An Introduction To FUE Hair Transplants
Minimally invasive Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE or sometimes Follicular Unit Excision) hair transplant has become the more popular option for hair transplantation, thanks to results that look very natural with very little downtime, minimal scarring and very little discomfort.
Here is some information about the latest developments in FUE hair transplant procedures; what they are all about, how are they done, the benefits and the issues or risks associated with this method, and the outlook for the future of FUE hair restoration.
FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) or “strip” Hair Transplants are performed under local anesthesia. Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is the ‘strip’ approach: the surgeon removes a thin strip of dense-growing tissue hair from the back or sides of the head and divides it into individual follicular units and transplants these one by one into the bald or thinning areas.
What Is A FUE Hair Transplant?
During Follicular Unit Excision, or FUE, there is no cut or removal of a single strip of skin (as we do in the FUT technique).
Instead, the follicles are removed one by one using tiny tools and then literally plucked and transferred to parts of your head where it is thinning and/or balding.
One of the big advantages of FUE is that it doesn’t involve a large excision with sutures or staples; this means patients will have minimal scarring – small, less than one millimeter dots spread throughout the donor area.
This is actually one of the big reasons that the procedure is becoming so popular: almost undetectable scarring with recovery times noticeably shorter than the perceived “old-school
approaches.”
How FUE Hair Transplants Work
The FUE procedure is carried out in several steps:
Preparing the donor area: The patient’s donor area is fully or partially shaved before surgery to give the surgeon more access to the hair follicles. The donor area contains the follicles which are typically untouched by the hair loss hormones so the hair transplanted from that area will continue to grow naturally following its relocation.
Follicle Extraction:
First, the physician isolates individual follicular units (follicles or “grafts”); next, he uses a small punch instrument to carefully dissect around each unit; then he actually extracts (or delivers) the follicular unit by carefully pulling it free with forceps (tweezers). This process is done in a slow and gentle fashion by Dr Bloxham to cause the least amount of tissue trauma.
Recipient Area Preparation:
After the donor follicles are harvested through either a strip excision or FUE (as mentioned above), the recipient area must be prepared. The recipient area refers to the bald or thinning regions where the new hairs will be implanted. First, the recipient area is marked and surgically cleaned. Then, tiny incisions are made using blades or needles. These incisions – where the grafts will be placed – are made in a random and natural manner to recreate the appearance of native hair.
The next step is follicle transplantation:
Follicles, after being removed, examined, and sorted, are gently implanted into the recipient incisions. This can be done by hand using forceps and needles or done with implanting or placing tools.
Post-Operative Instructions:
After surgery is complete, patients will be provided with detailed post-operative instructions to care for the transplanted grafts. These instructions include information on how to bathe and sleep, and what types of shirt and hats are okay after the surgery.
Following the post-op instructions is key for a good result in the end.
Some of Our FUE Hair Transplant Results
Dr Bloxham (founder of Feller & Bloxham and now Bloxham Medical) has transformed countless lives over the past 10 years! Here are just a few of the remarkable transformations. Visit our complete before-and-after gallery to see more incredible results!
NEW GALLERY COMING SOON!
The Benefits of FUE Hair Transplantation
Minimally Invasive:
Because FUE does not involve a large incision nor does it require any staples or sutures, it is considered less invasive – with less pain in the post-operative period and a quicker recovery.
No Linear Scarring:
Unlike an FUT “strip” harvest, FUE does not leave a linear scar on the back of the head. Instead, FUE leaves small “dot” scars which are less than 1mm in diameter. If the extractions are done using proper tools and spread out appropriately in the donor area, they are very hard to appreciate. Even with short hair. This is why FUE is very attractive to individuals who may want to keep their hair short after a transplant.
Natural-Looking Results:
Since there is more control over the type of grafts selected, FUE may allow trained doctors to pick the best grafts and create superior results. This includes selecting the largest multi-hair follicular units for density and selecting the finest single-hair grafts for soft hairlines.
Quick Recovery:
Most patients are comfortable returning to normal activities in just a few days. While there is some restriction up until day 10, the vast majority of FUE patient are back to “normal life” far before this.
Permanent Solution:
The transplanted follicles are resistant to the hormone (DHT) that causes hair loss, which means that the results of an FUE transplant are permanent as well. The hair that grows from the transplant will grow for the rest of your life.