Let’s briefly review the steps of FUE hair transplants to understand how the use of sapphire affects the quality of the treatment:
- Removal of follicular units from the donor area.
- Opening of the micro-channels where the extracted follicles will be implanted.
- Grafting of follicles in the receiving area affected by baldness.
The blades used for extraction, as well as those of the scalpel used to open the channels, are made of sapphire and are sharper than those made of steel or titanium. In particular, these are the characteristics of the blades:
- Extraction phase: this phase is performed with hollow sapphire needles, with a diameter of 0.6-0.9 mm.
- Micro-channel opening phase: the sapphire needles are available in different sizes (from 0.8 to 1.5 mm).
From this range, the team can choose the most suitable size for opening the canal, depending on the patient’s hair structure. The orientation of the incisions is done respecting the natural direction of hair growth, with a direction of 40-45 degrees.
The use of this innovation allows us to achieve an even higher level of quality compared to traditional hair transplant techniques.
The advantages of the FUE technique with sapphire scalpels, compared to the traditional one, are manifold:
- Reduced bleeding: the sharp blades allow to obtain a V shaped-opening of the micro-channels, instead of the classic U-opening. This way of opening micro-channels allows them to be smaller, and therefore causes less bleeding.
- Greater graft density: smaller V-channels allow you to concentrate multiple grafts on the same surface. With the traditional FUE technique it is possible to implant from 40 to 60 units, while with the method of grafting hair with a sapphire scalpel the possibilities increase to 80-120 units per square centimetre.
- Greater control of the follicular unit’s direction thanks to the greater precision of the sapphire scalpel. The result is a more natural look.
- Shorter healing period: recovery time after the hair transplant is reduced; the risk of skin problems is minimised and the scalp surface remains smooth. With this method, the recovery period after hair transplant is short and with fewer complications. It is important to always follow the steps for post-op care recommended by our experts.