A page for the visitor who met the percutaneous technique in a consultation or an online comparison and needs to know where it stands before booking a flight. It compares the technique with Sapphire FUE and DHI on five criteria, states its typical 2,000 to 3,500 grafts per session, sets out who it suits and who it does not, and prices the trip to Aleppo against the same trip to Istanbul. Performed at Sima, a licensed clinic in Aleppo, by the same specialists who operate in our Istanbul centre, with daily follow-up in the first week and scheduled reviews included until the twelfth month.
When is percutaneous the technique for you?
Follicle by follicle, a fine needle opens the recipient sites instead of a blade, and each graft is then placed with forceps. A technique chosen for particular cases, performed at Sima by Your Hair Center’s Istanbul team. This page helps you find out whether the percutaneous technique is the right one for you before you book.
2,000 to 3,500
grafts in a typical session, and up to about 4,000 when the donor area allows
6 to 8 hours
on average for a full session, supervised by a specialist from the Istanbul team
Three techniques. Which one suits your case
You are not here to learn the Latin behind the word, but to see where the percutaneous technique stands among the other options. The table shows the difference without decoration.
| Criterion | DHI / Choi pen | Percutaneous | Sapphire FUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument used | Choi implanter pen, a hollow needle that opens the site and implants the graft in one movement | A fine needle that opens the recipient sites, then forceps place the grafts | A sapphire blade that opens the recipient sites, then forceps place the grafts |
| Grafts per session | About 3,000 a day | Typically 2,000 to 3,500, up to about 4,000 | Typically 2,000 to 3,500, up to about 4,000 |
| Resulting density | Set by the donor area and the specialist's plan | Set by the donor area and the specialist's plan, as with the other two | Set by the donor area and the specialist's plan |
| Natural hair angle | Set by the specialist's hand | Set by the specialist's hand, and a fine needle suits the hairline | Set by the specialist's hand |
| Best-suited cases | Front hairline density, small to medium areas | The hairline and fine detail, with the same graft counts as FUE | Small and wide areas, with the same graft counts as FUE |
The final decision is not read off a table
What the percutaneous technique is
The percutaneous technique (Turkish perkütan, from “percutaneous”, through the skin) is the name Turkish hair transplant centres use for opening the recipient sites with a fine needle instead of a blade. The needle makes a tiny hole or a narrow slit, and the graft is then placed in it with forceps, either after all the sites are made or one site at a time. The difference between percutaneous and sapphire is the tool that opens the recipient sites, a fine needle in one and a sapphire blade in the other; harvesting the grafts and placing them are the same in both. A hollow needle that carries the graft, opens the site and implants it in one movement is a sharp implanter, the tool marketed as DHI or the Choi pen. The technique is not a universal substitute for every case. It is a fine tool: a fine needle is among the instruments the medical literature recommends for placing single-hair grafts at the hairline, and it suits fine detail. At Sima the percutaneous technique is part of the FUE family, performed by Your Hair Center’s Istanbul team, rotating between the two centres. For the full picture of your transplant options, see hair transplant in Aleppo.
From the field
How a percutaneous session unfolds
Four stages, each one separated precisely by the specialist. The essential difference from classic FUE sits in the third stage, where the needle replaces the blade in opening the path.
Anaesthesia and preparation
The specialist begins by drawing the front hairline with you, followed by local anaesthetic for the donor and recipient areas. No general anaesthesia, and no pain during the session.
Extraction
Follicles are extracted from the donor area at the back with a fine micro punch. They are kept in a chilled solution to protect their vitality until placement.
Opening the channels with the needle
This is the signature of the technique. In place of a blade, the fine needle opens the recipient sites through the skin, a tiny hole or a narrow slit for each graft, at the angle and depth the specialist sets by hand.
Placement and angle calibration
The grafts are placed in their sites with forceps, either after all the sites are made or one site at a time, so every hair follows the direction of your original hair that the specialist set for its site. This step is what separates a natural result from one that reads as transplanted at a glance.
6 to 8 hours on average
Sima against the full Istanbul trip
This is not a price comparison but a comparison of the whole bill. Both of our centres are open to you, so the two stacks put the same trip side by side, procedure and travel included, and let you decide with the full figure in view.
The trip to Aleppo, with Sima
The trip to Istanbul
Your figure is confirmed in writing after the consultation, by graft count and donor area. Travel, hotel and airport pickup are arranged by Sima and billed separately at cost.
Your Hair Center's Istanbul team, with a documented record
The team comes from the Istanbul market that built the world’s reputation for hair transplants. They are engaged through Your Hair Center, our own centre in Istanbul, carry a documented record in FUE and percutaneous work, and rotate to Aleppo today. You can check the Istanbul centre at yourhaircenter.com before you decide.
FUE and percutaneous
A team with a documented record in FUE and percutaneous, trained in Istanbul’s leading clinics.
Front hairline and beard angles
A reference for front hairline angles and beard transplants with this technique, built on hundreds of accumulated cases.
Women's hair and eyebrows
A women’s team from Istanbul, a reference in women’s hair and eyebrow cases, with full privacy along the women’s path.
Who the percutaneous technique suits, and who it does not
It is an excellent technique within its limits and honest about them. It typically places 2,000 to 3,500 grafts per session, up to about 4,000, with the donor area setting the real limit, and even so it is not the best choice for every case.
- Stable loss at the front hairline, the crown or a wider area
- A need for fine sites at the hairline or in fine detail
- An expected graft count within the 2,000 to 3,500 range
- Sufficient density in the donor area at the back
- Good general health and a stable pattern of loss
- Realistic expectations, and a commitment to the 12-month follow-up
- The graft count you need exceeds about 4,000 in one session
- A limited donor area that cannot supply the grafts required
- Active shedding that has not yet settled and needs observing before a transplant
- A chronic medical condition or medication that conflicts with the procedure
- Early loss, Norwood stages 1 to 2, which treatment usually covers
- Expectations out of step with the technique's ceiling, or no way to keep the 12-month follow-up
Recovery, day by day, in Aleppo and then at home
You spend the first days in Aleppo, then fly home with the team still on your WhatsApp. Five milestones cover what to expect, with a short note beside them for those who pray.
Day 1. Rest and the first check-in
Instructions for sleeping with the head raised, moisturising medication, and a WhatsApp check-in to reassure you through the first twenty-four hours. No washing yet.
Week 1. The first supervised wash
The first medical wash takes place at the clinic under the team’s supervision. After that, daily washing at your hotel or at home follows the method shown to you, and most visitors fly home in this week.
Month 1. The shock-loss phase
The transplanted hairs shed temporarily, and this is entirely normal. The follicle under the skin is intact and preparing to release the new hair. There is no cause for concern.
Month 3. The first visible growth
New hairs begin to appear gradually, finer than the final hair. Over the following months they thicken and take on their full colour and texture.
Month 12. The final result
The final shape settles, the density completes, the angle sits true. The last follow-up photo goes into your file.
A note on prayer during recovery
The daily care checklist
Frequently asked about the percutaneous technique
Is percutaneous better than DHI or Sapphire?
Not better outright. The difference from Sapphire is the tool that opens the recipient sites, a fine needle against a sapphire blade; harvesting, placing and the graft count, typically 2,000 to 3,500, are the same in both. DHI uses a hollow needle that carries the graft, opens the site and implants it in one movement. A fine needle suits the hairline and fine detail, and the decision is made after the assessment, not from the internet.
How long does the session take, and how many grafts in one sitting?
A single session runs 6 to 8 hours on average and typically places 2,000 to 3,500 grafts, up to about 4,000 when the donor area allows; the donor area sets the real limit. When the need goes beyond that, the specialist divides the work across two sessions.
Does the technique leave scars?
Every FUE transplant leaves small round marks in the donor area where the grafts were taken, which short hairstyles hide when the extraction is done well, and the tool that opens the recipient sites does not change that. In the recipient area the fine needle makes small sites, and the crusts and redness usually clear within 7 to 14 days, as with any technique.
Is a hair transplant permissible in Islam?
For readers who ask, the majority of Islamic scholars permit the procedure under conditions. It moves a person’s own follicles from one part of the scalp to another, so it is not the prohibited addition of foreign hair. The recognised rulings ask that a qualified physician performs it and that it treats a real harm or distress. Prayer and wudu during recovery are covered in the note above and on the aftercare guide.
When can I return to work?
Most clients are back at office work after 3 to 7 days, which for a visitor usually means the week you fly home. Physical work waits 10 to 14 days, and heavy exercise, lifting and contact sport 3 to 4 weeks, then resume gradually.
What are the risks and limits of the technique?
The surgical risks are very limited when a specialist team performs it, the most common being mild swelling that settles within days. The essential limit is the donor area, which sets the graft ceiling for percutaneous as it does for FUE and Sapphire; when the need goes beyond about 4,000, the work is divided across two sessions. The specialist tells you this plainly before booking you in.
How do I know whether I am a suitable candidate?
Send two photos from two angles over WhatsApp. The specialist assesses your case within an hour on working days and proposes the most suitable technique for you, frankly. No obligation, and no pressure to book.
Time the procedure with your trip
A percutaneous hair transplant folds into a stay of three to four nights in Aleppo. Direct flights run from Istanbul, Sharjah and Kuwait, and most passports receive a visa on arrival. Travel, hotel and airport pickup are arranged by Sima and billed separately at cost. Most Western governments advise against travel to Syria; their advice is linked on the travel guide, beside what operates on the ground, with dates. If you are Syrian and coming home, time the procedure with the visit; the team stays with you over WhatsApp after you fly back. For the logistics, read the Aleppo travel guide.
Let us see together whether percutaneous is right for your case
The consultation is free and commits you to nothing. Two photos from two angles, a written assessment within an hour on working days, and a frank recommendation from the specialist.
