FUE Versus FUT
| FUE | FUT |
|---|---|
| FUE refers to removal of good quality hair follicles from scalp and implant them individually in the bald part of the head | FUT refers to removal of a linear strip of hairs which is then dissected into grafts to implant the hair follicles individually in the scalp where hair count is low. |
| Less painful | Less painful Noticeable pain occurs |
| Low downtime such as two to five days | Slightly higher downtime of two to three weeks |
| Quick healing however in few cases it depends on the type of skin. The grafts take a couple of days and redness fades away within less than a week | Healing is slow because a linear scar is created in the donor area that takes significant time to recover. |
| Patients are advised to not to take part in strenuous activities for five to seven days | Patients should avoid heavy activities for two to three weeks. |
| Graft removal is ideally performed in a random distribution in the secured donor site | Linear strip is extracted that contains good quality grafts all together. |
| No noticeable scar is created because hair grafts are removed individually and tiny incisions are made for their implantation in the recipient region | A narrow strip in straight line is created to remove the grafts together from the donor region that results into the development of linear strip in the scalp that is visible. |
| The procedure doesn’t need sutures | Sutures are made to close the donor region from the which strip is taken out |
| Mild discomfort after the procedure | Considerable pain after the treatment that is overcome by painkillers |
| As the procedure doesn’t create any scar so patients have the privilege to keep any hair length as per their desire | Patients need to keep lengthy hair cut in the initial months after the procedure to keep the strip hidden until it is completely healed |
| Risks of overharvesting | As in FUT procedure only a single strip of hair is removed, it doesn’t create any risk of overharvesting in the donor site |
| More chance of follicle damage | Rare chance of damage to hair follicles |
| No stitches so no problem after the treatment | Almost 5 to 10% people report problems caused by stitches after the FUT procedure |
| Small incisions create nominal chance of infection | Because a lengthy strip is cut from the scalp skin, there is a great risk of infection therefore antibiotics are given and the head is completely covered after the procedure to protect the skin from any infection |
| Tiny scars that are almost invisible | Wide or multiple scars |
| Hair grow in the natural direction | Risk of hair growth in the abnormal direction through the scars in addition of cyst development |
| No inflammation neither inconvenience | Stitches create pain, sense of inflammation and discomforts in patients. In large scale treatments the surgery causes pain that lasts for three days to three weeks. However these problems are treatable. |
Why would I choose FUE?
Though the basic principle is the same as with older transplant procedures (you are essentially uprooting hair from one part of the body and embedding it in another) its popular because it delivers more natural-looking results. It is also less painful and downtime is minimal. Healing time is dependent on skin type, but the grafts take in a matter of days and redness settles in about 4-5 days.It is generally advised to patients to avoid sporting activities for about a week but you can pretty much go about your normal life otherwise.
Unlike the classical “strip” technique – it does not leave a linear scar in the donor area of a patient’s scalp. To accomplish this, FUE removal is ideally performed in a random distribution within “The Safe Donor Area”. If done properly, after a single session or even multiple sessions of FUE, hair in the donor area appears slightly less dense than previously, but there is no scar notice ability, even with the hair buzzed very short. However, if done less than ideally, purulent cysts can develop and the donor area hair density can be noticeably sparser and small round scars will be obvious if the hair is too short
What is its Procedure?
Using this technique, each individual FUE is carefully excised directly from the scalp using a small, sharp cylindrical punch (generally 0.8mm to 1.2mm in diameter). The punch can be manually driven or power driven. The skin surface around each FUE is superficially incised before it is usually teased out with a combination of forceps traction and pressure on the surrounding skin. Some power punches are equipped with a suction device that removes the grafts without forceps.
In general, FUE involves no suturing as well as less post-operative discomfort. But it has mostly gained popularity amongst those who want to wear their hair less than 2mm in length.
Best Candidates for Follicular Unit Extraction:
The best candidates for FUE hair transplant procedure include:
a)Patients interested in a smaller size procedure (typically up to 1,000 grafts).
b) Patients with a limited donor supply.
c)Patients with limited scalp elasticity.
d)Patient who have had several FUT procedures and subsequently have a limited donor supply or limited scalp elasticity.
e)Patients who have a need or desire to wear their hair exceptionally short.
f)Patients who don’t mind closely clipping the donor area hair at the time of the procedure.
One of the often unmentioned, but major, potential drawbacks of FUE versus SSSH, is that if very large numbers of grafts are likely to be required in a single or multiple sessions over the patient’s lifetime, a larger percentage of the transplanted hair is more likely to be lost in the future than would be the case with SSSH. This is because all of the FU in a strip are utilized, whereas only every third to fifth FU can be extracted from a FUE donor area; taking more than that with FUE would result in that area being left with hair that would be too sparse and/or the small round scars being noticeable.
FUT (Strip Method)
What is FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation)?
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a procedure where hair is transplanted from the permanent zone, the area in the back and sides of the scalp where hair is more resistant to balding, to the bald areas of the scalp. This is accomplished using naturally-occurring groups of 1, 2, 3, or 4 hairs, called follicular units. After the patients scalp is anesthetized, the doctor removes a strip of tissue from the donor area, an area within the permanent zone, and, once extracted, the donor strip is cut into many individual follicular units using microscopic dissection techniques. As these follicular unit grafts are being prepared, the doctor makes tiny holes in the scalp, called recipient sites, where the grafts are placed.
The arrangement and positioning of these follicular unit grafts determines the aesthetic qualities of a hair transplant, and so this arrangement must be decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on the patients history of hair loss and likelihood of future hair loss. Since follicular unit transplants mimic the way hair grows in nature, the results, in expert hands, will look completely natural and be indistinguishable from one’s original hair.
The FUs are placed into tiny incisions, made with an ordinary hypodermic needle or a small blade, at the same angle and direction as the original hair in the area – regardless of whether some of that hair is still present or the area is bald. This results in a natural-looking growth of hair even after only one session in a bald area (or an area destined to become bald). The preceding is referred to as Follicular Unit Transplanting (FUT). FUT is currently used in all of our patients (excepting the occasional patient seen for repair of older and cosmetically unacceptable transplant techniques). If a typical FUT session of 1500 FU to 2500 FU is being carried out, a physician ideally should limit himself/herself to only a single surgery that day – assuming that he/she is personally excising the donor tissue and personally making all the recipient site incisions. Such large procedures begin at 7:30a.m. and usually last until 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
We don’t apply an bandage. How ever Sports headband is recommended for a few days to prevent swelling on the face.The patient goes home on the same day and one free visit to the clinic for first shampoo. By our staff is offer to all the clients.
The FUT Transplant Procedure
1. A physician removes a strip of hair from the back of the head, where follicles are genetically resistant to balding.
2. Using precision and industry-leading stereo microscopes, the donor section is dissected into individual hair follicles.
3. Recipient sites (micro-incisions) are then created in the areas of concern.
4. The follicles are artistically placed to match the direction and angle of your natural hair growth.
FUT Disadvantages?
What is FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation)?
5-10 % of people undergoing Strip Procedure across the world, may encounter problems due to stitches. They are Foreign Body reaction, delayed absorption and spitting of stitches, stitch abscess or infection, give way of one or more stitch, Hematoma etc. Widened scar or Tramline multiple scars. Tightness of scalp, Painful scar, long term parasthesia or reduced sensation above the linear mark. Even trichophytic closure may encounter problems such as abnormal hair direction of hair growing through the scar besides cyst formation, some loss of hairs, more inflammation and discomfort, ingrown hair etc. Fortunately most of these problems are treatable and are not of serious nature
Majority of Strip surgery gives discomfort in the donor area for 3 days to 3 weeks
Most doctors use absorbable stitches that do not need removal. Some doctors use staples and some doctors use Non Absorbable stitches and both need to be removes by 7 to 14 days and patient needs to visit the doctor for that, This may add to their expenses and time out of work.
The three most important facts that anybody who is thinking about having a hair transplant for MPB or FPHL should know are:
a. As noted earlier, transplanted hairs will only last in the new area as long as they would have in the area from which they came. Not only do you want the results to be as natural/undetectable as possible – in recipient and donor areas – you also want them to be as permanent as possible).
b. The areas of hair loss will intermittently enlarge for his/her entire lifetime. The periods of loss and stability vary from person to person so there is no way to know how quickly baldness will progress for any given individual, but it will do that. Minoxidil (Rogaine) may temporarily slow this process or even temporarily reverse it in some areas, but there is no evidence that such benefits are permanent even if the medication(s) is/are continued; so surgical planning should never be based on that assumption.
c. There are only a limited number of hairs in the hairy fringe that are very likely to be permanent in balding men and women. The questions are always, “where are they most likely to be found?” and “how many are there?” In an effort to answer the second question, at least for men, 40 of the world’s most experienced and respected hair restoration surgeons (see attached list) answered the following questions in the Spring of 2011.
