A DHI hair transplant in Islamabad with Dr. Umbreen Munir Minhas places each graft with a pen-shaped implanter, controlling its angle and depth, often without shaving the area being filled.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Umbreen Munir Minhas, MBBS, FCPS (Plastic Surgery). Last updated October 2026.
DHI, or direct hair implantation, is a way of placing grafts. A hollow pen holds one graft, makes a tiny opening in the scalp and places the graft in a single movement.
The grafts are first removed by FUE. DHI changes only the placing step, which was developed with pen implanters in South Korea in the 1990s.
The pen can place grafts between hairs you still have, with less risk to them. It suits thinning areas that are not yet bald.
Some patients cannot shave their head because of work or family events. Pens allow grafts to be placed while longer hair stays in place.
Front hairline hairs grow at a very low angle. The pen sets each graft at the exact direction needed for a natural line.
Women rarely want their hair shaved. Placing grafts into a widened parting without shaving keeps the change discreet.
The area being filled is trimmed short, giving the clearest view of each opening. It suits larger areas and dense packing.
Longer hair is parted and grafts are placed between hairs. It is slower and suits smaller sessions where privacy matters.
The pen is used just for the front line, where angle matters most, while the rest is treated with standard slits.
Pens and premade slits are used in the same session, balancing precision in key areas with speed elsewhere.
Hairs follow a natural angle and direction, which matters most at the hairline. Density is kept to about 40 to 50 grafts per square centimetre per session. Photos below are shared with consent.
Dr. Umbreen maps where grafts will go and the angle hairs should grow at, including whether the area can stay unshaven.
Stop aspirin 2 weeks before and avoid alcohol for some days. Wash your hair the night before and wear a button-front shirt.
Under local anesthesia, grafts are removed by FUE, loaded into pens by the team and placed one at a time. It often takes longer than slit placement.
You go home the same day. Because no slits were premade, the treated area often looks neat, with small dots around each graft.
| Time After Surgery | What to Expect in the Implanted Area |
|---|---|
| First 2 to 3 days | Tiny marks at the graft sites, with mild redness. |
| About 1 week | Tiny crusts loosen with gentle washing. |
| Unshaven cases | Surrounding hair hides the area from the first day. |
Pat the scalp dry and avoid touching the grafts. For the full month-by-month growth timeline, see the hair transplant page.
DHI carries the same risks as any hair transplant, plus a few linked to the pen. Dr. Umbreen explains each one before consent.
It does not add donor hair or make grafts survive better on its own. Grafts can only be placed as densely as blood supply safely allows.
Your fee is confirmed after consultation, once the graft count and shaving plan are agreed. Ask for one written estimate that states the number of grafts.
| Factor | How It Affects Your Fee |
|---|---|
| Number of grafts | Most clinics price per graft. |
| Unshaven work | Takes longer and costs more. |
| Team time | Pen loading needs extra trained staff. |
| Combined slits | Mixing methods can lower the total. |
The DHI transplant cost is usually higher per graft than standard FUE, so compare quotes on the same graft count.
Hair transplant is listed on her public profile, and she chooses pens or slits by what your hair needs, not by technique names. For women wanting an unshaven approach, a female surgeon can make the decision easier.
Both place FUE grafts. Slit placement makes all openings first, then grafts are set with fine forceps.
| Feature | DHI Pen | Slit and Forceps |
|---|---|---|
| Openings | Made and filled in one step | All made first, then filled |
| Angle control | Set graft by graft | Set when slits are made |
| Unshaven option | Easier | Harder |
| Speed | Slower | Faster for large sessions |
| Proven better survival? | Not shown in large trials | Not shown either |
Lab data show graft survival falls from about 95% at 2 hours outside the body to about 79% at 24 hours, so quick handling matters with either method.
Dr. Umbreen sees patients privately at Omer Diagnostic & Specialist Clinics (ODC), 12-A, LG Floor, CBC Plaza, G-8 Markaz, Islamabad, Monday to Friday, 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
Tell her if you need to avoid shaving for work or family reasons, so the plan can allow for it.
They are not competing methods. DHI uses FUE to remove grafts and a pen to place them. It helps most with unshaven work and fine hairline angles.
Often, for small to medium sessions. The donor area may still need a hidden trim, and very large sessions usually need some shaving to place grafts safely.
Each graft must be loaded into a pen by a trained assistant, and placement is slower. The extra team time and equipment raise the price per graft.
Usually fewer than with slit placement in the same day, because the method is slower. Large areas may need a longer day or two sessions.
Yes, and it is often preferred, because grafts can go into a thinning parting without shaving. The cause of thinning is checked before any surgery.
DHI is also the name of an overseas clinic group. On this page it describes the pen implantation technique, with no link to any brand.
Patient guides on hair transplant from Dr. Umbreen’s blog.
A good candidate for hair transplant is someone experiencing permanent hair loss who has realistic expectations and sufficient donor hair available. Hair transplants work best for people with male pattern baldness or female hair loss who want a lasting solution.
The main difference between FUE and FUT hair transplant lies in how the donor hair is harvested. FUE, or Follicular Unit Extraction, removes individual hair follicles one at a time through tiny circular punches, leaving small dot scars scattered across
A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that permanently restores hair to thinning or bald areas by moving healthy hair follicles from a donor zone, typically the back or sides of the scalp, to areas where hair has stopped growing.
