Follicular unit transplantation involves surgically relocating whole hair follicles from the back of your scalp, where they continue to grow into areas where you are bald or experiencing thinning. It is a permanent solution for hair restoration.
A linear scar is produced in conventional methods, such as strip harvesting. Follicular unit extraction (FUE) eliminates this scarring and offers many cosmetic benefits.
Faster Recovery
FUE is a minimally invasive technique that does not involve stitches. This helps to minimize swelling and discomfort after the procedure. Patients can typically return to normal non-strenuous activities within a few days of surgery.
During the process, your doctor will apply a local anesthetic to numb your scalp. They will then use a particular device to make tiny, circular openings on the donor site. These small openings heal very quickly, often in a few days.
The hair follicles are extracted from the donor site using the same device. These follicles are then transplanted into your scalp’s balding or thinning areas. The final result is a complete, natural-looking head of hair.
Two main types of follicular unit transplantation procedures exist FUT and FUE. The difference is how the follicular units are removed from your scalp. During the classic method (also known as the Strip Procedure), surgeons surgically remove a strip of skin from the back of your scalp and then stitch it closed. This leaves a linear scar that may be visible to some people, especially if they wear short hair.
The FUE method is different in that it uses a series of tiny, round incisions to extract the follicular units. This helps to reduce the risk of transactions and is more accurate than previous techniques. It also allows body hair to be used as a donor source, a more convenient option for some patients.
Less Scarring
Unlike the classic strip procedure, where a linear scar is left behind after surgery, a FUE hair transplant leaves no mark. This is because a surgeon extracts each follicular unit from the scalp using micro punches ranging in size from 0,7 to 1,1 mm.
Hair grows in groups of 1-4 follicles per bundle, called a follicular unit. A surgeon can use these units to restore the density and appearance of thinning or balding areas of your scalp, including your natural hairline. Your physician will strategically place these follicular units with great artistry, positioning them to match your natural growth patterns.
With the older punches used in FUT transplants, there was a chance that the surgeon could remove 15 to 20 hairs at once. This gave the dreaded “hair plugs” look, but this is a thing of the past, thanks to advances in the punches’ technology. The newer ones used today have less than 1 mm diameter and can only be recognized when seen under 2.5 – 5x magnification.
FUE also allows you to keep your hair long after the transplant. In contrast, patients undergoing classic follicular unit transplantation may have to cut their hair short to prevent the incision from showing. Discussing this with your doctor is essential so that you understand all the risks and benefits of both methods.
Less Pain
With the follicular unit transplantation technique, you will experience much less pain than with other hair restoration methods. During the procedure, the surgeon will clean the back of your scalp and inject medicine to numb it. Then, they will use one of two techniques to extract your hair follicles: strip surgery or follicular unit extraction.
During follicular unit extraction, also known as FUE, your surgeon will extract individual hair follicles directly from the scalp, usually with a circular punch of 0.8 mm to 1 mm in diameter. This advanced method of harvesting follicular units eliminates the need for linear incisions and scalpels, which can cause pain.
FUE is more time-consuming than traditional hair restoration procedures, requiring a highly trained team of professionals to perform well. It is also more expensive than other methods but has many advantages.
With this technique, the surgeon will only remove healthy follicles from the back and sides of your scalp. They will then re-distribute them to your bald or thinning areas, producing natural-looking results that last the rest of your life. Unlike old punch-graft techniques that used 4 mm cylinders, your new hair will grow naturally and blend with the surrounding fur for a fuller appearance. Also, because your doctor only removes a small amount of skin and hides from the back of your head, it will heal quickly, with no visible scars.
Better Results
Follicular unit transplantation is a surgical hair restoration technique that relocates whole hair follicles from the permanent zone of your scalp to areas where you are experiencing thinning or hair loss. This highly specialized hair restoration method involves carefully placing the follicles in an optimal angle, pattern, and distribution to create a natural-looking hairline and a full head of healthy hair.
The follicular unit transplantation technique for hair restoration is the most advanced and practical approach to treating thinning hair today. This procedure can be more effective than traditional balding treatments like laser hair therapy and other topical solutions. Follicular unit transplantation produces a fuller and more natural-looking head of hair. It also eliminates the unsightly linear scar seen from the back of your scalp with the traditional strip hair transplantation technique.
There are several variations of the follicular unit transplantation technique. In this approach, a sharp punch is first used to score the skin’s epidermis, then the punch’s dull side is used to dissect the follicular unit from the surrounding epidermis and dermis. This helps prevent follicle transection and improves the graft yield. Some surgeons also use a blunt tip on their sharp punches to decrease the transaction rate further.
