condition, etc., please make a reservation after consulting with Jivaka Beauty.
Written by Jivaka Beauty

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