Hair Transplants in Greece


Background

Greece is a popular holiday destination for people the world over, the islands in particular. You may therefore wish to combine a relaxing beach holiday with your surgical procedure. Greece is famous for its beaches, cuisine, history and mythology so regardless of your interests there will be something to keep you occupied.

How to get to Greece

Flights from London will last roughly 4 hours, depending upon your exact destination. The earlier you book the more likely you are to find cheap deals. When shopping around for flights bear in mind that, depending upon your destination, it may be cheaper to fly in to a larger city, say Athens, and then travel by land to your actual destination.


If you fancy an adventure, you could opt for driving through Europe to Greece with some ferry journeys of course. This is time-consuming and can cost a lot with petrol and accommodation, particularly if you make lots of stops. If you just want a fairly quick trip with the focus on your surgery, rather than combining it with a holiday, then flying is a better option for you.

Accommodation in Greece

There are a large variety of hostels and hotels in Greece, from budget to luxury accommodation. If you fancy a more relaxing environment to recover from your surgery in, then you might wish to opt for one of the many spa hotels that are available. Book these in advance to avoid disappointment.

It is also possible to find self-catered apartments and villas. Many of these are privately owned so shop around online. To ensure that you find a good one, check the reviews before booking.

There are also many campsites available, although you may wish for something more comfortable after having surgery. Camping is usually a very cheap form of accommodation however. If you are travelling at peak times it is best to book. Also make sure you know whether you have to bring your own tent or whether the company already has them erected on site.

Travelling around Greece

Travelling around Greece can often be less comfortable and convenient than it is in Western Europe. While there is a train service, journeys tend to take longer than you might expect and there are usually fewer available train times for each destination. If you can be fairly flexible about your travelling then you should not have a problem. If however you anticipate a tight schedule while you are out there then make sure you research train times, journey durations and alternatives should there be any delays. If possible try and reserve a seat on your train as the busy routes can sometimes get crowded. This will usually cost a little more, however it is worth avoiding the possibility of being cramped standing in the areas between carriages in Greece’s heat!

There are buses which provide domestic travel around Greece. The company which runs this is KTEL and more information on fares and timetables can be found online. The buses tend to be fairly reliable although, like the trains, not of the same standard as those generally found in Western Europe.

As previously mentioned, many consider getting a flight to a different city and then travelling by train to their actual destination because it will work out cheaper. Because Greece’s trains tend to be slower this may involve an overnight train. If you are used to travelling then you will not have a problem, however many find these to be very uncomfortable, hot and tiring. You may therefore want to think about whether you may be better off paying a little more for a direct flight and travelling more comfortably.

If you are thinking of combining an island holiday with your visit for your treatment, then it is worth doing some research into your travel arrangements. Depending upon which Greek island you choose it can be very expensive to travel there from mainland Greece, especially if you are island-hopping. You may therefore decide to choose just one island to go to, rather than spending large amounts of money travelling between them. As a general rule, the closer the island to the coast, the cheaper it is. Skiathos, located just off Volos on the east coast of Greece is nice for a short break, for example.

Other considerations

Greece is a little further away than many of the other European countries you can choose for your hair transplant surgery. This means that travelling there can be a little more inconvenient and more expensive, particularly if you have to travel there more than just once to finalise the procedure. While it is also still likely that there will be at least one English-speaker at the surgery you select, it is advisable to check before committing to your operation. You should also check the reviews and reputation of your chosen surgery and its facilities before committing yourself as Greek hospitals and equipment do not have a very good reputation in general for cleanliness or having modern technology.

Hair Transplant Techniques used in Greece

Strip Treatment

The most common technique for the treatment of hair loss tends to be Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT). FUT (also referred to as strip treatment) is particularly recommended for the treatment of advanced thinning. FUT is a surgical procedure which is comparatively fairly convenient and is so frequently used because it allows for the greatest hair coverage. You will be left with a small scar on each area that hair is removed from, however this should not usually be noticeable. The hair surrounding these areas should cover the scarring, although this may not be the case if you have your hair shaved very close. These scars result from a small strip of hair being removed from the back and sides of your head which is then carefully transplanted onto the areas you want the treatment.

FUE

FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction is a popular choice among those who have only a little thinning. Similarly, if you have had previous hair removal procedures your donor may be impaired, meaning that strip treatment will be less effective. FUE allows hair to be removed in areas that cannot be treated using FUT. Follicular Unit Extraction works by removing little clusters of hair, usually of approximately one to four hairs. There is less scarring with this procedure than with FUT and most people complete the treatment without any evidence of a scar at all. This is because of the precise nature of the extraction of the hairs. Due to this, this procedure can be very time-consuming depending upon how much treatment you require. You should also be aware that you will usually have to have your head completely shaved for this procedure. By shaving your head, it is easier for the surgeon to be precise when removing the hair clusters.

Combination Treatments

For Body Hair Follicular Unit Extraction (BHFUE) it is likely that a combination of these treatments may be used. Your specialist will recommend a treatment programme based upon your individual needs. This is also the case with repair treatments. This is a procedure to correct or improve a past hair transplant treatment. You should talk to your doctor regarding the time it will take and the likely scarring that will be caused.

After-care

In the case of all of these techniques, you should make sure that you speak to your specialist in-depth about an effective after-care programme to ensure that your treatment is as successful as possible.

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