FUE Hair Transplant Clinic in Singapore

Dr. Harold FUE Hair Transplants in Singapore

With today’s technology, you no longer have to live with hair loss. There’s FUE (follicular unit extraction) hair transplant, the gold standard to create a dramatic improvement to thinning hair in male and female pattern hair loss as well as deficient facial hair. In suitable candidates, it is a great way to restore a more youthful and confident hairline, or to cover up the balding crown or the top of the scalp. 

You don't have to live with hair loss, how Dr. Harold does FUE Hair Transplants

At Freia Medical, we have been performing FUE hair transplants in Singapore for close to 10 years, restoring thinning hair in men and women. FUE, also known as Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplant, redistributes permanent, healthy hairs at the back and sides of the head where healthy permanent hair is abundant, to the more needy areas of your scalp, such as the front and top. Dr Harold Ma calls the donor hairs “permanent or safe” hairs. As technology and surgical skills have advanced, it is now possible to achieve natural-looking and long-lasting results through this type of hair transplant.

As a result, hairs from the permanent zone are able to give you long lasting hair results when transplanted properly. We utilize this fact to restore thicker, natural hair, even if you have been balding for years.

Dr. Harold Ma’s FUE Hair Transplant is a relatively simple outpatient procedure. From start to finish, it will normally take three to nine hours, depending on number of grafts and the complexity of the case. The procedure is done under local anaesthesia in our clinic. Most patients find the procedure highly comfortable and many say it is painless. Like other minimally-invasive procedures, hair restoration follows a complete pre-op evaluation including the patient’s family, medical history, a proper scalp examination as well as discussion of goals and longer term planning. Blood tests are routinely performed pre-operatively. In rare cases, a biopsy of the scalp may be needed for more accurate diagnosis.

Our FUE hair transplant procedure in Singapore is a categorised as a low risk, minimally invasive, highly predictable surgical procedure. Due to the significant improvements in surgical techniques and instrument design, FUE has largely replaced the FUT or strip method for hair transplant worldwide.

Are You a Good Candidate For FUE?

At our hair transplant clinic in Singapore, we assess patients for their suitability for FUE hair transplant based on a number of factors, including:

• Extent of hair loss. The amount of donor hair impacts the expected results of the procedure. If you have extensive hair loss and/or a lack of donor hair, the transplant may not deliver the desired results. Our doctor will discuss your options with you before moving forward with the procedure.
  
• Healthy scalp. FUE isn’t recommended for individuals with Alopecia or any diseases of the scalp. The donor area may not have suitable hair to transplant, which, again, may not deliver favourable results. The same goes for people with an exceptionally tight scalp which can be determined by a scalp exam before treatment.
• Lifestyle. The ideal candidates for FUE are those who are in good general shape. If you eat well, exercise regularly and don’t have any permanent immune system issue that may hinder recovery, you are likely to get very positive results out of a hair transplant procedure.

To ensure hair implant or transplant is suitable for you, don’t hesitate to consult with our doctor. Our clinic is conveniently located at the heart of Singapore’s shopping district. Call us today or book an appointment.

FUE Hair Transplant Procedure

Step 1: 

Injecting local anaesthetic – a mild anaesthetic is gently injected into the harvest area. Within moments, the entire donor area is numb and the extraction is completely painless. As part of our regular internal audit and patient feedback, 9 out of 10 patients report little to no pain, and not requiring any pain killers post op. 

Step 2:

Follicular Extraction – Dr. Harold’s Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique ensures a high yield of above 95%. Unlike the older FUT or strip technique, there is no linear scar, only random micro dots. We are using the finest instruments (less than 1mm in diameter) to minimize any scarring to the harvest area. Unless hair is shaved very short, even experts struggle sometimes to see where hair was harvested from.

Step 3: 

Follicle Inspection – all hair grafts are carefully checked under high-powered magnification. The hair grafts contain between 1 to 4, sometimes 5 hair follicles. The grafts are grouped according to the number of hair follicles for planting in specific areas according to Dr. Harold Ma’s preference. They are stored in special solutions at precisely regulated temperatures for better graft survival.

Step 4:

Site Making – Dr Harold Ma personally decides where the hair grafts will be planted. The angle, direction and distribution of grafts are critical to get the most natural appearance, the best possible density and the highest chance of graft survival. In good hair design, hair grafts with one hair follicle are good for creating a soft natural front hair line in the first few rows as well as filling in the crown swirl area. The 2’s and 3’s are best used further back in the main body of hair to create a natural and dense full volume.

Step 5:

Dr. Harold Ma “No Touch Implanting” – The harvested hair grafts are implanted skilfully (using our “no-touch” technique) into the recipient site. The “no-touch” technique is different because the hair bulbs, which is the critical factory of the hair shaft, is protected from trauma and stress typical of older methods of implantation.

Step 6:

Cleaning and bandaging of scalp to protect grafts for 24 hours, then removal of bandage, grafts inspection and hair wash the next day

Step 7:

Wound recovery laser treatment (optional)

We firmly believe that the FUE technique is better for the following reasons:

• Safe, comfortable and pleasant; using our protocols, our patients report little to no pain be it during or even in the recovery period.
• Very low transection rates with our technique and know-how (less than 5%, usually close to 0% graft transection/partial transection or damage)
• High yield: most grafts bear multiple hairs, so you get more hairs per graft
• We can perform up to 3500 grafts per session on any given day
• The traditional very faint linear scar in strip technique is avoided in FUE
• Faster recovery times
• We harvest a precise number of hair grafts, so no grafts are wasted
• Smaller sessions can be planned with minimal downtime using our no-shave FUE technique
• We use the no-touch technique to implant our grafts, leading to a much faster growth and robust results
• Dr. Harold Ma’s Long hair FUE is possible for eyebrow transplants

At Freia, as one of the hair-restoration-focused hair transplant clinics in Singapore, patients pay only for the number of grafts transplanted. Ultimately, it’s what goes into your head that counts. We want you to get the maximum value out of your surgical procedure. Not only that, our grafts are mostly in the multiples: meaning that most grafts will contain doubles and triples, and only minimally singles (between 10 to 20%). So the patient gets much more hair in reality.

Dr. Ma always plans ahead for your hair loss needs. He will guide you on the actual number of grafts to use for the best effect, and not waste precious grafts in case they are needed a few years down the road as the hair loss progresses in other areas.

Other applications for FUE hair transplant

• facial hair transplantation (to create a beard, mustache, goatee, side burns, chin straps, etc)
• eyebrow transplantation
• scar revision (scalp scars from traumatic injuries, burns, etc)
• female to male sexual reassignment patients
• male to female sexual reassignment patients

Natural long lasting results

Gone are the days of the “plugs.” Modern technology today helps you achieves a natural look and this is made possible by a better understanding of the scalp and hair biology, refined surgical techniques and ever-improving surgical instruments. Hair line design is crucial to achieve that natural look. The scars from our techniques are hardly perceptible and no one will ever know you had any surgery done.

Speak to Dr. Harold Ma today to see if you are a suitable candidate.

The Freia Promise

At Freia, you can be assured of the highest standards in hair transplant technology and skills. Here are some reasons why you have peace of mind when you choose your hair transplant procedure with us:

Since 2006, Dr. Ma has had years of experience in treating hair-loss, and he has honed his hair transplantation skills through extensive travels across the globe, from the US to Europe and even our neighbours in Asia. A firm understanding of Asian hair type has helped him and his team combine the best of both worlds: the latest in international hair restoration standards and hairline design and the most appropriate techniques suited to Asian hair types. Come and see our large portfolio of actual before and after photos in clinic.

1. Dr. Ma wants to create a natural result and this is based on a thorough understanding of hair design along with more than 10 years of experience in the hair transplant field.
2. When you choose Dr. Harold Ma, you get Dr. Harold Ma. His practice is not affiliated with a larger chain, a franchise or comprised of part-time hair technicians. The entire procedure is performed with Dr. Harold Ma as the team leader. This is different from other establishments which leave critical steps in the hands of a hair technician.
3. High volume of hair transplant cases; this is the main procedure Dr. Ma performs on any given weekday
4. All his staff are personally hand-picked and trained by him to the highest standards. Most staff have at least 3 years experience in the hair transplant field. Between them, they have performed more than 1 million follicles hair transplantation over 10 years.
5. Our protocols are in accordance with (and often surpass) the highest international standards, are aligned and up-to-date with the International Society of Hair Restoration Society, FUE Europe and the Asian Association of Hair Restoration Society. In addition, at Freia all grafts must be inspected under high magnification microscopy, then stored in special solutions and controlled temperature for the highest quality grafts with the best chances of survival
6. Our equipment are carefully selected through rigorous evaluation and testing before they are incorporated into our practice, ensuring you get only the safest, most effective results
7. We are so passionate about minimising graft wastage/transection. We consider hair grafts a limited and finite precious resource. Not even one graft should be wasted on any given day. That has become our obsession. Because of that, we achieve, consistently on a day to day basis a high yield of above 95% for FUE
8. We get more hairs per grafts, because we painstakingly select only multiple grafts for transplantation. You always get more for what you pay.
9. 24-hour hotline for pre and post-procedure support
10. Complete privacy as we are discreetly located away from busy shopping malls and feature spacious, fully self-contained facilities, including convenient toilet facilities; a feature many patients are grateful for

FAQs

Is a hair transplant painful?
Dr. Harold’s FUE hair transplants in Singapore is categorised as a minimally invasive, low risk, predictable procedure. The procedure is performed under a local anaesthetic injection. Most patients report that beyond the local anaesthetic, it was painless throughout the procedure and also in the post-op recovery period. Most did not need any painkillers at home. There may be some sensation of itch, numbness and mild tingling pain in the 1 or 2 weeks post-op.

What is the success rate of the hair transplant?
We have been performing hair transplant procedures for more than 10 years, with a very high success rate. Come and see our before and after photos and decide for yourself the quality of our work.

Is there any maintenance needed after the hair transplant? 
The transplanted hairs are usually very healthy and expected to grow for a long time to come. Hence there is no maintenance needed for these hairs. If a patient is anticipated to lose more hairs in the non-transplanted areas, then those hairs may need to have some maintenance treatments such as finasteride, minoxidil, laser treatments, hair care shampoos, etc.

How long should I take time off work?
It depends on how much work needs to be done for your hair transplant. The more serious your hair loss which means the more work needed, the more downtime or recovery time is needed. In general, our patients take between 3 to 10 days off work and social commitments. 

When can I go back to sports?
No strenuous activity for 1 week, keep sweating to a minumum during this critical post-op period. After 1 week, you may go back to the gym, running, yoga, etc. You may swim after 2 weeks. You may do contact sports like boxing, muay thai, rugby, etc after 1 month. 

When can I have scalp massages or scalp treatments, herbal treatments at my salon?
After 1 month, you may resume the above actions.

When can I colour my hair or do chemical treatments like perming, rebonding, etc? 
After 6 to 8 weeks, it is safe to do so, but check with our doctor on specific treatments.

How much does it cost to have a hair transplant?
The costs depend on how serious your hair loss is, which reflects the amount of work, number of grafts needed, the complexity of the case, etc. In general, it costs about $4.90 per graft upwards, with a separate surgical fee that includes the routine local anaesthetic, post-op medication, dressing change, shampoo, recovery serums, treatment laser and follow-up reviews. More can be explained in clinic after a proper assessment. Alternatively, send us photos of your hair condition for a no-obligation advice. 

I am an international patient considering Dr. Harold Ma’s FUE procedure. How long should I plan my stay in Singapore?
Our regional and international clients typically spend a minimum of 3 days in Singapore: Arrive in Singapore and check in to the hotel on the first day, have the FUE procedure on day 2 at 9am, go back to rest in the hotel in the evening, return for a review on day 3, before flying home.

Our staff are fluent in english, mandarin, malay, filipino and burmese. You can have a Skype consultation with Dr. Ma prior to your arrival, to have all your concerns and questions answered.