FUE Hair Transplant

Follicular Unite Extraction (FUE Hair transplant)

Dr. Wasserbauer is one of the most experienced hair surgeons in the world when it comes to working with the latest FUE Technology.

For patients the attraction of the procedure is that it leaves no linear scar in the donor allowing for a short hair cut.

Traditional Follicular Unit Transplantation

The traditional FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) or "Strip" technique takes a thin strip of hair from the back and sides of your head. The two sides are brought back together leaving a thin line typically 1-2mm wide as the scar. Often, a "trichophytic closure" is used which allows the hair to grow through the scar, rendering the scar all but invisible. This scar is typically visible only if you buzz your hair shorter than a #2 on a pair of standard clippers (or if you shave your head with a razor.) It is typically NOT visible if you cut the hair at a #3 on clippers (or if you leave it even longer). This goes for wet and dry hair.

Traditional hair transplant methods result in stitches for about 7-10 days and obtain up to several thousand grafts per session. The surgery usually takes 8-10 hours (plan on being there the whole day although smaller sessions can end earlier). There is typically nothing visible in the donor areas (back and sides of the head), even immediately after the the procedure! Good surgeons typically charge $4-5 per graft giving it a variable price tag but usually in the $5-$13K range. (Cut-rate grafts are no bargain!) Most hair surgeons agree that this method is generally best for those looking for a single large session and as close to a full correction as possible in a single surgery.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

fue-fut-horz-web

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) also takes grafts (follicular units) from the back and sides of the patient’s head individually. Depending on how the patient prefers it, we can either shave the whole head or small "micro-strips" can be shaved for optimal camouflage - but some level of shaving has to be done because the hair has to be short for effective removal. Normally Dr. Wasserbauer will harvest an average of 1500-1800 grafts per session. The scars are small - normally less than 1mm in diameter, and if you shaved your head after FUE you may be able to see tiny little white dots scattered throughout the area that your hair was harvested. The visibility of the excision sites gradually fades and becomes very difficult to see with the naked eye.

(L) Immediately after FUE surgery (R) 10 days post op

 

FUE transplants take a full day as well (8-10 hours) and requires that the patient lies face down and on their side for long periods while the grafts are being removed. Recovery takes about 3-5 days and while there are no stitches, you do have a number of little tiny scabs all over your head which can be covered with hair (or just open if the patient can shave their whole head to start with.) Healing is faster and discomfort is less than linear strip harvesting. Surgeons who practice this technique typically can obtain 500-1000 grafts in a single session and charge $20 or more per graft. Most hair surgeons agree that this method is generally best for those with moderate hair loss and that strip harvesting is usually a better option for treating significant hair loss more efficiently.

Non-shaven and Long hair FUE Hair Transplant

Non-shaven FUE refers to going through the hair, trimming the hair shaft of individual target FUs, and then harvesting those individual FUS and transplanting them (beard-length) to the recipient zone – whatever that may be.

Long-hair FUE refers to leaving the hair long when it is extracted and transplanted to the recipient area.  Long-hair transplants can actually been done with either FUE or linear excision with the main advantage being that you get a preview of how the hair will look when it is transplanted long!  I do this routinely with eyebrows.  With FUE, not all of them end up having a long hair attached due to the difficulty with keeping the hair intact while using a punch to extract.

FUE/Traditional Comparison

New and exciting devices exist to perform FUE and several of these device companies market directly to patients, further confusing the task of deciding which might be right for you!

The absolute best way to decide which method might be best would be to see your hair transplant surgeon and lay out your goals for your hair.  Along with developing a long term plan for your hair, a well-trained and experienced hair surgeon can point out the benefits and risks of each technique and how it might fit into your goals.  To that end, here is a side-by-side comparison of both techniques to help the layperson begin to tease out which method might be the best for them.  Calculations and statistics cited are based on my own clinical data and experience from 2000+ cases.  Hopefully, it will help clarify some of the confusing claims surrounding both of these techniques.

Comparison Traditional Method
("Strip" or "FUT")
Follicular Unit Extraction ("FUE")
Average number of grafts ~2300 (range 500-4000) ~1800 (Range 500-2400)
Visibility of scarring Linear scar visible generally when hair cut less than #3 clipper setting Diffuse pinpoint scarring generally invisible down to #1 clipper setting but still visible on certain heads and if scalp is completely shaved
Total square area of scarring 2-4 cm2 (20cm X 0.1-0.2cm = 2-4 cm2) 56 cm2 [1800 X PiR2= 56cm2 where R = radius of typical FUE punch which is 0.1cm)]
MD Level of technical expertise needed to extract grafts Low High
Staff Level of technical expertise needed to assist with extraction and place grafts Medium to High High
Graft growth 95%+ expected Grafts acquired with this technique can require more delicate handling (hence the high level of staff technical expertise needed)
Best for hair length Short but not shaved (i.e. greater than #3 clipper setting) or long Buzzed short (i.e. less than #3 clipper setting)
Depth of incision 1-4mm 1-4mm (note that this is just as invasive/deep as a traditional method incision)
Best for hair type Any Straight and darker are better but light or curly hair is not an absolute contraindication (meaning you can still do it but often the transection rate will be higher)
Best for skin type in donor area 20% elasticity or higher Any elasticity
Transection rate 0-2% 5-8%
Anticipated density 20-50 F/U per square centimeter typically 20-50 F/U per square centimeter typically
Recovery time at donor area 7-10 days until stitches removed 3 days until healed, 10 days until hair re-grows enough to camouflage area
Recovery time at Recipient area 3 days - 7 days 3 days - 7 days
Time until you can resume strenuous workouts Most MDs recommend waiting until after suture removal About a week
Coffee/Alcohol pre-operatively? No No

Dr. Wasserbauer performs strip harvest, FUE, long hair FUE and Robotic FUE hair transplantation and during your hair loss consultation she will discuss the various medical and surgical options with you and together you can determine the best long-term strategy for treating your hair loss and maintaining your existing hair.