There are various types of hair transplant methods existing today. Each hair transplant treatment center has their own specific procedures. In this modern era, hair transplant techniques have developed and refined into two main methods: the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method and the STRIP method. Both the FUE and the Strip Excision procedures have advantages and disadvantages and after a consultation with a hair transplant specialist, you will know which method is right for you.
The main difference between FUE and STRIP is in the way hair follicles are extracted. The implantation process of the extracted hair follicles is usually the same. Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is often referred to as the “strip” hair transplant procedure. It is an older way of extracting donor hair, whereby the surgeon excises a linear strip of hair and tissue from the back of the scalp. This tissue is then dissected into individual follicular units, by surgical technicians, and then placed in thinning or balding recipient regions. Meanwhile, the wound is closed with the use of sutures. However, the donor area after a strip excision surgery will require more time before it is fully healed when compared to the FUE surgery. This scar will be detectable if the patient opts to wear their hair very short, and may even stretch over time. Strip procedures also permanently distort the direction of hair growth along the perimeter of the scar.
The strip excision procedure is more economical (typically half the price per graft of FUE). It is usually said that more number of grafts can be extracted by Strip but nowadays, it has become possible to give 2000-2500 grafts from scalp by FUE as compared to the previous days. However, if you need more grafts, then either a second sitting from scalp or more grafts can be extracted from the body (beard, chest, abdomen, etc.) in the first sitting only. Similarly, if more grafts are required from strip technique, even that is possible. In the FUE method, individual hair follicles are picked out and transferred from the neck to the crown. The FUE is a scalpel free and stitchless approach with faster healing. As every single follicle is extracted individually, this is a time consuming procedure. The benefit is that controlled and careful extraction of donor hair is very lenient to the skin and scalp. Complications are very rare, and scars are hard to detect even after only a few weeks. Moreover, FUE doctors can select the follicular units that will offer the most hairs per graft, and produce an optimal yield. On the contrary, strip procedures limit surgeons to using only those hairs found in a single strip of scalp tissue. In addition, the FUE procedure is modestly invasive nature which produces very tiny scars in donor area and these are very hard to detect.
FUE hair transplantation, therefore offers a number of advantages over FUT or strip procedures like it does not leave a linear scar, nor does it distort the growth angles of hair, less invasive hair transplant procedure, requires less healing and recovery time post-surgery. Though, with the help of new technology doctors can minimize the visibility of any scars produced by Strip. However FUE cannot reverse any lack of sensation in the area caused by a Strip. If you are planning to go for a hair transplant, FUE is the best option to restore the hair. FUE is also the most excellent choice when the doctor does not advise a Strip, such as when the skin on the scalp is too tight, has existing damage or has already undergone several Strip procedures. At the present time, FUE is considered by many as the latest and refined approach to a hair transplant. While it is essential to understand the main differences between the two methods, only a hair transplant specialist can tell you which method is best for you, considering your specific needs and desired outcome.
The new advanced technology for hair transplant is FUE also known as Follicular Unit Extraction. It is a modern hair restoration technique. FUE is a process of donor hair extraction by which individual follicular units, (physically happening groupings of hairs also called as grafts) are removed one-by-one and then transplanted into the recipient area.
The hair are transplanted in groups of 1-4 hairs – exactly as they grow in nature. In FUE hair transplantation, individual hair follicles are extracted without causing damage to the scalp. This procedure is performed by very small punches that hardly leave visible scars. Since each single follicle is extracted individually this is a time consuming procedure. The benefit is that controlled and careful extraction of donor hair is very soft to the skin and scalp. It is very hard to notice for scars even after only a few weeks. Complications are very rare. FUE hair transplant surgery is better and comfortable as compared to the older hair transplantation procedures that used larger grafts and often produced a plugged, unnatural look.
How a FUE Hair Transplant Works
The follicular unit extraction is removed using a multiple step process. During the first step, also called FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), direct extraction of follicular units from the patient’s donor area is performed. It allows the surgeon to select individual follicular units from a donor region in a pattern that virtually solves the potential problem of visibly lower donor area density after the procedure.
The surgeon uses a small punch (a sort of a special needle) (0.70 – 1.30 mm diameter) to extract the follicular units, eliminating the need for removal of skin from the back of the head. The benefits of FUE are: a quicker healing time, far less trauma, no strip scar, and the surgeon’s ability to individually select follicular units. Discomfort in the donor area has been practically eliminated. There are two types of punches which are being used : Sharp and the Dull punches. As the route and angle of the follicular unit under the skin can’t be seen and can often vary from the direction of the hair on the surface, a sharp punch if used below the surface of the skin might transect or severe the underlying follicular unit.
However, the dull punch tends to cover the follicular unit, while separating it from the surrounding soft tissues. This process is typically referred to as “blunt dissection”. Once the original follicular unit is separated from the adjacent tissues in the skin, it can then be extracted, often by a forceps gripping the hair above the surface. After the follicle is extracted a small hole is left behind which heals over the next few days. Later on after some time this tiny wound contracts as it heals making the resulting round scar smaller and less noticeable.
The FUE patient typically ends up with hundreds of small round white spots, which are normally not detectable to the naked eye once the patient’s hair grows out. To puncture the sites the surgeon uses a fine needle for implanting the grafts, creating micro-holes (incisions) with predetermined density and pattern, and angling them in an even style to promote a rational hair pattern. This is then followed by the final phase when the surgeon inserts the grafts in the prepared incisions. FUE is a simply persistent surgical procedure that benefits from a reduced recovery time and lessens risk of complications. Other similar techniques are also known to be normal aid in the field; however there are only few surgeons who have mastered this procedure in all its aspects because this technique takes much practice and a number of years to perfect. A skilled and experienced doctor can transplant 1000 to 1200 follicular unit grafts in a day. However, some surgeons do megasessions upto 2000-2500 grafts in one day. The cost per graft of FUE is also typically twice the cost of the standard follicular unit hair transplant procedure in which a strip of donor tissue is removed from the back of the head and trimmed under magnification into individual follicular unit grafts. With the advent of FUE, now it is possible to have hair in the front forever without any linear scar at the back.
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