Technique 03 · DHI
Direct Hair Implantation. The channel is opened and the graft placed in a single motion with a Choi implanter pen — the highest level of control over angle, depth and direction available in hair surgery.
Per-Graft Angle Control
Direction and depth set individually, not by a pre-made grid
Partial or No Shaving
The pen opens its own channel through existing hair
Shorter Time Outside the Body
Faster loading and placement supports graft survival
Ideal for Hairline, Brows & Beard
The technique of choice where per-graft precision matters most
DHI hair transplant Dubai
DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) is a hair transplant technique in which grafts are loaded into a Choi implanter pen that opens the recipient channel and inserts the follicle in a single motion. Because no channels are pre-made, the surgeon controls angle, depth and direction graft by graft, grafts spend less time outside the body, and the procedure can often be performed without fully shaving the head.
The Technique
In standard FUE the operation runs in two separate stages: all the recipient channels are opened first, then grafts are placed into them one by one with forceps. DHI collapses those two stages into one. Each graft is loaded into a hollow-needle implanter pen — commonly called a Choi pen — which pierces the scalp and releases the follicle in a single movement.
The practical advantage is control. The surgeon sets the angle, depth and direction of every individual graft at the moment of placement rather than committing to a grid of pre-made channels. For a hairline, where each of the first few hundred hairs has to emerge at a slightly different angle to look natural, that control is decisive.
There is a second benefit that matters to patients more than the technical one. Because the pen creates its own channel as it goes, DHI can be performed through existing hair — meaning partial shaving, or in smaller sessions no shaving at all. Grafts also spend less time outside the body, which supports follicle survival.
“Every graft placed on purpose. Not into a pre-made grid.”
Our Approach
Choi implanter pen for single-motion channel and graft placement
Angle, depth and direction set individually for every graft
Density layering: single-hair grafts at the front edge, multi-hair units behind
Partial or no shaving in eligible cases
Grafts spend less time outside the body, supporting follicle survival
The most reliable technique for hairline, eyebrow and beard work
Personalized session sizing based on your donor supply and goals
Treatment Areas
The same technique is executed differently in each area — graft size, implantation angle and density all change with the zone being treated.
DHI is at its strongest in the frontal third — hairline, temples and the transition zone — where individual graft angulation determines whether the result reads as natural. It is also the technique most often chosen for adding density between existing hairs without damaging them.
Facial hair emerges at a much sharper angle than scalp hair, and the implanter pen holds that angle graft by graft. It is the most reliable technique for moustache and goatee work, where a wrongly angled hair is immediately visible.
Explore Beard Transplant →This is where DHI has the clearest advantage of any technique. Every brow hair needs its own angle and direction to follow the natural sweep, and the pen allows each one to be set individually without pre-making channels in thin, mobile brow skin.
Explore Eyebrow Transplant →
Candidacy
Implanter pen tips are selected to match your graft calibre. Using a tip that is too wide or too narrow is the most common technical failure in DHI.
Follicular units are harvested with a micro-punch, as in FUE. If you are having an unshaven or partially shaven procedure, only the donor strip band is trimmed.
Each graft is loaded individually into a pen by trained technicians and kept in preservation solution until the moment of implantation.
The pen pierces and delivers in one motion. Angle, depth and direction are set graft by graft, starting at the hairline and working backwards.
Single-hair grafts define the front edge; multi-hair units are layered behind to build volume without compromising the softness of the leading line.
The result is photographed and your washing and sleeping protocol is demonstrated before discharge.
Compare
| DHI | Classic FUE | Sapphire FUE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel creation | By the pen, at placement | Pre-made, steel blade | Pre-made, sapphire blade |
| Placement tool | Choi implanter pen | Forceps | Forceps |
| Angle control | Highest — per graft | Set by channel grid | Set by channel grid |
| Shaving needed | Partial or none | Usually full | Usually full |
| Time outside body | Shortest | Longer | Longer |
| Grafts per session | 1,500–3,500 | 1,500–4,000 | 2,000–4,500 |
| Best use | Hairline, brows, beard | General coverage | High-density frontal work |
| Cost | Highest | Baseline | Modest premium |
Honest Assessment
Recovery
Days 1–3
Minimal bleeding and tight, pinpoint crusting. Swelling is generally less than with pre-made channels.
Days 4–8
Crusts clear. Unshaven patients are typically presentable immediately.
Weeks 2–6
Shedding phase, as with all transplant techniques.
Months 3–4
New growth begins, first visible along the hairline.
Months 6–9
Density and direction become evident; the hairline starts to style naturally.
Months 12–18
Final result. Brow and beard cases often mature slightly earlier, around month twelve.
Google Reviews
Very friendly and professional.
— Alireza Mahmoudian, Verified Google Review
Extraction is the same in both. The difference is placement. FUE opens all the recipient channels first and then inserts grafts with forceps; DHI uses an implanter pen that opens the channel and places the graft in one motion. DHI gives more control per graft and often avoids full shaving; FUE is faster and more economical for large areas.
In many cases yes. The donor band usually needs trimming so units can be extracted cleanly, but the recipient area can often be left unshaven because the pen creates its own channel through existing hair. Full unshaven procedures are limited in graft numbers and take longer.
For hairlines, eyebrows, beard work and adding density between existing hairs, DHI's per-graft control is a genuine advantage. For covering a large bald crown, FUE or Sapphire FUE is usually the better choice because it is faster and more economical per graft. Neither is universally superior.
Typically 1,500 to 3,500. Above that range, the time cost of per-graft placement usually makes a combined approach more sensible — DHI along the hairline, sapphire or standard FUE behind it.
Yes. Implanter pen tips are single-use, more technicians are required, and the procedure takes longer. The premium is quoted clearly at consultation.
It is the technique we recommend most often for brows. Each brow hair needs its own angle and direction, and brow skin is thin and mobile — the implanter pen sets each graft individually without having to pre-make channels in difficult tissue.
No technique changes the biology. Grafts taken from the permanent donor zone are DHT-resistant and last for life regardless of how they were placed. What DHI changes is precision, not longevity.
Related Techniques
Every Elora hair restoration journey begins with a complimentary consultation and scalp assessment. Our specialists evaluate your donor area, hair loss pattern, facial proportions and long-term goals, then recommend the technique — or combination of techniques — that will give you the most natural result.