FUE Technique Knowledge
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) transplants hair follicles from the donor area, usually the back and sides of the scalp, to balding or thinning areas. This approach varies from Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), popularly known as the “strip method,” which involves surgically removing a strip of skin with hair follicles.
FUE uses a small punch tool (0.6mm to 1.0mm) to produce tiny, circular incisions around hair follicular units. These units, which comprise one to four hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and connective tissue, are carefully removed from the scalp.
FUE generates several small, dot-like scars in the donor region instead of a linear scar from FUT because individual follicles are plucked. Even with short haircuts, these microscopic scars are barely noticeable, making FUE a good choice for hairstylists who want more versatility.
Overview of FUE Steps
The FUE hair transplant process generally contains these steps. Consult a hair transplant surgeon to start the process. The surgeon will examine your hair loss pattern, donor hair quality and density, and desired outcome during this step. They will also explain FUE, answer your concerns, and provide a customized treatment plan. The hairline pattern and amount of grafts needed for optimum outcomes will be decided.
The donor region is shaved on procedure day to allow the surgeon to see the hair follicles. To make the extraction painless, the donor region is numbed with local anesthetic. The surgeon carefully removes donor follicular units with a punch instrument. This stage requires precision and experience to limit follicle damage and assure transplanting survival. The removed grafts are handled carefully and maintained in a holding solution to prolong their viability.
The recipient region (balding or thinning area) is prepared during or after extraction. This requires scalp numbing with local anesthetic. To produce a realistic look, the surgeon makes tiny incisions in the recipient region, taking into account hair growth direction and angle. The aesthetic result depends on incision density and dispersion. Implanting the harvested follicular units into the recipient’s pre-made incisions is cautious and purposeful. This needs painstaking attention to detail to position and align each graft. The surgeon will try for a natural hairline and decent hair density.
The recipient and donor may have moderate redness, swelling, and soreness after transplantation. After surgery, the surgeon will give you specific directions for shampooing your hair, administering topical treatments, and avoiding certain activities. Small scabs grow around implanted grafts and go off after a week or two.
Advantages of FUE Hair Transplant
FUE has several advantages over regular hair transplants. No scalp strip or big incisions are needed for FUE, making it less invasive. Shorter hairstyles without scarring are possible without a linear donor scar. The recuperation time following FUE is shorter than FUT. Patients can usually resume regular activity within days. Many patients experience less post-operative pain and discomfort with FUE than FUT. FUE is ideal for tiny regions or improving earlier hair transplants. FUE may remove hair follicles from the beard or chest, which can help those with little scalp donor hair.
Which FUE Candidates Are Good?
FUE hair transplant is best for people with pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia), enough donor hair density, a desire to avoid a linear donor scar, a minimally invasive procedure with a faster recovery, or previous strip surgery who want more transplantation or scar camouflage.
Conclusion
FUE hair transplant is a relatively new and successful method for restoring hair density and appearance. Many like it since it harvests hair follicles without a linear scar and recovers faster. To decide if FUE is correct for you and get natural-looking, long-lasting results, consult a skilled hair transplant surgeon.