FUE Hair Transplant
FOLLICULAR UNIT EXCISION (FUE)
Follicular Unit Excision (FUE), formerly called Follicular Unit Extraction, is a method of extracting, or “harvesting,” donor hair in a follicular unit hair transplant procedure. In FUE hair transplant surgery, an instrument is used to make a small, circular incision in the skin around a follicular unit, separating it from the surrounding tissue. The unit is then extracted (pulled) directly from the scalp, leaving a small open hole.
This process is repeated until the hair transplant surgeon has harvested enough follicular units for the planned hair restoration. This process can take one or more hours and in large sessions, may be accomplished over two consecutive days. The donor wounds, approximately 1-mm in size, completely heal over the course of seven to ten days, leaving tiny white scars buried in the hair in the back and sides of the scalp.
This method of donor harvesting, removing follicular units one-by-one directly from the scalp, is what differentiates the FUE hair transplant from a traditional Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT), where the donor hair is removed from the scalp in one thin, long strip and then subsequently dissected into individual follicular units using a stereo-microscope.
Before the grafts are harvested, tiny “recipient sites” are made in the balding area of the scalp using a fine needlepoint instrument. The follicular units are then placed into the recipient sites where they will grow into healthy hair-producing follicles. The creation of recipient sites and the placing of follicular unit grafts are essentially the same in both FUE and FUT procedures. The difference lies in the appearance of the donor area and in the quality and quantity of grafts obtained with each technique.
Facts
TIME REQUIRED
3-4 hours
ANESTHESIA
Local Anesthesia
RECOVERY TIME
3-5 Days
SUCCESS RATE
Very High Success Rate
Benefits of FUE Hair Transplant
- No visible scarring even wearing short hair
- Donor area from where the hair is removed looks unaffected and unchanged as of 2 weeks after the treatment
- FUE Hair Restoration ensures a natural looking result using ‘true’ and natural follicle units
- Natural looking hairline guaranteed. In the case of the crown area, we recreate the natural swirl using identical angulation and direction.
- Recovery days instead of months as no scalpel or stitches are used in the treatment
- Treatment without any major trauma for the body
- No pain during or after the treatment so you can return home just after the treatment
- Local anesthesia is used, similar to dentist anesthesia.
Before & After
Preparing for FUE transplant
Preparing well for the surgery is essential for a successful hair transplant. Here is a list of things that you should avoid prior to surgery:
- Stop taking blood thinners at least two weeks prior to surgery.
- Quit smoking at least 15 to 20 days before your hair transplant.
- Stop alcohol consumption at least a week before your transplant is scheduled.
- Fill all your prescriptions (both painkillers and antibiotics) well in advance.
FAQ
If you are considering a FUE hair transplant procedure, it is recommended to have a consultation with a specialized doctor. This is the only method to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the procedure. In order to determine appropriateness and candidacy for a hair transplant procedure, your doctor will consider a number of factors such as, age, your complete medical history, degree of hair loss and the availability of quality donor area.
FUE is considered a very new type of transplant procedure as it involves the surgeon removing the follicles one at a time, a method that requires a great deal of skill and expertise.
In other types of hair transplant, larger patches are removed together which are then held for the surgeon to graft onto the patient, one at a time.
Patients should always be aware that they may require more than one FUE hair transplant procedure in their lifetime. This mostly depends on the possibility of experiencing a future hair loss within areas that were not included in the first hair transplant procedure.
Although all types of modern hair transplants only remove small patches from the donor site which won’t be missed, with other techniques such as FUT, there will be a small linear scar.
This won’t affect hair regrowth in the nearby follicles but for any individuals choosing to wear their hair extremely short, the scar may be visible.
With FUE there’s no visible linear scarring, making it a better choice for anyone who thinks they might want to wear their hair short, or who is self-conscious about having a tiny scar on their hairline.
FUE only leaves minute, dot-like scars where each follicle was individually removed. These are virtually impossible to see, even when the hair is cropped very close to the head.
The FUE procedure will be performed under a local anesthetic and will generally be a painless process.
The duration of a hair transplant depends on the number of grafts needed for the area of coverage. Depending on the number of grafts being implanted, the operation usually takes to 8 hours.
The recovery time for FUE is usually around 6-8 days and as you might expect, due to the removal of hair follicles, some swelling of the head typically occurs. This is only temporary and will resolve completely.
Recovery following a FUE procedure tends to be quicker than for other types of hair transplant, and there’s less chance of side effects such as scalp numbing, which can occur following a FUT procedure and last up to six months.
After the procedure is completed you will see your new hairs and the shape of what your hairline will eventually be. However, these new hairs will normally fall out within a fortnight.
This is entirely normal and is just part of the overall growth cycle. Within 3-6 months, new permanent hairs will start to grow on the site although it can take up to 12 months for the full effect to be visible.