What´s The Big Difference Between FUT and FUE Hair Transplant Techniques?

The leading hair transplant and surgical hair restoration techniques are suited to treat male and female hair loss conditions. Today’s technology allows for high density and natural hairline designs. What´s the big difference between FUT and FUE hair transplant techniques?For those that are suitable candidates, the latest follicular unit grafting hair transplant methods present an ideal solution.

It is important to understand there are limitations to a hair transplant. They are not a miracle cure for hair loss, as a result, have limitations, especially concerning the donor hair. Your first step, a consultation assessment. This can help to diagnose your hair loss condition and stage. As well as the best option available to you to treat your hair loss.

Out With The Old In With Follicular Units

The advent of Follicular Unit Surgery changed the entire method of placement. By keeping the natural hair groups intact when removed. Placing them in the same natural groupings back into the recipient area. Today, the two recognised hair transplant techniques use this grafting method to harvest the hair from the donor area, STRIP Surgery/FUT, Follicular Unit Transplant and Follicular Unit Extraction/“FUE”. What´s the big difference between FUT and FUE hair transplant techniques?

FUT hair transplant surgery the doctor harvests the hair from a thin strip of hair-bearing tissue from around the back and sides of the head. The length and width of the strip alter. Depends on the number of follicular units, (FU) within the strip. This can range from a few hundred to thousands of “FU”. Follicular Unit Extraction/FUE, uses a micro-punch to extract each FU. One by one from around the donor area. The number of punch extractions is directly related to the number of grafts required.

The Preparation of the Follicular Units

To extract the grafts with FUT or the “Strip” technique. First, the area is shaved and a local anaethesia given along the length of the area. Often a anti bacterial wash is used to sterilise as well as a saline soltion injected to enlarge the surface area. The doctor takes time to excise the strip, careful to not damage any hairs that sit on the edge of the line. This requires surgical skills and understanding how different skin types behave. Along with the suturing to close the line. Once the hair bearing tissue is removed it´s then divided into smaller, more managable sections. Placed in a holding soltion and handed to the hair technician team. The process is to isolate the individual hair units and trim off any excess fatty tissue around the units. This ensures the grafts are the highest quality.

To perform FUE to the highest standard the donor area requires total shaving. Except possibly for small procedures such as 100-500 grafts. But, shaving the donor hair allows for greater control over the extraction process. Thus reducing the change in density over the donor and avoid over-harvesting areas leaving a patchy density. Also, shaving allows the doctor to precisely measure the angle the FU exits the scalp. As well as give a greater comprehension to the position within the skin. An important aspect of the extraction. As the FU´s are removed intact and individually they do not have to be separated as with FUT. But the trimming and cleaning follows the basic same process.

The hair technicians will be performing this process under stereo microscopes. To ensure optimum quality and reducing the risk of damaging the hair units. Some hair types are harder than others. For example, blonde or white hair. Or very fine hair make this more challenging. This excellence to precision during the process is vital.

Punch sizes up and down

Over time the preferred punch size has changed. The consensus is there is a balance between too large and too small. With around 0.75 to 0.8mm diameter punch tools being the optimum size to use. Able to remove safely larger 4 hair FU groupings. More so in repair cases, the punch diameter may need to be increased. Especially with plug removal where larger hair groupings have been placed.

The punch size is important for a number of reasons. It comes back to one important aspect. The preservation of the donor area. Larger diameter punches will remove more skin tissue; this, in turn, can lead to any scarring being larger and so potentially more visible. The more visible the scarring means less hair can be removed. Since the remaining hair has to cover the area’s hair has been removed.

Larger punches are faster and easier to use. As a result, they require less precision. Also, can take more hair than just a single FU. But this is not FUE in the pure form. But simply graft extraction as opposed to FUE. Because we are dealing with micro numbers. The variants in mm‟s can seem meaningless or irrelevant. But when comparing. The use of a smaller .75 mm FUE punch to a 1.0 mm the area of extraction is 85% smaller. With a .8 mm punch, the area of extraction is 60% smaller.

Which Hair Transplant Technique To Use

There are many aspects to consider when deciding which hair transplant technique to use. For example, maybe not wanting a linear scar or not shaving for the procedure. The extent of your thinning to name a few. Another aspect to consider, from a technical side. Is your starting donor hair density. Also any limitations this may bring. When treating your hair loss. Be it in one hair transplant procedure or long term.

Everyone wants to achieve a result that is thick and natural. Before even thinking of which technique a hair loss consultation can help. To measure your hair characteristics, hair loss stage and potential result from a hair transplant procedure.