DHI stands for Direct Hair Implantation. The DHI Hair Transplant method, which is also known as the Choi method, has many of its own advantages and disadvantages. It is a very advanced method of hair transplanting that requires a lot of skills. There are a range of different opinions on it and it is important to know both the risks and the benefits of this procedure before deciding it is the right hair transplant method for you. There are multiple procedures for getting hair transplanted, each one with faults and advantages.
DHI Hair Transplant Explained
This method of hair transplantation does not require making incisions and cutting away the donor area, or, the area where the transplanted hair is coming from. Instead, the operator uses a hollow needle known as a choi pen. The grafted hair follicles are placed into the thinning area one by one using the needle and a plunger on the other end of the pen. The choi pen can be used to implant the hairs at a specific and accurate angle. The grafts are placed inside of the hollow needle and gently inserted into the skin at an angle of 40-45°. This makes for a more natural looking transplant. Choi pens used for the operation are chosen based on the diameter of the hair follicles. With an incision of less than 1 mm, this operation does not leave scars; instead, it turns out looking more natural, and also allows for follicles to be placed close together in tight groups. Other methods could leave scars and look a bit off because they are much less precise. With the DHI hair transplant method, the grafts are implanted immediately after being harvested, but with other methods the grafts are kept outside of the body until all of them have been collected. This could cause the roots to die and some areas of the operation unsuccessful.
DHI Hair Surgery After Care
A patient may continue with their usual daily routine in about 4 to 7 days after the operation has been completed. In about 6 months, the change will begin to become more apparent as the hair grows longer. After 10 months, the thinned area should be filled the most it possibly can. The treated area must be cared for exactly as instructed for the best results. Bleeding and swelling in the treated area may occur after the operation, but there are actions that can be taken to reduce them. Sleeping with your head angled upwards at about 45° for a few nights can help reduce the swelling. Without removing the gauze, you may press down on the area firmly for 15 minutes to make it bleed less. Getting rest during this time and properly tending to the wound will make infection less likely and help the area heal faster. You will be provided with a saline solution upon procedure completion. This will be used to keep the transplanted area clean and healthy. The solution can be put on a few pieces of gauze and placed atop the area. These can be left there for 30 to 60 minutes. This must be done twice a day.
A patient may begin washing their hair very carefully in the shower the day after the transplant. Hair dryers should be avoided until the wound is completely healed and combing must be done cautiously. The grafts can be pulled out, thought this isn’t very common. A patient will only lose a few grafts if any at all. Coloring, cutting, and other styling can be done once the grafts are completely finished healing.
DHI Advantages
There are a few advantages that this method of transplanting has over the others. The entire head does not need to be shaved in order to transplant the hair follicles (read more about a hair transplant without shaving here). Only the donor area must be shaved. It is a completely pain free procedure when using sedatives, though they are not needed. With the accuracy that you are able to get with this method, it is easier to achieve symmetry on the hairline. Recovery time is reduced, allowing patients to go back to their normal schedules and routines much earlier. You may even be able to go into work the next day! Damage to the follicles during the handling of the grafts is also reduced, as well as bleeding when creating the area where the grafts will be placed. The time in which the grafts are left outside of the body is much shorter, making the hair follicles healthier and stronger. Not only this, but the follicles have a much higher chance of surviving when using this method of transplanting. There isn’t even any need for stitches! There are many great advantages to this method.
DHI Disadvantages
While there are plenty of reasons to go through with this procedure for a hair transplant, there are also a few reasons it may not be a good choice for you. For one, it can be much more expensive than some of the other transplantation methods. Greater attention and precision is needed when performing this procedure and a longer training period is required in order to be able to properly perform this method. It is very important that a specialist operates the procedure. They must have a very in depth knowledge and experience, or things could go wrong. There must be a team of about 6 to operate using this method. This operation can also cause the person who is performing the procedure more stress than usual, which could lead to some damage when handling the grafts.
Not all patients are fit for this method of hair transplanting. Studies have shown that this procedure was performed more successful on people of Asian ethnicity. Thicker, straighter hair is ideal for this kind of hair transplant. The different textures and widths of the hair follicles in other ethnicities can make it harder to load the grafts into the hollow needle. Despite this, some believe that anyone could get a DHI hair transplant. With enough training and experience, problems due to thinness and texture of the hair can be avoided.