FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is a great method for harvesting hair grafts directly from the donor area without the need to produce a linear scar on that area for hair transplant surgery. The convenient process is doing a follicular unit transplant through removing a strip of skin from the back at donor area, which may leave a detectable linear scar. FUE hair transplant was initially introduced by Dr. Woods in Australia.
Hair transplant with FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction is also called Follicular Isolation Technique (FIT) by some hair transplant surgeons. One of the advantages of FUE transplant is that patients will not get a linear scar on the back and donor area of head. FUE has some disadvantages such as the need to clip the donor hair very short before hair transplant procedure. The spots from harvested hair follicular grafts where hair units are removed appear as very small red spots for 2-4 days after hair transplant. However they usually don’t leave a detectable scar and people who had FUE hair transplant can even shave their head without any detectable hair transplant scar on the donor area.
When Comparing FUE or FIT with strip procedure for FUT we do not remove the strip of skin from the donor area. Patients will not have donor complications seen with the strip technique such as discomfort in donor area after surgery, the need for staple or suture removal and presence of linear scar. FUE transplant is the best procedure for people who want to keep the option of shaving or keeping the hair on the back very short. We don’t believe that every patient is a good candidate for FUE. Patient who are interested should be tested with FOX test which is raking a few biopsies from donor area and assure that the grafts are intact. If grafts could be removed without transecting the hair follicles, the patient is positive for this procedure and we can schedule the main procedure.
There are another important limitation in FUE hair transplant surgery. We can not get high number of grafs through FUE hair transplant as we do in strip procedure. The number of grafts is limited in FUE and you cannot perform mega sessions as you do with strip FUT hair transplants. Hair transplant cost for is another concern for many people that is higher for follicular unit extraction. The cost of FUE in US Hair Restoration is almost twice the cost of hair transplant with a strip follicular unit transplants.
Hair transplant with FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction is also called Follicular Isolation Technique (FIT) by some hair transplant surgeons. One of the advantages of FUE transplant is that patients will not get a linear scar on the back and donor area of head. FUE has some disadvantages such as the need to clip the donor hair very short before hair transplant procedure. The spots from harvested hair follicular grafts where hair units are removed appear as very small red spots for 2-4 days after hair transplant. However they usually don’t leave a detectable scar and people who had FUE hair transplant can even shave their head without any detectable hair transplant scar on the donor area.
When Comparing FUE or FIT with strip procedure for FUT we do not remove the strip of skin from the donor area. Patients will not have donor complications seen with the strip technique such as discomfort in donor area after surgery, the need for staple or suture removal and presence of linear scar. FUE transplant is the best procedure for people who want to keep the option of shaving or keeping the hair on the back very short. We don’t believe that every patient is a good candidate for FUE. Patient who are interested should be tested with FOX test which is raking a few biopsies from donor area and assure that the grafts are intact. If grafts could be removed without transecting the hair follicles, the patient is positive for this procedure and we can schedule the main procedure.
There are another important limitation in FUE hair transplant surgery. We can not get high number of grafs through FUE hair transplant as we do in strip procedure. The number of grafts is limited in FUE and you cannot perform mega sessions as you do with strip FUT hair transplants. Hair transplant cost for is another concern for many people that is higher for follicular unit extraction. The cost of FUE in US Hair Restoration is almost twice the cost of hair transplant with a strip follicular unit transplants.
