Considering a hair transplant? Hair loss can have a significant impact on your mental health and how others perceive you [1], which has led to a steady rise in hair transplant procedures around the world.
You may have heard of direct hair implantation (DHI), a modern addition to the hair restoration world. This technique offers great results and can leave you looking younger and feeling more confident.
What is a DHI hair transplant, and how does it differ from more traditional types of hair restoration? In this article, we’ll explore:
DHI is a type of follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplant. It involves moving hair follicles from areas of healthy hair growth to areas of thinning or balding.
DHI uses a Choi Implanter Pen to implant hair follicles into the desired area. This removes the need for surgeons to make an incision before placing hair follicles in their target area. This procedure offers a short recovery time with minimal scarring, similar to traditional FUE hair transplants.
If you’re considering a DHI hair transplant, you’ll want to know how it works. Here, we’ll break down the procedure step-by-step and what you can expect if you choose this type of hair restoration.
You’ll need a hair transplant consultation and thorough assessment before any type of hair transplant, and DHI is no different. Before your procedure, your surgeon will assess your hair loss pattern.
They’ll make sure the procedure is suitable for you and work with you to design your new hairline. They’ll also discuss other options and types of hair transplants so you can make an informed decision.
On transplant day, your surgeon will start the procedure by applying some local anaesthesia to your scalp to numb it. They will then remove hair follicles from the donor area of your head using a micro punch tool. This is done carefully to avoid damaging the area around the hair follicles. So far, this procedure is no different to FUE.
Once harvested, the hair follicles are ready to be implanted straight away. In some cases, they are kept in a solution to keep them viable while the surgeon selects the best follicles.
In DHI, hair follicles are placed into a Choi Implanter Pen and implanted directly into the target area. This allows surgeons to simultaneously create an opening and place the follicle in it.
You should receive detailed instructions to follow after the procedure. These may include avoiding touching the transplanted area, protecting your scalp from direct sunlight and following specific guidelines to keep your scalp clean and healthy while you recover from your hair transplant.
You can return to most activities straightaway, and any scabs or redness tends to fade within a couple of weeks. It generally takes a few months to see new hair growth and a year for final results after hair transplant surgery [2].
FUE and FUT (follicular unit transplantation) are the two most common types of hair transplant. DHI is a type of FUE — so what are the key differences between DHI and FUT? Here are some of the main things to be aware of:
The requirements for a DHI hair transplant are similar in many ways to those of traditional FUE. Here are some of the main factors your surgeon will consider before deciding which type of hair transplant is best for you.
DHI, like other types of hair transplants, works particularly well for androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern baldness). It can also be effective for other types of alopecia, such as trauma, injuries, and traction alopecia in some cases.
However, DHI hair transplants are often not recommended for people with diffuse unpatterned alopecia, unstable hair loss or scarring alopecia [3]. Scar tissue under the skin can stop transferred hairs from growing after the transplant [4].
Surgeons are often reluctant to perform hair transplants on very young patients, such as teenage boys experiencing early male pattern baldness. There’s a good reason for this — if you perform a hair transplant too early, you risk depleting the donor area and having no hair left for further transplants as you get older and your hair loss progresses [3].
If you’ve had too many previous hair transplants, or you are completely bald and have no donor supply, a hair transplant may not be the best option for you.
It may still be possible to get a hair transplant if you’re completely bald. Body hair transplants make use of the beard area or chest as a supply [5]. The feasibility of this option will depend on how much hair you have in these areas.
A hair transplant is a medical procedure and, like all types of surgery, comes with increased risks if you have poor general health. For example, smoking can impact hair transplant results [6].
If you’re a smoker, you may be asked to give up for at least 3–6 weeks before and after your procedure to get the best outcomes from your hair transplant.
DHI is often recommended for smaller areas of hair loss, but FUT is preferred for more extensive balding. DHI can be more time-consuming, so larger areas may require multiple procedures, whereas one procedure could do the job with FUT.
As a type of FUE, results from DHI hair transplants are very similar to traditional FUE transplants. Here are some examples of DHI hair transplants before and after:
The photos above show a 51-year-old patient who had a DHI hair transplant for male pattern baldness. His hair started as a Norwood stage 4, and within 12 months, he had a full head of thick, healthy hair and a natural-looking hairline [7].
This image shows a 38-year-old patient with male pattern baldness at Norwood stage 5. The first photo shows his hair before his DHI transplant, the second is immediately after surgery, and the third is his results 12 months later [7].
DHI hair transplants are generally considered a low-risk procedure, but they do come with some minor side effects. Most people experience at least one of the following symptoms in the days following their surgery:
These usually resolve within a few weeks. If you’re concerned, speak to your surgeon, who can advise you if any symptoms need medical attention and deal with any complications as soon as possible.
The Wimpole clinic is a leading provider of FUE hair transplants. We are trusted by thousands of patients and have a score of 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
We take a holistic, long-term approach to managing hair loss and work with top specialists, including trichologists and some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK.
Our hair doctors complete a full assessment and a range of diagnostic trichology tests to determine the reason your hair is falling out. They can then recommend the best treatment options for you, which may include a natural-looking hair transplant, PRP hair treatment, low-level laser therapy or something else.
To see our results for yourself, check out our hair transplant before and after gallery. Book a consultation at your nearest clinic location to learn how you can regain thicker, healthier hair.
Hair shedding after a DHI hair transplant is common and to be expected. Usually, hair starts to fall out from the transplanted follicles any time from 10 days post-surgery. The shedding phase can last 12 weeks, but most of it will happen within a month. A few months later, you’ll start to notice healthy hair growth.
It’s uncommon, but it’s possible for a DHI hair transplant to fail. Generally, FUE hair transplants have a high success rate, with graft survival rates reliably over 90% [9]. The Wimpole Clinic’s hair transplant success rates range from 97% to 100%.
DHI does not damage the surrounding hair. Your recipient area will be well prepared to make sure any existing hair in the area is unharmed. The donor area should remain thick and healthy looking because follicles are harvested strategically by a skilled surgeon.
Usually, hair transplant scabs will fall off between 7 and 14 days. You’ll be allowed to touch your scalp from day six, but you should not pick any scabs off. You’ll receive detailed instructions on the after-care and healing process from your surgeon.
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