FUE Hair Transplant

Follicular Unit Excision (FUE), is a method of extracting, or “harvesting,” donor hair in a follicular unit hair transplant procedure. In FUE hair transplant surgery, an instrument is used to make a small, circular incision in the skin around a follicular unit, separating it from the surrounding tissue. The unit is then extracted (pulled) directly from the scalp, leaving a small open hole.

This process is repeated until the hair transplant surgeon has harvested enough follicular units for the planned hair restoration. This process can take one or more hours and in large sessions, may be accomplished over two consecutive days. The donor wounds, approximately 1-mm in size, completely heal over the course of seven to ten days, leaving tiny white scars buried in the hair in the back and sides of the scalp.

This method of donor harvesting, removing follicular units one-by-one directly from the scalp, is what differentiates the FUE hair transplant from a traditional Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT), where the donor hair is removed from the scalp in one thin, long strip and then subsequently dissected into individual follicular units using a stereo-microscope.

Before the grafts are harvested, tiny “recipient sites” are made in the balding area of the scalp using a fine needlepoint instrument. The follicular units are then placed into the recipient sites where they will grow into healthy hair-producing follicles. The creation of recipient sites and the placing of follicular unit grafts are essentially the same in both FUE and FUT procedures. The difference lies in the appearance of the donor area and in the quality and quantity of grafts obtained with each technique.

Steps of FUE Method

FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is a minimally invasive hair transplantation technique that involves extracting individual hair follicles from a donor area and transplanting them to a recipient area. Here are the steps involved in FUE hair transplant:

1. Consultation: The first step is to consult with a hair transplant surgeon to determine if FUE is the right hair restoration procedure for you. During the consultation, the surgeon will examine your scalp, evaluate your hair loss pattern, and discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure.
2. Designing the hairline: The surgeon will work with you to design a natural-looking hairline that complements your facial features and age.
3. Donor area preparation: In FUE, hair follicles are extracted individually from the donor area, which is typically the back of the head. The surgeon will shave the donor area and inject local anesthesia to numb the area.
4. Follicle extraction: The surgeon will use a tiny instrument called a microneedle or punch to extract individual hair follicles from the donor area. The follicles are extracted one by one, and the surgeon will use a special tool to extract them without leaving any visible scars.
5. Recipient area preparation: Once enough follicles are extracted, the surgeon will prepare the recipient area by making tiny incisions or holes in the scalp where the new hair follicles will be transplanted.
6. Follicle transplantation: The surgeon will carefully insert each extracted follicle into the recipient area, making sure to place them at the correct angle and direction to achieve a natural-looking result. The surgeon will repeat this process until all the follicles are transplanted.
7. Aftercare: After the procedure, the surgeon will give you instructions on how to care for your transplanted hair. You may be advised to avoid strenuous activity and avoid touching the transplanted area for a few days. The transplanted hair may fall out within the first few weeks, but new hair growth will typically start within a few months.

Overall, FUE is a safe and effective hair restoration procedure that can provide natural-looking results. The recovery time is shorter than traditional hair transplant methods, and there is minimal scarring involved.

Must know facts about hair transplant:

1) The transplanted hair behaves like natural hair and sheds between two to four weeks of transplant. The roots thereafter start sprouting hair naturally and continue to do so for a lifetime.
2) Use of local anesthesia makes it a painless procedure and the patient can go home the same day.

3) Hair transplant is different from non-surgical hair restoration in which a pre-chosen base is fixed on scalp with dexterity.

4) Hair transplant does not mean you will have a luxurious crop of hair as the result varies from person to person and has also some link with a person’s natural hair quality.

5) Every case of baldness does not have a solution in hair transplantation. It entirely depends on case to case basis.

Aftercare: