In the realm of medical science, “standard” is merely a synonym for “status quo.” For many years, hair transplantation had a standard procedure: Follicular Unit Transplant, then the more evolved Follicular Unit Extraction. These procedures were life-changing, but for those of us who are obsessed with the “perfect” outcome, they were merely the starting line.
At Eugenix, we understood that in order to deliver a result that was simply indistinguishable from nature, we had to move away from the norm and start rewriting the rule book. This is how the Direct Hair Transplant (DHT) method was born, and it meant that we had to let go of comfortable old ways for a more challenging, but better, philosophy.
To explain why we abandoned the traditional technique, you must first understand the path of a hair follicle. In traditional FUE, the process is straightforward:
- Extraction: Thousands of follicles are harvested.
- Storage: These follicles are then stored in a holding solution, which may be for several hours.
- Implantation: The surgeon starts the process of implanting them.
The problem? A hair follicle is a living entity. The instant it is harvested from the head, it begins to lose its viability. The longer it is placed in a petri dish, the so-called “out-of-body time,” the lower the likelihood of its survival. Even under the most optimal conditions, there is a risk of “ischemic injury.”
We asked ourselves: Why are we keeping the hair waiting?
The DHT technique, pioneered at Eugenix, completely changed the way we worked. We shifted from “Extract All, then Plant All” to a Direct method. In the DHT procedure, the extraction and implantation processes are almost simultaneous. While one team is carefully extracting the grafts, another team is ready to implant them. This cuts down the out-of-body time from hours to minutes.
The Effect: The follicle barely realizes it has been relocated. It retains its highest level of biological energy, resulting in rapid healing, increased survival rates, and most importantly, healthy growth.
It’s not just about the speed of the process that the old ways were abandoned for. It’s also about the integrity of the process. The old ways of hair transplantation involve a lot of handling of the grafts using forceps. With each pull of the follicle, there is a risk of damaging the root.
The DHT method employs specialized equipment and a “No-Touch” approach to implantation. We take great care to never damage the dermal papilla (the “brain” of the hair). By treating each and every follicle as if it were a priceless, non-replaceable commodity, we can guarantee that the density we intend to achieve is the density you will see reflected in the mirror one year after.
Once you understand the results of a DHT procedure, the traditional approach is like using a typewriter in the age of the MacBook.
- Higher Success Rates: The fact that the grafts are more “fresh” means that the success rate is much higher, even in patients with difficult hair types.
- Faster Recovery: Since there is less trauma to the scalp, the “redness” phase is shorter, and patients are able to get back to their normal lives faster.
- The Aesthetic Edge: Since we are not hurrying to complete a huge “planting” procedure after spending hours on “harvesting,” our surgeons are always fresh. They can concentrate solely on the aesthetics, the angle, depth, and direction: that makes a hairline appear natural.
We didn’t leave the old ways behind because they were “bad” techniques. No, we left them behind because they weren’t perfect. And we think that if you’re putting your looks in our hands, you deserve a technique that represents the absolute cutting edge of what’s possible.
The DHT method is more work-intensive for us. It demands a bigger, more choreographed team and a greater degree of surgical finesse. Yet when we witness a patient one year later with a hairline that appears to have been laid out by nature herself, we realize it was the only option worth taking.
Dr. Arika Bansal
One of only a few female surgeons specializing in hair transplant surgery in India, Dr. Arika Bansal has been voted one of the best doctors in the world. She maintains an active fellowship in the ISHRS and regularly submits research papers to medical journals. 15+ years down the line, 20,000+ surgeries are accomplished under Dr. Bansal’s supervision. She specializes in female hair transplant, density improvement, corrective hair transplantation and hairline design.
