Hair Transplant Surgery in New York City

A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that takes hair from one part of the body and moves it to another. In the past, results looked unnatural and recovery was painful. Now, using the latest technologies and techniques, beautiful and affordable hair restoration is possible. And the best part is that Dr. Linkov is providing an affordable hair implants that is permanent when performed on the appropriate candidate. Get the hair loss treatment you need in the safe, reassuring hands of the best hair transplant doctor NYC, Dr. Linkov.

The most common type of hair loss is due to genetic factors, called androgenetic alopecia. This can affect men and women but results in a different phenotypic pattern. In men, the frontal and temporal recession is common and is further classified by the Hamilton-Norwood scale. In women, there is a preservation of the frontal-most hairs but the central areas of the scalp shows thinning and that is best classified by the Ludwig scale.

Other reasons for hair loss include:

• Medications
• Hormonal changes
• Autoimmune
• Injury
• Stress
• Certain hairstyles

Come visit our clinic and meet Dr. Linkov, the best rated hair transplant doctor in NYC. He is not only a specialist in hair restoration, but also a frequently sought-after expert in the media, including regular appearances on major news outlets. He can help you find the most effective solutions to reverse the signs of hair loss, thinning or  if you are getting bald. Dr. Linkov prides himself on spending the necessary time to evaluate and treat hair loss issues in a compassionate and friendly environment on Madison Avenue in New York City.

Traditionally, hair is removed from the back and sides of the head and moved to the front of the head. However, nowadays hair transplant New York specialist Dr. Linkov can take hairs from other body sites if available, such as:

• Neck
• Chest
• Abdomen
• Back
• Arms/Legs (less favorable due to thinness)

And move hair follicle to other body sites as needed, such as:

• Eyebrows
• Eyelashes
• Beard
• Pubic region

The scalp hairs have a higher graft survival rate (about 95%) compared to non-scalp hairs (about 75-80%).

A good hair implant surgical candidate is a man or woman with appreciable hair loss in a specific area on their body, most typically the scalp. The hair implant surgeon or your local hair transplant doctor must have an area to target for the hair implant and create the necessary density. It is important for the targeted area to have a stable pattern of hair loss, which is not progressive in nature. Celebrity hair transplant surgery has continued to popularize this hair follicle transplant procedure.

Patients with a scarring hair loss condition such as frontal fibrosing alopecia need to be very careful as the hair implant will likely fail. Patients with certain underlying medical conditions that may impact healing, such as immunosuppression, also should be properly screened before a hair transplant in NYC is offered. Patients with unrealistic expectations about the potential of a hair implant need to also be carefully approached by a hair transplant doctor.

There are two primary ways to remove donor hairs, including:

• FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation): FUT involves removing a strip of hair, typically from the back of the head. The strip is processed under a microscope and the hairs are divided into follicular units and stored until they are ready to be planted. The advantage of follicular unit transplant is that the procedure is generally faster compared to its alternative FUE and may deliver a greater number of donor hairs from the back of the head. Also, it is possible to leave the shaft of the hairs longer if needed for specific procedures such as eyebrow hair transplantation. The disadvantages of FUT are that it leaves a linear scar which is noticeable if the head is ever shaved and follicular unit transplant is not a good harvesting option in other parts of the scalp and body areas.
• FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction):  FUE is the modern approach to hair transplantation. It involves removing individual follicular units, which exist as families of 1-4 hairs. Using a variety of instruments described below, each follicular unit to be harvested is punched out using a punch size of 0.8mm-1mm on average. The tiny holes created to seal up and leave behind very small circular scars that are barely perceptible even if the scalp is shaved. Attention is paid not to overharvest, leaving enough hairs in between the punched grafts. The main advantage of FUE is avoiding a linear scar as well as an easier recovery with less pain and no sutures to remove. Also, the technique can be applied to the sides of the head and other body sites such as the neck and chest in some individuals. The disadvantage of FUE is the time and labor required to carefully remove the grafts.

The concept for FUE is to use a tool to remove a follicular unit graft without traumatizing the follicle. The tool must punch through the skin, keeping the hair shaft in the middle of it, and include some of the deeper subcutaneous tissue as a cuff around the hair while preserving the hair follicle bulb.

There are a few tools that hair transplant physicians are using to harvest (punch out) honor hairs using the FUE method, such as:

• Manual: A sharp or blunt-tipped manual punch is a cylindrical instrument that is rotated in the hand and through the skin around the hair shaft.
• Motorized: This is the most common method currently used for FUE and includes a few types of machines including ones made by Ellis, Devroye (WAW), Neograft, SmartGraft, and Trivellini (Mamba). The Ellis is a sharp punch system with a rotational mode only. The Devroye WAW FUE system has only an oscillating mode. The Neograft and SmartGraft systems are rotation mode only and come with a suction-based system. The Trivellini mamba system is digitally advanced and has three different modes (rotation, oscillation, vibration) which can be custom set per the doctor’s preference to adjust to the hair and skin quality of the patient. Using suction is possible with Trivellini as well. Dr. Linkov, as an experienced hair transplant specialist, prefers the Trivellini FUE system for its versatility and adaptability and usually uses the vibration setting to avoid traumatizing the hair follicle. The Trivellini FUE system is the newest and most advanced FUE system on the market and comes with blunt-tipped flared punches that further reduce injury risk to the follicle.
• Robotic: The Artas robot has some automated features for extracting hairs, creating recipient sites, and placing the hairs (with the Artas iX). While a great marketing tool and helpful for reducing human fatigue with longer procedures, there are several disadvantages, which include:
  • Cost – Since the robot costs about $300,000, the procedures are often more expensive to patients as the practice works to recoup the expense.
  • Hair color – The robot requires darker hair to do the extractions. Patients with white or red hair need to dye their hair for the robot to work.
  • Harvest location – The robot will only work where a flat grid can be applied, which limits the possibilities of harvest location.
  • Time/Labor – The procedure is generally not any faster with the robot compared to motorized punch systems and still requires a team of technicians to complete the procedure.

Hair transplant physicians are using several options for preparing the donor area for harvest, such as:

• Shave: The entire area to be harvested is shaved with an electric clipper down to about a number 1
• Partial shave: The lower back of the head is shaved down as above, the rest of the potential donor area is kept longer and trimmed carefully as needed for any further harvesting
• No shave: Only careful trimming is used with a scissor to leave enough surrounding long hairs to cover the harvested area and to make it less noticeable during recovery that you had a procedure

After the hairs are harvested from the donor site, they can then be implanted into the chosen recipient area. First, the recipient sites are made and then grafts are placed one by one. Board certified plastic surgeon and a leading celebrity hair transplants expert in UES, Manhattan Dr. Linkov differentiates between two main instruments used to create recipient sites, these include:

• Needles: 18G-21G one-inch needles, which can be bent to control the exact depth of the hair follicle, can be used to make recipient sites. A 1cc or 3cc syringe can be used as a handle. Needles may facilitate ease of implantation due to their circular shape and may cause less bleeding and injury to surrounding hairs due to there being a partially blunt side to the needle.
• Blades: 0.5mm-0.8mm blades can be used with blade holders to create precise recipient sites. The depth can be controlled based on how the blade is inserted into the blade holder. Blades stay sharper longer than needles and can be used to control the fit of the graft with proper angulation and direction as the graft is more locked in.

Studies by the leading hair transplant physicians have shown no difference in the ultimate growth of hair whether needles or blades are used. The decision of which instrument to use depends on the surgeon and technician experience and preference.

During the initial consultation on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Dr. Linkov, the best rated hair transplant procedure expert will estimate a graft count based on your desired look, donor density, and density needed at the recipient site to create the proper appearance. The graft count is always an estimate as the final count will depend on the technical ability to harvest the intended number of grafts. But the estimated graft count will guide the amount of time needed for your procedure and the cost. We can assure you that we offer the most affordable and inexpensive hair transplant options in Manhattan.

In general, procedures can be divided into small, medium, and large cases, based on the following graft counts:

• Small: <800 grafts
• Medium: 800-1400 grafts
• Large: >1400 grafts

Keep in mind that even a small hair loss restoration surgery is time-consuming and meticulous in nature. Surgical hair restoration procedures involving more than 2000 FUE grafts may require a two-day procedure.

There are several factors that lead to a natural post hair transplant appearance, including:

• Density – Sufficient density needs to be created consisting of the native hairs and the transplanted hairs
• Angulation – Different areas of the body and scalp have hairs growing at a certain angle to the skin surface and this needs to be respected when designing the recipient sites for a natural hair implant result
• Direction – Following the correct direction of hair growth is very important for natural results
• Fading – At the hairline, for example, single hair grafts are placed at the leading edge and gradually 2, 3, and 4 hair grafts are added in as you progress further back to create a faded appearance
• Irregularization – Hair rarely grows in a perfectly straight line and therefore during a hair transplant it is critical to make irregular borders

With the increasing popularity of the Neograft and SmartGraft platforms, the trend has been that hair transplant physicians are less and less involved with the actual surgical hair transplant procedure. Often they simply design the hairline with a surgical marker and then disappear for the rest of the day, allowing hair technicians to perform the entire surgery. These technicians are certified by the Neograft and SmartGraft companies but they are not doctors and are not ultimately responsible for the result.

Dr. Linkov at City Facial Plastics in Midtown, Manhattan is a top-rated and reputable hair transplant surgeon who is intricately involved with every step of the hair implant process. He is there performing portions of the FUE harvesting and placement of grafts and performs all of the recipient site creation which is the critical step. Leading New York hair transplant specialist Dr. Linkov works with only the most experienced technicians to provide the best results for his patients.

During your consultations make sure to ask your local transplant specialist or Dr. Linkov of hair transplantation clinic in Manhattan, which part(s) of the procedure he/she will be doing and how he/she plans to supervise the technicians throughout the procedure.

Absolutely not. While men’s hair transplants are more common, they are also for women. The patterns of hair loss are usually different and the preparation for donor harvesting is also different. But the overall steps of hair transplant for women are similar. For more information about the methods we use in our clinic contact our Manhattan hair transplantation center.

Hair transplant cost varies across the country and the world. Some practices charge based on price per graft and others charges a flat rate per hair implant surgery. In NYC, the cost of hair transplant per graft generally ranges from $5-$10/graft. Certain parts of the country may charge as low as $1.5/graft. And countries such as India and Turkey offer packages with travel and hotel accommodations covered for a low price, but medical tourism can come at a price so patients must do their careful due diligence.

Final hair transplant price depends on the following factors:

• The difficulty of the transplant procedure
• Experience of the surgeon
• Your geographic location
• Surgical technique

Here is our hair loss center we offer the best quality hair transplant and permanent hair restoration at the lowest possible price for people suffering from different hair loss conditions. Our approach is to perform the highest quality procedure and to make the procedure as pleasant and affordable as possible.

Risks of this type of surgery include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Poor hair regrowth
• Overharvesting with a visibly reduced donor density
• Poor scarring
• Numbness
• Shock loss
• Inflammation
• Adverse reaction to anesthesia
• Pain
• Wound dehiscence (FUT)
• Unnatural appearance
• Cobblestoning

The most common side effect is scarring, and this cannot be avoided with any procedure. Other potential hair transplant side effects entail:

• Scalp itching, pain, and swelling
• Infections
• Bleeding
• Inflammation of hair follicles
• Loss of sensation around the surgical sites

Dr. Linkov and staff is very well familiar with all possible side effects, prevention and management techniques during follicular unit transplant. To avoid and minimize complications in our practice we use the proper surgical technique and offer an individualized and planned transplants.

For more in depth information about complications in hair transplantation read the study published on PUBMED.

Avoid medications and supplements that can thin the blood and cause increased bleeding during surgery, such as:

• Aspirin
• Vitamin E
• Gingko biloba
• Ibuprofen

Refrain from smoking for at least one week before your procedure. Taking Vitamin C and Vitamin K before your procedure may help with healing and limiting bruising.

For body hair donor areas, if applicable, you will need to shave the area five days prior to the procedure to allow the hairs to grow out to the desired length for extraction. For scalp hair donor areas, you can leave the hair long to allow the surgical team to trim/shave as per the discussed plan for harvesting.

Before your hair transplant NYC treatment, Dr. Linkov suggest to avoid coffee, alcohol, and caffeine as these may increase bleeding and change how you respond to medications. Arrive at the office in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Do not apply any product to your hair and make sure your hair is clean. Take your routinely prescribed medications that morning as you normally do.

Bring in the procedure-specific prescribed medications to the office and the team will instruct you on how and what to take, but the usual cocktail includes:

• Antibiotic (ie. Cefadroxil)
• Anti-inflammatory (ie. Prednisone)
• Anxiolytic (ie. Valium)
• Sedative (ie. Ambien)

We are using local anesthesia (lidocaine with epinephrine) throughout the procedure to limit discomfort at the donor and recipient sites. Rarely, for certain body hair transplant procedures we can recommend IV anesthesia .

Plan to have a friend or family member arrive at the conclusion of your procedure to escort you home.

These procedures are time-consuming endeavors. They can range from 3-12 hours in one day, and for larger cases, patients will need to come back the following day to finish the procedure. In our hair loss center cases typically start in the morning around 7:30 am, and if lasting more than five hours, a lunch break is given to the patient and staff.

For proper hair transplant recovery, it is recommended to stick to the following tips. For the first night, sleep with your head elevated on several pillows or in a recliner chair to prevent swelling, and place a towel under your head for possible light bleeding. You may gently clean your hair beginning the second day until five days with water in a basin that is carefully poured over the head. On the sixth day, you may begin to shower normally, letting the water hit your scalp as usual.

The transplanted hairs often will fall out with the crusts as soon as five to eight days after the procedure. The hair follicles remain in the scalp. Most of the rest of the transplanted hairs will fall out over the next two weeks. The new hair shafts will begin to grow in the 4-6 month window and will continue to grow. The final result is typically judged at 12 months, though it can take longer before all of the hairs grow in.

If native hairs exist in the recipient area, especially if the hairs are miniaturized, PRP may be offered to prevent shock loss of those hairs after the hair transplant NYC procedure. PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, has been shown to reduce the incidence of shock loss. For more information about the success rate of the hair transplant with PRP call our office at: (212) 439-5177

A hair implant is a permanent hair restoration option. Other permanent options, in the appropriate candidate, are surgical hairline advancement and scalp reduction surgery. Temporary, medical therapies for hair restoration NYC treatment include oral and topical agents as well as PRP.

Dr. Gary Linkov is an ISHRS member and is considered New York’s top-rated hair transplant surgeons with experience in traditional scalp procedures as well as eyebrow, beard, and body hair implant. Dr. Linkov uses the latest FUE transplant techniques and works with the most experienced hair technicians to create the best and most beautiful hair implant results for his patients in NYC at facial plastic surgery clinic.