Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Hair loss treatments such as, Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a medical advancement in the which individual hair follicles are harvested for hair transplants. Using advanced Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) methods, the cosmetic surgeon is able to classify and remove a single follicle from the donor area at either the back or side of the head and then transplant that follicle into a puncture in the patients balding or thinning area.

Advantages of FUE Method

The main advantages of the FUE technique are:

•    No stitches

•    No visible scarring

•    Less bleeding

•    No swelling

•    Procedure can be repeated every couple of weeks

•    Able to drive immediately after treatment

Disadvantages of FUE Method

FUE’s main limitation is that it is less efficient in harvesting hair when compared to follicular unit transplantation (FUT) since in follicular unit extraction (FUE) the follicular units are extracted individually, but the balding skin in between the follicular units remains. Therefore, some hair must be left in the area to cover the balding, and this limits the amount of hair that can be removed from that section.

A limited donor supply is the main factor that prevents full hair restoration in patients. To make up for this limited supply of hair, the surgeon will often use hair from the upper and lower margins of the donor area, but hair in these areas is of much poorer quality that hair from the mid-part of the donor zone.

FUE Procedure

Because follicular unit extraction (FUE) does not leave a linear scar, it is used primarily for those patients who want to keep their short hair, who have healed poorly from traditional strip hair transplant, or have unusually tight scalp skin. In fact, one of the most important uses for follicular unit extraction (FUE) is to cover or camouflage a linear scar from a previous transplant.

The main deciding factor of whether or not FUE is the right technique is the ease in which follicular units can be removed from the scalp. Patients who are considering follicular unit extraction (FUE) are given a specific test (the FOX test) so that those patients in whom extraction may be difficult can be identified in advance.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) offers many advantages when compared to follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Firstly, there is no linear scar left, as there is no strip of skin removed from the scalp, which also decreases the healing time in the donor area of the scalp. Also, this technique is preferred when a patient is at greater risk for scarring, and in general is associated with less post-operative discomfort.  Another major advantage to this technique is that FUE enables the harvesting of finer hair (from the nape of the neck) that can be used for hair loss on hairline or for the eyebrows, and makes it possible to harvest other non-scalp hair such as beard or body hair.

The procedure for FUE hair transplantation may take up to 8 hours to complete. 

Complete recovery after FUE hair transplantation is 5-7 days and the recovery is comfortable, with the patient being able to resume normal activities in less time than a patient recovering from follicular unit transplantation (FUT).

Related guides

• Hair Transplanation Costs Abroad
• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

Other guides

• Hair Loss In Women
• Alopecia (Patchy Baldness)
• Facial Hair Restoration
• Hair Transplant Cost
• Cost of Hair Transplantation Abroad
• Preventing Hair Loss
• Medical Reasons Hair Hair Loss
• Myths About Hair Loss
• Male Pattern Baldness
• Recovering from Hair Transplant Surgery
• Common Causes for Hair Loss
• Candidates for Hair Transplant
• Hair Transplant Methods
• Results After Hair Transplant
• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Method
• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) Method
• Preparing for Hair Transplant Surgery
• The Ludwig Scale
• Hair Loss in Men
• Hair Loss in Women
• Hair Restoration Method comparison: FUT vs FUE
• Causes of Hair Loss
• Surgical Hair Restoration: Hair Transplant Surgery
• Hair Loss in Men
• Alopecia
• Cost of Hair Transplant
• Prevent Hair Loss
• Common Hair Loss Definitions
• Hair Loss Treatments

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