All that you need to know about moustache reconstruction in Turkey!

Moustache Transplant

During the last decade, growing a moustache became a staple among male celebrities who revived the trend that was once made so famous in the 80s by Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury and other superstars. Despite the undeniable fact that a clean-shaven face is still engaging,  many became more interested in growing a moustache to immerse in the new age of manly aesthetics. 

As such, losing facial hair, in the moustaches and beard area, can feel traumatic for a man who really enjoys having hair on his face, especially if hair starts falling off and never grows back, leading to the occurrence of hairless patches or even leading to the complete disappearance of  moustache hair, for instance. 

Losing moustache hair can be caused by many factors, including genetics, autoimmune diseases, ageing, or scarring. Some are lucky to see hair regrow after a while. However, there are solutions for men who did not see any hair growth for more than a year in that area and wish to regain the moustache look they aspire to maintain. 

A moustache transplant can be a very convenient solution for people who feel unsatisfied with how their moustache looks. The procedure is mainly restorative as it works on reactivating hair growth in spotty or hairless parts of the moustache.

Luckily, the field of hair transplant has remarkably progressed in recent years, especially in Turkey, where health experts have mastered the different techniques of hair graft transplanting in the scalp, beard, and moustache. 

As a matter of fact, Istanbul has become a world-recognized destination for people looking for life-changing restorative and aesthetic procedures.  With the ongoing groundbreaking innovations and rocketing rates of successful cosmetic surgeries, Turkey is definitely worth considering if excellent hair transplant services are what you truly seek.  

Causes of moustache shedding

Though having some shedding in the moustache area can be expected to certain extents, other types of hair loss can be severe and irreversible. The phenomenon can be triggered by many factors, including: 

Moustache sores. Commonly referred to as razor bumps and occur when sharp, new hairs tear apart the skin inside the follicle while trying to grow out or curl back.

Folliculitis. It happens when the hair follicles in the moustache zone get inflamed. This infection can result from a bacterial or fungal infection, because of parasites, or when the hair follicle clogs.

Beard ringworm. Known as the barber’s itch. It is a fungal infection that causes hair follicles in the beard and moustache area to recede and fall.  

Psoriasis. It is an autoimmune condition that causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches in many body areas, including the moustache. 

What is precisely a Turkish moustache transplant?

Whether you aim to fill slightly empty patches, cover a scar, or restore follicle growth in hairless areas, a moustache transplant is a precise surgical intervention that starts with anaesthesia and ends by bandaging the wound area. 

Like other hair transplant surgeries done in the scalp and beard area, the doctor extracts hair follicles from a healthy donor area and instals them meticulously in the recipient zone with a minimal margin of error. 

Generally, the process takes two to three hours to be accomplished as the number of hair grafts can be limited compared to a larger transplant area. The surgeon is supposed to discuss with the patient the number of hair follicles to be harvested from the donor area according to the hair density and coverage he prefers. 

A moustache transplant usually requires 300 to 500 hair follicles, typically extracted from the neck area. However, if the patient does not have enough hair there, then the doctor can resort to hairy zones in the arms or legs to get the follicles. 

So if you are over 18 years old, in good health, and free of skin irregularities that can hinder the surgery, then you are good to go. 

Moustache transplant methods available in Turkey

There are many moustache transplant methods available in Turkish clinics, including:

• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): This method involves extracting hair follicles from the donor area separately and then transplanting it in the moustache area. 
• Direct Hair Implantation (DHI): The DHI method is famous for placing hair grafts under the skin using a CHOI needle that simultaneously opens the channels and pushes the follicles under to allow them to cope and grow in good shape. 
• Sapphire FUE Hair Transplant: The sapphire transplant technique allows Turkish surgeons to make transplant incisions using an extremely sharp sapphire tip pen. The sapphire pen is extra-precise and reduces crusting around the transplant wounds. 

Steps of moustache transplant surgery 

Face to face consultation with the doctor. As a first step, the patient is expected to meet with the cosmetic surgeon prior to the operation to have a physical examination and discuss the details of the operation and overall expectations, among other details:   

• The surgeon will ask about the patient’s health in general, medical history (any chronic or hereditary diseases) and the medications he presently uses, if any.
• The surgeon will examine the donor and recipient areas for potential infections or injuries.
• The surgeon will also decide and clarify the type of anaesthesia to be used for the surgery (either local or sedative). 
• The patient will also be informed about the potential results of the operation, risks, and temporary side effects that may occur following the procedure.

What happens during the moustache transplant operation?

Once the pre-op steps take place and the patient is ready, the doctor will start the surgery according to the following steps: 

Anaesthesia

The patient receives the anaesthesia injection to avoid feeling any pain or discomfort. 

Extraction

• The harvesting area (usually the neck area) will be trimmed in order to facilitate the cultivation process of hair follicles. 
• After prepping the donor area, the cosmetic surgeon takes the necessary hair grafts using one of  techniques conventionally used in Turkey.
• The grafts are being prepared to be placed in the transplant area
• The donor area is bandaged and sterilised.

Transplantation

• The recipient zone is thoroughly sterilised.
• The surgeon starts making the necessary incisions with regard to the diameter of hair units 
• The hair grafts are inserted in the enlarged pores one by one until covering the target area completely. 

Approximate timeline of recovery process

Although a moustache transplant is a precise medical procedure, the patient should bear in mind that the overall process needs time to show fruitful results as part of an adventure that would guarantee satisfying outcomes in the long term. 

That is to say that the surgery is supposed to set in motion hair growth in the transplant area, paving the way for your skin to embrace the transplanted follicles and facilitate their future development. 

On the other hand, the recovery process, which is a major determinant of the final result of the surgery, depends on the body’s individualised healing capacities and can take different durations and paths in each case. However, we can provide an approximate recovery timeline based on a diversity of patient experiences. 

After 24 hours. One day after the surgery, the transplant recipient will notice the presence of dried blood and scabs around the implanted hair grafts, which should not be picked at.  

7 days. During the first week, the skin flakes will clear off. 

15 days. Over the course of the next two weeks, the patient will undergo a fast-paced recovery that would necessitate applying an antibiotic cream regularly to avoid inflammation. 

15 to 30 days. Transplanted hair starts to fall off to prepare for new growth in the area. 

Two to three months. The hair growth will be visible. 

Four months. The moustache regains its natural coverage 

One year to one year and a half. Intense moustache growth will take place

Probable side effects after a moustache transplant

Just like other hair transplant procedures, having hair follicles transplanted in the moustache area can have several side effects as the process necessitates traumatising the skin by making microscopic incisions. The patient must not be alarmed if he experiences one or more of the following symptoms:

Itchiness. After receiving the transplant, the patient might feel the impulse to scratch the transplant area. However, the urge to rub newly installed hairs in the skin must be resisted as it may cause permanent scarring and hinder the healing process. 

Bleeding. It is very likely to experience minor bleeding in the transplant and donor areas, which will stop spontaneously or be handled by performing a simple adjustment in the wound zone. 

Swelling or rashes. Following the surgery, the patient may notice some swelling or rashes in the transplant area, which is temporary and will be gone quickly. 

Why choose Turkey to have a moustache transplant?

It is no secret that Turkey laid robust pillars for an a-list health tourism sector that currently competes with major medical poles to attract hundreds of thousands of patients annually. 

According to Glasgow Research & Consulting, %32 of a total of 23 million health tourists chose Turkey as their destination to have different types of cosmetic surgeries. Istanbul, among other Turkish cities like Antalya and Izmir, has provided 388,150 people with health services in  2020 alone. 

The expansion of Turkish hospitals and clinics specialised in cosmetic procedures comes hand in hand with a long-standing experience in surgical practice generally and in hair transplant surgeries in particular. Thus, with the establishment of 500 hair transplant medical facilities, Turkish surgeons have acquired quite a reputation for performing sophisticated surgeries that require precision, with a fairly elevated margin of success. 

Turkey has been known for mastering the tricky equation of balancing the provision of premium medical services and offering attractive packages that cover parts of the patient’s trip and his entire stay in Turkey. This Turkish particularity can be attributed mainly to the Turkish economy and way of life. 

Favourable exchange rate. The reason why moustache transplant surgery is remarkably less expensive in Turkey compared to the UK and the USA, for instance, can be directly attributed to the exchange rate of the US dollar and the pound against the Turkish lira. 

Lower living expenses. Patients can visit, stay, and receive treatment in one of Turkey’s beautiful cities for less money than in neighbouring European countries, thanks to advantageous living costs.

State incentives. Turkish clinics can offer patients a hair transplant while allowing them to save between 50% and 70% of standard charges of the same procedure in England, Germany, and Italy, to name a few. Yet the sector can still make profits thanks to government incentives offered to medical facilities hosting international guests.