“My hair is very thin. You start to see through it," Gert Verhulst said in the podcast 'Vik & Gert'. The media entrepreneur is therefore considering a hair transplant, but how does such a treatment proceed? Is it expensive and what are the risks involved? Dr. Feriduni and Dr. Brassine, two well-known hair surgeons in our country, answer all your questions. "We use a tiny hollow needle to release an entire hair follicle each time." Two doctors explain: "The hairline will still deteriorate if you start too early”
What exactly does a hair transplant entail?
But how does a hair transplant work? The two most commonly used techniques are Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). Both are performed under local anesthesia. “We always remove hairs from the donor area,” begins Dr. Joren Brassine, general aesthetic physician and hair specialist at Clinique Dermatologie Gent. “In men, that area is usually a band along the bottom of the head. We then replant the hairs where they are needed – in men, typically in the notches at the front and the ‘toupee’.”
A FUE hair transplant is a three-phase procedure. “We use a tiny hollow needle to release a complete hair follicle in the donor area,” explains Dr Bijan Feriduni. He heads the Feriduni Hair Clinic in Hasselt. “We then make small incisions and implant the hairs. With a FUT transplant, we use a scalpel to remove a hairy strip of skin, from which we then extract the hairs. This leaves a long, narrow horizontal scar.”
"In a hair transplant we move non-hormone sensitive hairs. These are not sensitive to aging and should not fall out anymore."
Dr. Joren Brassine, Clinique Dermatologie Ghent
“The big advantage of a FUE hair transplant is that you hardly see any scars,” Dr. Brassine continues. “You can also take hair from a larger area or even use body hair. But a FUE operation takes longer than a FUT procedure and requires you to shave your hair.”
How long will you enjoy the effect?
“In a hair transplant, we move non-hormone-sensitive hairs,” Dr. Brassine continues. “These are not sensitive to aging and should in principle not fall out anymore. However, there is still no method that really shows which hairs are or are not hormone-sensitive, so there is a risk that a – very small – number of transplanted hairs will still fall victim to the aging process.”
“Normally, that doesn’t happen,” says Dr. Feriduni. “A professionally performed hair transplant is permanent. However, Mother Nature will cause further hair loss over time. That’s why hair transplantation at a young age is not recommended.”
How long should you wait before making an appointment?
According to Dr. Feriduni, you are most likely to be considered between the ages of forty and fifty. “If you start too early, the hairline will still recede further and the retouched part will remain: a strange sight. If you wait too long, there may not be enough hair left in the donor area.”
"If you lose hair due to stress or a hormonal problem, it will simply fall out again after a transplant."
Dr. Bijan Feriduni, Feriduni Hair Clinic Hasselt
“Both a twenty-something and a sixty-something can get a hair transplant, it is individual,” says Dr. Brassine. “As soon as your hair looks thinned, you can opt for a hair transplant.”
What if your hair keeps falling out? Will the ‘new’ hairs stay?
“The ‘new hair’ will remain,” confirms Dr. Feriduni. “But if you have androgenetic alopecia, for example, your original hair will continue to fall out. That’s why your age is important. We always investigate the cause of the hair loss before we perform an operation, because if you lose hair due to stress or a hormonal problem, it will simply fall out again after a transplant.”
“To keep the hair that is still there, it is important to follow a treatment,” adds Dr. Brassine. “The two most well-known medicines for this are Minoxidil and Finasteride. They are available in both lotion and pill form.”
Is a hair transplant painful or dangerous?
Dr. Brassine shares that patients experience the most pain when local anesthesia is administered. “You get a few injections in the scalp. Once the skin is numb, you normally don’t feel any pain. Some patients even fall asleep during the procedure.” Fellow doctor Feriduni agrees. “It is usually a safe procedure, but complications can always occur – as with any surgery.”
How long can you not wear a cap or hat after a hair transplant? And what about sun, sports and your sleeping position?
“The newly implanted hairs need about two weeks to fully attach themselves to their new location,” says Dr. Brassine. “During that time, it is best to avoid friction on the place where the hairs are implanted. It is also best to avoid intense sun exposure for four to six weeks, so that the wounds heal properly and do not discolour. You can resume light sports after a week, but with intense sports, it is best to wait at least two weeks to a month.”
“There are some good hair clinics in Turkey, but also so-called doctors who have no idea how to create a natural result.”
Dr. Bijan Feriduni, Feriduni Hair Clinic Hasselt
Dr. Feriduni’s advice is similar. “For the first five days, there should be no friction, so adjust your sleeping position. After a week, you can wear a cap or hat again without risk, and after two weeks you can go back into the sun, as long as you use SPF 50 to prevent scarring. Non-contact sports such as jogging, walking or swimming in salt water are okay after a week, and after two weeks you can do intense cardiovascular training or swimming in chlorinated water.”
“Powerlifting and sports like football or basketball can be resumed after a month, as can wearing a helmet. Avoid hard blows to the head for three months – contact sports like boxing are best avoided until then.”
What is your opinion about going to Turkey for a hair transplant?
“There are some good hair clinics in Turkey, but also so-called doctors who have no idea how to create a natural result,” says Dr. Feriduni. Both doctors see many clients – up to half of their entire clientele – who ask for a correction after a hair transplant with another doctor. The hairline is then unnatural and does not match their face, or the hairs are in clumps or are not suitable for the new location. “In the end, these clients end up paying more than if they had immediately opted for a recognized and reliable doctor in Belgium,” says Dr. Brassine.
"Do your research and know that your donor area is not inexhaustible."
Dr. Bijan Feriduni, Feriduni Hair Clinic Hasselt
Sometimes too many hairs are removed from your donor area, which can also mean that you have too little left for a correction. “So do your research and know that your donor area is not inexhaustible,” Dr. Feriduni summarizes. “Clinics that also treat young people do not always take into account that there may be too few hairs left for a subsequent procedure.”
What determines the price of a hair transplant in Belgium?
That is the number of transplanted hairs. You can ask your doctor for a customized price indication. Dr. Feriduni: “A balding crown or a swaying hairline with a thinned part at the top of the head sometimes requires 3,000 to 4,000 ‘grafts’ (hair follicles, ed.). Then the price goes towards 10,000 euros and more. For receding hairlines, 2,000 grafts may suffice and you pay, for example, 6,000 to 8,000 euros.” Dr. Brassine also gives an indication: “To reconstruct your front hairline, you will pay 5,000 to 12,000 euros, depending on the severity of your hair loss.”
Lisa Meyers, 01-11-24, HLN