Hair transplants or implants

Like hair, hair evolves in cycles lasting several months, alternating between phases of growth and phases of rest with loss: this is why losing hair at a maximum rate of 100 a day can be normal. Hair loss in excess of several weeks is considered pathological, and indicates the onset of alopecia.

It is estimated that each hair is programmed to live for a total of around 25 cycles, before finally dying: it is then neither replaced nor regenerated.

This explains whyandrogenetic alopecia progresses to irreversible baldness. This hair loss is linked to the local action of a testosterone derivative, 5 DHT, which accelerates the hair cycle: the 25 cycles (on average) are therefore reached more quickly, with definitive hair loss.

Androgenic alopecia has a dual origin, both genetic and hormonal.

It is far more common in men, with almost all of them affected to varying degrees.

In the earliest cases, baldness of the frontal lobes can be seen as early as age 25.

However, women are not spared, particularly at the time of menopause: there is then a relative increase in androgen levels in the blood, as estrogen levels plummet. Around ¼ of women can suffer from androgenetic alopecia, which profoundly alters the image we have of femininity.

Pregnancy or certain contraceptive pills can sometimes have a similar effect.

Once the baldness of androgenetic alopecia sets in, it is irreversible. Dr. Christelle Santini in Paris then proposes hair transplantation, using micro-grafted hair implants taken from another part of the head.

To begin with, Dr Christelle Santini will welcome you to her practice on rue de la Pompe, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
She will examine both your hair and your scalp, to check whether it is indeed androgenetic alopecia.
In principle, a clinical diagnosis is sufficient, without the need for a hormonal assessment.
She listens to your expectations, while assessing your hair structure and detailing the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

• Single-unit hair transplantation, or FUE, is a scarless hair implant procedure, but requires a straight hairline.
• Strip hair transplantation, or FUT, leaves a slight scar in the donor area, usually hidden behind the ears: it can be performed on all hair types, even curly or frizzy.

Medical photos help Dr. Santini to advise you in the rendering, so that you can see the areas to be treated and the implant line to be recreated.

It also gives you the main recommendations, such as stopping anti-coagulant treatments (risk of bleeding) or thoroughly cleaning the scalp with Betadine the day before the hair transplant.

Hair implant placement depends on the grafting technique chosen (FUE, FUT), but both follow the same pattern.
Hair transplants are performed in a sterile room, under local anaesthetic, on an outpatient basis (discharge the same evening).
It's a lengthy procedure (3 to 6 hours), and is always performed in two stages: removal of the grafts and insertion of the implants.
The harvesting area is always the Hippocratic crown, above the nape of the neck, because it's healthy, fine and full of strength.
The grafts are harvested and checked for vitality (presence of bulb), before being placed in protective saline solution.
An assistant accompanies Dr. Santini to assess the density of the grafts, which will determine where they are placed (to adapt to the density chosen for the hair).

Next, Dr Santini grafts the implants.
This is done with a needle, in a repetitive procedure that demands rigor, precision and an aesthetic eye.
You will be offered a snack to make your stay as pleasant as possible.

Wait 4 days before washing your head, and take a few days off work. Sports should be stopped for two weeks, and you should avoid wearing a helmet or any other headgear.
Scabbing and minor bleeding are possible, but hidden in the scalp. Pain is moderate, but Dr. Santini always recommends analgesic treatment.

Patients should not be alarmed by excessive hair loss in the weeks following the hair transplant: this is normal, since the important thing is not the hair (hair loss is normal) but its root, which constitutes the grafted element. This hair papilla will then follow its new life cycle, with regrowth by resumption of the hair cycle as early as 3 months.
The result is optimized up to 6 months, and is definitive at 12 months.
To improve the take-up of hair transplants and limit inflammation, Dr. Santini will suggest several sessions of medical LED (phototherapy), before and after hair implant surgery.

• No general anaesthetic.
• Possibility of scarless hair transplant (FUE transplant)
• Virtually painless hair transplantation.
• Natural results with rejuvenated, denser hair.

What to do before a hair transplant?

• 1 cosmetic surgery consultation with estimate and photographs.
• Discontinuation of anticoagulants recommended.
• Antiseptic shampoo the day before.
• LED session if required.

What happens during a hair transplant session in Paris?

• 4/6-hour session with snack.
• No general anaesthetic, no hospitalization.
• Sampling from the Hippocratic zone.
• Customized hair transplant, with a design determined with the patient.

What happens after a hair transplant?

• Normal hair loss for the first few weeks.
• Hair regrowth at 3 months, clear at 6 months, definitive at 12 months.
• 1 to 2 weeks off work and sports.
• LED session (phototherapy) to optimize the take-up of hair implants.

Page created according to the information sheets of the authority of the French Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie Plastique Reconstructrice et Esthétique - SOFCPRE)
Page created according to the information sheets of the authority of the French Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie Plastique Reconstructrice et Esthétique - SOFCPRE)

Hair transplantation restores hair density by implanting follicles in thinning or balding areas. Initial results are visible after a few months, but full hair regrowth takes approximately 12 to 18 months.

These results are permanent and offer a lasting solution to baldness. Discover the transformations before and after this procedure.