DHI stands for Direct Hair Implantation. Grafts are removed individually from the donor area and placed into thinning areas with an implanter pen. At our London clinic, we assess your hair loss and donor supply before choosing a placement method.
The pen controls the depth, angle and direction of each graft. The design of your hairline and the coverage possible still depend on the treatment plan and available donor hair.
You can arrange a consultation in London. Dr Harpreet Kalra assesses suitability and graft requirements, and explains recovery before treatment is agreed.
Sometimes the recipient area can be treated without a full shave. Whether this suits your case depends on your existing hair and the size of the procedure. You will discuss it at your assessment.
If you are also considering a scalp FUE hair transplant, the choice depends on the treatment area, graft requirement and how important it is for you to keep your existing hair during recovery.
DHI starts from £3,499. Visit our treatment cost guide for starting prices and quotation information, or read our FUE and DHI comparison for the published graft-count examples. Your individual treatment price is confirmed after assessment.
Hair grows in small groups called follicular units. Each can contain one hair or several hairs together. For DHI, these units are normally removed individually from the back and sides of your scalp.
The grafts are checked, sorted and loaded into a Choi Implanter Pen. The surgeon uses the pen to make an opening and place the graft in a single movement.
The surgeon plans the hairline position and graft arrangement before using the pen. The implanter is the tool used to put that plan into practice.
DHI usually starts with the same individual extraction used in an FUE hair transplant. FUE describes how grafts are removed; DHI describes inserting them with an implanter.
DHI does not provide extra donor hair. The number of available grafts still depends on the density and condition of the permanent donor area.
At the consultation, the doctor examines your hair loss, scalp and donor area, then discusses the shape and coverage you want. Your medical history, medication and previous treatment are reviewed at the same appointment.
We draw the hairline while you are sitting upright. For crown work, the design follows your existing whorl rather than a fixed pattern.
The donor area is trimmed where required and numbed with local anaesthetic. Follicular units are then removed individually with a small punch.
Extractions are spread across the usable donor area to avoid taking too much hair from one section.
The technician team checks, counts and sorts the grafts. Fine single-hair units can form the visible edge of the hairline, with grafts containing more hairs placed behind for coverage.
The prepared grafts are loaded carefully into the Choi pens before being passed back to the surgeon.
The surgeon places each graft at its planned depth, angle and direction. These change to follow the surrounding hair across the treatment area.
You normally go home on the day of treatment with written instructions for washing, sleeping, exercise and protecting the grafts.
The DHI plan needs to fit your donor supply. The doctor assesses how much hair can safely be removed and the size of the recipient area, then considers whether those grafts can provide the density you want.
It is often discussed for focused hairline restoration, temple work, mid-scalp thinning and some crown procedures.
Extensive, advanced hair loss may need a different graft plan or several procedures. DHI cannot make up for weak donor hair or provide grafts that are not there.
Active scalp disease, rapidly changing hair loss or medical factors affecting healing also need to be assessed before surgery. In those cases, treatment may be delayed or a different approach recommended.
DHI grafts are normally removed one at a time, just as they are with FUE.
After preparation, each graft is loaded into a Choi Implanter Pen. The pen makes the opening and places the graft in the same movement, so the recipient incisions are not created in advance.
During an FUE hair transplant , follicular units are removed individually from the donor area.
The recipient sites are made separately before the grafts are placed. FUE does not leave one continuous donor scar, although every extraction leaves a small round mark.
With an FUT hair transplant, a narrow strip of hair-bearing scalp is removed from the donor area.
The strip is separated into individual grafts under magnification. Closing the donor wound leaves a permanent linear scar.
DHI cost depends on the graft number, treatment area and complexity of placement. Similar graft counts can still take different amounts of surgical time when treating a hairline, restoring a crown or working between existing hairs.
At your consultation, we estimate the graft requirement and decide whether one procedure or staged treatment is appropriate. Before you book, the clinic should confirm the full price and what is included.
The FUE and DHI comparison linked above gives illustrative graft-count prices. If you want to spread the cost, read about our finance options and ask for the eligibility requirements and full repayment terms before deciding.
Your donor and recipient areas need time to settle. You will receive individual instructions; the stages below give a general outline of recovery.
Washing, exercise and sleeping instructions are explained in more detail in our hair transplant aftercare guide.
View our patient results gallery for the graft counts and recovery times recorded with each case. Your consultation will assess what is realistic for your donor hair and treatment area.
Dr Harpreet Kalra is registered with the General Medical Council under reference 7126076. At London Hair Transplant Clinics, he performs DHI procedures with the support of a trained technician team.
He examines your hair-loss pattern, scalp condition and permanent donor hair. This helps establish how many grafts can be taken without leaving the back and sides visibly thin.
Dr Kalra plans the hairline position, treatment area and graft distribution. He controls the angle, depth and direction of placement with the Choi pen during implantation.
Before you book, you receive a graft estimate and expected cost, with an explanation of recovery and likely growth.
DHI prices start from £3,499. The published guide for 1,500 grafts is around £5,000. These are guide prices; your graft requirement, treatment area and complexity determine the written quotation.
DHI normally uses the same individual graft-extraction method as FUE. The difference is the placement stage, where the prepared grafts are inserted with a Choi Implanter Pen.
Not always. The donor area usually needs trimming so the follicles can be identified and removed safely. The recipient area can sometimes be treated without being fully shaved.
DHI is not scar-free. Individual donor extraction leaves small round marks rather than the single linear scar associated with FUT.
The donor and recipient areas are numbed with local anaesthetic. Patients can feel the anaesthetic injections and some pressure or tenderness, but the scalp is numbed during the main procedure.
Early growth commonly begins around the third or fourth month. Coverage becomes clearer between six and nine months, with the result continuing to mature around the twelve-month point.
Yes, provided the donor supply and graft plan are suitable. Crown placement must follow the existing whorl and often requires careful planning because the area can need a substantial number of grafts.
Time off work depends on the extent of treatment, healing and the demands of your job. Redness and scabbing may remain visible even when you feel well enough to work. Discuss your work, travel and exercise plans with the clinical team before choosing a treatment date.
