Hair transplantation using the state-of-the-art WAW device

Hair transplantation is the most frequently performed cosmetic operation among men worldwide. Today, more and more women are also choosing hair transplantation. Approximately 90% of patients undergoing this procedure are men, while women account for around 10%.

Hair transplantation techniques have developed over many years, from the STRIP method to FUE, the most widely used method today. In the early stages of FUE development, the method was nowhere near as good as it is today because the follicles, or grafts, being transplanted were much larger than those we transplant now. They were around 5 mm wide, compared with the grafts we transplant today, which are up to 1 mm wide. Thanks to this reduction in follicle width, hair transplantation results look natural, and scalp scars are barely visible, appearing as tiny white dots in the donor area.

To transplant such small, very delicate follicles, ensuring that they survive transplantation and subsequently grow in the area where they are implanted, it is essential to use high-quality instruments. Alongside the skills of the doctor and technicians performing the procedure, the instruments we use during the procedure are also very important.

Instruments of varying quality are available on the market, and their price depends on their quality. Top-quality instruments are expensive, so unfortunately only a small number of clinics use them.

Thanks to top-quality instruments, together with a doctor and technicians who have extensive experience in hair transplantation, follicle survival during hair transplantation now reaches up to 99%, which is exceptionally good.

The FUE method and the donor area

Follicles are transplanted from the donor area, most commonly the back of the scalp and the areas to the sides towards the ears. If necessary, follicles can also be transplanted from other areas of the body.

With the FUE method, follicles are extracted individually from the donor area using instruments called punches, less than 1 mm in diameter. Punches are instruments shaped like small tubes. Follicles are selected for transplantation so that those not being transplanted remain between the extracted follicles, preventing visible thinning in the donor area.

The doctor selects a follicle to extract from the donor area and positions the punch over it. The punch is connected to a device with a motor that drives it. Both the device to which the punch is connected and the punch itself are very important for the quality of hair transplantation.

One of the most advanced devices of this kind today is the WAW device. It was developed by a doctor in Belgium.

Advantages of the WAW device

The major advantages of this device over other follicle extraction devices are:

• it uses a special “Tornado” punch
• it offers both rotation and oscillation
• computerised selection of operating parameters

The Tornado punch, rotation and oscillation

The Tornado punch is distinctive because it is sharp on the outside, allowing easy separation of the follicle from the surrounding tissue, and blunt on the inside. This protects the follicle itself and reduces the chance of it being cut or damaged during extraction.

Rotation, or the circular movement of the punch, is excellent for separating the surface of the follicle from the surrounding skin, while oscillation, or turning in one direction and then the other, is excellent for separating the deeper layers.

Individually adjusted operating parameters

Thanks to the device’s digital controls, we select precise parameters on the screen, including the degrees of oscillation, speed and so on. This allows us to adjust its operation individually for each patient, depending on skin characteristics, the area from which follicles are extracted, the characteristics of the follicles themselves and other factors.

Follicle quality and healing

Thanks to the advantages of the WAW device described above, transection — damage to or cutting of follicles, and therefore their destruction during extraction — is very low. Follicles extracted with the WAW device are of better quality than those extracted with other devices because they retain an adequate amount of surrounding fatty tissue, which is important for their survival. Scars in the donor area are less visible, and healing is considerably faster.

In addition to all of the above, it is also very important that the WAW device allows a greater number of high-quality follicles to be extracted per unit of time. This is a significant advantage for the patient, the follicles and the entire team performing the procedure.