The Sapphire blade started to be used in 2016, and since then has become one of the most efficient FUE transplant methods to this day. The key difference between a FUE and DHI hair transplant is the method of which the follicles are removed. DHI hair transplants can be referred to as a micro-FUE due to having a diameter of 1mm or less to extract the hairs from the donor area. A classic FUE transplant left larger follicles with a diameter of 3mm, causing scabbing, a longer recovery, and even dislodging follicles.
FUE has been one of the most effective hair transplant methods since early 2004, however, the Sapphire FUE is beginning to take the spotlight and for valid reasons. The Sapphire FUE has offered stunning results in the hair transplant world, leaving patients with a smooth, natural look and a much faster recovery period! Hair transplantation, like our technology, has been evolving rapidly over the years, resulting in more natural looks and safer transplants. Though the sapphire blade is still fairly recent, it has already managed to become one of the most successful hair transplantations ever discovered, and continues to be to this day.
Sapphire FUE explained
The Sapphire FUE method, short for Follicular Unit Extraction, is considered to be at the breaking edge of modernity and efficacy among today’s hair transplant methods. The Sapphire FUE is now a completely painless method of hair removal: at the beginning of the procedure the technician sedates the patient in order to encourage a state of drowsiness and reduced anxiety, as well as completely eliminating what minor pain was felt prior. Sedation is completely optional, however – it may be refused if a patient is not comfortable with it, but the option is provided to make the procedure as comfortable and painless as possible.
How does it compare to the Classic FUE Hair Transplant?
A comparison between the Sapphire FUE and the classic FUE brings attention to a detail which is both simple and imperative: the Sapphire FUE is done with blades made from a sapphire gemstone, whereas a classic FUE is done with steel blades. The sapphire blades are meant to minimize scabbing and speed up the recovery process, and are also the best way to open up the micro channels where the hair follicles will be transferred.
Sapphire FUE has also been known to cause less complications than a classic FUE. Thanks to their precise V-shape, the blades express antibacterial qualities, meaning when they are used to create microchannels for the hair follicles, the risk of complications are even further reduced (as opposed to the steel blades used in classic FUE). Increasing the precision of the blades greatly reduces the chances of fluid retention, ensuring more comfort for the patient, a smoother surface, and a faster recovery.
Sapphire FUE Advantages
Some of the major advantages Sapphire FUE has over the classic FUE is that, when using the sapphire blades, they have been known to create a more natural and authentic look. In hair transplants, the reduction of vibration in the blades ensures for a safer transplant, minimizing the risk of scalp tissue damage and trauma. Thanks to the incisions being smaller than they would originally be when using steel blades, this allows for a faster tissue recovery and leaves the scalp with a much smoother surface.
The risk of follicles being dislodged or losing their alignment after the procedure is impossible due to the hair channels being the same length of the hair follicles. The Sapphire FUE allows to transplant hair roots with more density than what a classic FUE transplant would allow, it has provided extremely successful results even for patients with the most advanced levels of hair loss. Sapphire blades allow for a much faster and easier recovery period, the risk of follicles moving or changing angles has been removed completely.
How does it work?
How is the Sapphire FUE implemented? It starts with an examination: the patient informs their doctor about their health history and the hair loss, and from there the type of hair loss is determined and the design of the area that will be transplanted is mapped. The donor is anesthetized and the grafts are extracted, and the channels where the hair follicles will be inserted, which are opened with the sapphire blades. The hair follicles that are separated are inserted into the channels, and the transplant is finished with bandages being applied to the donor area.
Sapphire FUE – the ideal method?
When it comes down to it, the Sapphire FUE method is essentially just a classic FUE procedure with a twist – the difference relies mostly in the different materials used to make the blades, having a much larger effect than most would expect. While metal blades have a more U-shaped pin, the sapphire blades have a V-shaped pin, the sharp edge of the sapphire blade makes for extremely accurate incisions resulting in even smaller channels; eliminating any risk of irritating neighboring follicles or even dislodging them.
Though the change in material is minor, it has a drastic change on the end result. Because of the metals that are used in a classic FUE blade, this can cause a loss of sharpness resulting in tissue loss, however, the sapphire blades crystal smooth surface that does not lose its sharpness, it does not cause any tissue loss or traumas. It is very important during hair transplants that the follicles are properly anchored in order to obtain a natural result. Since the sapphire blades do not disrupt blood circulation and the quality of the tissue after opening the channels, the hair follicles are anchored in a better way to their channels, seriously shortening the healing period afterwards. The usage of sapphire blades has also reduced metal allergies and sensibilities immensely during surgery, making the process much smoother.
Due to the absence of any risk of irritating neighboring follicles, this transplant method makes for an ideal surgical transplant for both men and women of all ages suffering from hair loss. The results of the Sapphire FUE hair transplant are safe, painless, and obviously superior to those achieved with the classic FUE. Anyone looking for an effective, low-risk hair transplant should ask their primary care doctor about Sapphire FUE.