DHI Hair transplantation using the Choi Pen is the safest technique, boasting a 100% success rate and making it the most favored hair transplant treatment in Turkey and other countries.
This method has transformed the field of hair transplants and has emerged as the optimal approach for hair transplantation without shaving.
Moreover, the continuous progress in DHI technology has introduced an upgraded variant, termed DHI Pro, which now ranks among the high-density hair transplant techniques in Turkey, alongside Percutan and Sapphire FUE.
Here is a detailed explanation and an interesting article regarding DHI hair transplantation:
What is the DHI Hair Transplant, and What is the Choi Pen?
The term DHI stands for Direct Hair Implantation. It’s a technique that combines creating channels in the target area and implanting hair follicles in a single step. This is done using a special pen called the Choi Hair Implantation Pen.
The Choi Pen has a needle at its tip that creates tiny channels in the target area and simultaneously implants hair follicles into them.
Therefore, DHI is a needle-based hair transplant technique, not a blade-based one.
As shown in the image above of the Choi pen, this fine, hollow needle is cut at a sharp angle to facilitate skin penetration.
This needle is available in different diameters to suit varying hair thicknesses. In Turkey, there are five standard diameters for Choi pen needles:
- 0.6 mm
- 0.8 mm
- 1.0 mm
- 1.2 mm
- 1.5 mm.
The hair transplant surgeon’s experience plays a crucial role in selecting the most suitable diameter for the patient’s individual needs.
What is DHI Pro Technology?
The term “DHI Pro,” or DHI Pro hair transplantation, refers to the use of a Choi pen equipped with ultra-fine needles (0.6 mm or 0.8 mm).
These ultra-fine needles were specifically developed to improve the efficacy and outcomes of hair transplantation.
The DHI Pro technology is unique in its capacity to transplant approximately 6,000 hair follicles in a single session.
In contrast, the standard needles (1 mm or larger) used in the classic DHI technique can only implant up to 3,500 hair follicles per session.
Therefore, the traditional DHI approach was insufficient to achieve the desired hair density, which explains its limited use in previous years.
The higher cost of DHI Pro hair transplant is due to the high precision and exceptional skill required from the surgeon, and it is currently considered the best in the field of natural hair transplants.
How a Choi Pen Works (Video):
The video shows how hair follicles are placed in the needle of a Choi pen and then implanted into the recipient area.
Regarding the implantation mechanism: As shown in the image above, which depicts the parts of the Choi pen, inside the needle (piece 3) is a thin, rigid tube (piece 2).
This tube is connected to a spring, and when the spring is pressed, the hair follicles are pushed and implanted into the skin.
Advantages of DHI Technology:
The DHI approach has several distinct benefits, most notably:
- Hair transplanting without shaving: Because it relies on needles, the DHI technique allows for unshaven hair transplants to be performed easily and safely.
In contrast with blade-based techniques, unshaven hair can pose risks, especially during the channel creation phase. - Less invasive: With the DHI technique, there is no need to create incisions or channels in the recipient areas, making the entire procedure less surgically invasive.
- Painless hair transplantation: Thanks to the quick and direct trauma of implanting hair follicles in the targeted areas, the patient will not experience any pain.
- Suitable for all hair types: Whether the hair is thick, curly, or straight, DHI hair transplantation is suitable.
- Quicker recovery: Eliminating surgical incisions reduces scarring and bleeding in the transplanted areas, resulting in faster recovery and fewer side effects.
- Natural-looking results: The Choi pen allows for the implantation of hair grafts one by one instead of all at once, resulting in precise placement that resembles the natural hair growth pattern.
- Guaranteed success: Because the transplanted hair follicles are handled and moved less frequently during the process, they have a better chance of surviving and living longer.
In Turkey, there have been no reported examples of DHI hair transplantation failure, and some surgeons rely entirely on it.
How Can an Unshaven Hair Transplant Be Performed?
If the patient has partial baldness and only needs to increase hair density in some bald areas (usually less than 3,000 follicles), an unshaven hair transplant is a simple procedure performed as follows:
- The surgeon moisturises and combs the hair in the recipient area to expose the transplantable spots.
- Then, based on their experience, they adjust the angle of the Choi pen needle to implant the follicles in the direction of natural hair growth.
Disadvantages of Direct Hair Implantation:
There are no risks or disadvantages of DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) using the Choi pen, except for transplanting hair to scalps with significant bald patches (complete baldness), which require the implantation of 6,000 or more follicles.
As mentioned previously, the DHI Pro has a maximum follicle implant capacity of 6,000 per session.
What proof supports this?
When using the Choi pen to implant hair grafts, repeated spring pressure is more exhausting on the surgeon’s hand than other approaches, slowing down the process.
By watching videos of hair transplant procedures using the Choi pen, you will notice that it requires the doctor a high level of concentration during the hair follicle transplantation process to achieve natural-looking results.
Although direct hair transplantation (DHI) merges two stages into one, it can only be performed by a single surgeon. In contrast, other techniques allow several specialists to implant hair follicles simultaneously.
In other words, unlike other high-density hair transplant techniques, the channel-creation step takes less time from the surgeon, as does the follicle-implantation stage, which is performed by a team of specialists.
Even the manufacturers emphasize the importance of concentration when using Choi pens.
Therefore, if someone wishes to have their hair thicker and more than 6,000 follicles implanted using the DHI Pro technique, they should be aware that it will require two sessions, with at least a 15-day interval between them, which will increase the cost of the hair transplant.
Important: Some hospitals and clinics claim that it’s possible to implant 7,000 or 8,000 follicles in a single session using Choi pens!
Unfortunately, this is far from the truth; Camilia Clinic advises you to take your time, do more research, and watch more videos.
How Does the DHI Hair Transplant Procedure Work (Video):
Here we will cover the entire process, including the following three steps:
- Necessary Preparations
- Steps of the DHI Hair Transplant Procedure
- Post-Surgery Recovery and Follow-up.
First, the Necessary Preparations:
During consultation with a hair transplant specialist, the patient should provide detailed information about their health as well as their personal and family medical history.
It’s also important to inform them of any medications they take regularly or temporarily so they can assess whether they should stop taking them before and during the surgical treatment.
The day before the operation, the patient will be asked to undergo some tests and analyses to ensure they are a suitable candidate, such as:
- Comprehensive blood analysis.
- Kidney and liver function tests.
- Blood gas analysis.
- Blood sugar level.
- Hepatitis virus test.
If the patient is a viable candidate for a hair transplant, they will meet with the surgeon to discuss the number of follicles required for transplantation and receive some advice and instructions to prepare for the procedure. The most important of these are:
- Quitting smoking two weeks before the surgery, or as specified by the clinic.
- Avoiding blood thinners like aspirin and others.
- Getting lots of rest during the 24 hours preceding the surgery.
- Avoid any strenuous physical activity or anything that might cause discomfort the day before the hair transplant procedure.
- Drink plenty of water, juices, and other healthy drinks.
Second, DHI Hair Transplant Procedure Steps (Surgery Day):
- Step 1: Approximately an hour before the procedure, the surgeon will reach a final agreement with the patient regarding the desired hairline and look.
- Step 2: The hairlines in the donor and recipient areas will be drawn by specialists, and they will be thoroughly sterilized.
- Step 3: Local anesthesia will be administered to the patient. Currently, this anesthesia is administered painlessly in Turkey.
Sedatives may also be given to the patient to facilitate relaxation during the surgery. - Step 4: The specialists will extract hair follicles one by one and place them in a specialized sterilization solution.
- Step 5: The DHI hair transplant phase begins. The hair grafts that were extracted and sterilized directly will be implanted into the bald areas, bypassing the channel creation stage.
* To speed up the process at this stage, a team of specialists will work together to prepare a set of Choi pens by loading their needles with hair grafts and delivering them to the surgeon. - Step 6 (Final): The surgical site will be cleaned, and a bandage will be applied to the donation area for protection. The patient will then be transferred to their private room.
The DHI hair transplant procedure takes between 4 and 8 hours, depending on the number of follicles transplanted.
You can see before-and-after photos of direct hair implantation procedures at Camilia Clinic.
Third, Post-Surgical Recovery and Follow-up:
The DHI hair transplant technique does not require a recovery period. After some rest, the patient is free to leave the hospital or clinic.
Regarding follow-up after the direct hair implantation, and to ensure the success of this cosmetic procedure, here are some tips from Camilia Clinic:
- For the first night following the procedure, sleep on your back with your head elevated above the rest of your body.
- Avoid places with harsh weather conditions.
- Refrain from smoking for two weeks after the surgery.
- Avoid strenuous activities or exercise during the first few days following surgery.
- Consult a specialist immediately if any unusual symptoms appear.
- Wash your hair as instructed at the hair transplant center.
- Use only the hair care products recommended by the center.
- Do not touch or scratch the transplanted and donor areas.
Uses of DHI Hair Transplant in Turkey:
The DHI approach has gained popularity in Turkey, and its most common applications are:
- Men’s hair transplantation requires 6,000 or fewer hair follicles (DHI Pro method).
- Female hair transplantation.
- Beard and mustache transplanting.
- Eyebrow transplants.
- Hairline transplantation or forehead reduction to thicken thin hair. This treatment is currently quite popular.
- People who have had burns or similar traumas where the tissue in the area to be transplanted has been damaged, and blade-based techniques are ineffective due to the weakness and lack of support for transplanted hair in these areas.
- Those who suffer from uneven hair distribution and wish to thicken it or fill in gaps without shaving.
- Individuals with certain types of diabetes, immunodeficiency, or bleeding disorders; DHI hair transplantation is the ideal option for them.
Cost of DHI Hair Transplant Using Choi Pen in Turkey 2026:
The cost of hair transplantation differs from person to person, based on several factors, most notably:
- Type of baldness and the size of the spot to be transplanted,
- Number of hair follicles required,
- Doctor’s fees and reputation in Turkey and abroad,
- Services provided by the clinic or hospital.
Generally, the cost of hair transplantation using the DHI technique in Turkey is around $1600 USD or less.
However, employing the DHI Pro approach can cost up to $2100 USD.
For detailed information on prices, please visit the Hair Transplant Costs in Turkey page.
If you wish to undergo this procedure in Istanbul, contact Camilia Clinic and get the best price for 2026.