As men and women get older, their hair can begin to thin and fall out to the point that they suffer from hair loss. Thankfully, there are surgical methods that allow doctors to transplant hair from other parts of the body to the scalp. One of the most popular hair transplant methods is known as Follicular Unit Extraction, or FUE, and this is where small units of hair are transferred from an area of the body with better hair quality to the scalp.
Who is a Good Candidate?
FUE is an ideal procedure for patients who want to keep their hair short or shaved because the procedure leaves tiny dot size scars instead of a linear strip scar like Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). Other ideal candidates include a patient with typical patterned baldness as well as a person with a small donor area on the back of the scalp.
If patients have a certain celebrity they admire because of their hair, they are invited to bring in a photo to their consultation appointment. The doctor will keep the celebrity hairline in mind and let the patient know if it will be possible to achieve the desired hairline with the amount of donor hair available for the procedure.
Let’s ask an Expert
Cosmetic Town TV recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Parsa Mohebi about the Follicular Unit Extraction process. Dr. Mohebi sat down with us for an exclusive interview and explained how the procedure is performed and what patients can expect during the surgery.
How is FUE Performed?
The surgeon will meet with the patient in order to design the hairline that will be the result of FUE. The patient is then taken to the surgery room to receive local anesthesia in the front and back of the scalp.
Follicular Unit Extraction is performed using a special round punch instrument that makes a tiny circular incision around the follicular unit in order to isolate the graft for removal. A surgical technician uses forceps to grip the hair that is located above the surface of skin for extraction. The follicular units are taken from the donor area and the grafts are counted and sorted using stereo microscopes. Each follicular unit is arranged in a groups pertaining to the number of hairs in each graft.
Once the grafts are ready to be placed, the surgeon makes a series of small incisions in the recipient area. The grafts are then placed, one at a time, while considering the natural hair growth pattern of the patient. Since there is no linear incision, there is no need for stitches.
While the grafts can be removed manually, they can also be removed through the use of Robotic FUE (ARTAS). This is a method where computer assistance is used to harvest the hair follicles. The ARTAS system uses cameras to capture images of the follicular units as well as analyze their angles and orientations so they can be harvested individually by the robot arm.
Recovery and Results from FUE
Some swelling is typical after a hair transplant. It is mostly limited to the area around the eyes and the forehead. Patients will be asked to sleep with their head propped up on pillows for a few days. There will be some scabbing on the recipient area for 4 or 5 days.
Patients will be shown how to carefully wash their hair after the surgery so they don’t dislodge the grafts. Most people return to work within 5 days of the surgery.
The growth of the new hair will begin about 2-3 months after the procedure. Most of the results will be see within 9-12 months. The final results are permanent and should last a lifetime.
Risks of FUE
There are not many risks associated with undergoing FUE. However, there are a few that patients should be aware of before having the procedure.
Consult with an Expert
Patients wanting to learn more about FUE should schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified doctor that specializes in hair transplantation. The doctor can examine the patient and determine the final results that can be achieved and if FUE or FUT is the best choice to give the desired results.
MA
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