The Best Guide for the LS7 Area

Which Hair Transplant Technique Is Better For You

If you’re thinking of getting hair restoration surgery, you might get confused on hearing a bunch of abbreviations like FUE, U-FUE, FUT, and DHI, etc. You might learn about the technical differences between all the surgeries and still don’t know which one you’re best suited for. Surgeons performing hair transplants at Longevita have outlined ideal candidates for the different techniques of restoration surgery.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

A hair transplant surgery is performed by taking the healthy hairs from the backside of the head, and putting them into bald places. In this, the surgeon will take the hair follicles one by one directly from the scalp. This technique is more suitable for people who have a big balding area.

However, you might say, “define big.” So, “big” here means that you essentially need more than 3,000 hair grafts (one graft contains 1-4 strands of hair). They have experienced extensive hair loss in the crown/vertex, hairline, and/or top of the head and may need around 6,000 grafts. Moreover, it is possible they need more than one hair transplant to achieve their desired results.

Unshaven Follicular Unit Extraction (U-FUE)

Many people don’t want to get a hair transplant simply because they don’t want others around them finding out. However, balding also becomes a cause for low self-esteem. So, a way out of this situation is unshaven follicular unit extraction, also known as U-FUE. Here, the surgeon will leave the thinning area unshaven but will shave the back/sides of the scalp to take the grafts.

Usually, women choose to undergo U-FUE because of the discretion it promises. The surgeon partially shaves the back of the head, which can be hidden once the hair is let down. Males usually have all their back/side areas shaved. It is most suitable for people who need fewer grafts (less than 3,000) or are losing hair along the hairline.

When performing a traditional follicular unit extraction, the surgeon shaves the back and sides of the scalp to take the grafts and then makes incisions in the balding area for inserting the hair follicles. In direct hair implantation, the process of making incisions in the balding area and the implantation of the grafts take place simultaneously.

This is made possible by a special pen-like device. Since it allows greater control over the angling and placement of grafts, a surgeon can place more grafts in a small area. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a higher density with it. However, this also means that you should have a strong donor area. If the balding area is large, the density has to be compromised to ensure natural coverage. So direct hair implantation is not suitable in those instances.

Also, it is not recommended to people who have lost hair in the crown area. It’s because the blood circulation in that area of the scalp is reduced. The dense placement of grafts can negatively impact their survival. People who have experienced diffuse hair loss and need fewer grafts make good candidates for DHI.

Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)

In follicular unit transplant, the surgeon extracts the hair follicles individually from a strip of skin that they remove from the scalp. This allows for the harvestation of a large number of grafts if the person’s experiencing extensive hair loss. However, it can leave a prominent scar in the back. For a person to get an FUT hair transplant, they should have elastic skin. That’s because the surgeon has to close the wound on the back of the scalp. And since skin loses elasticity with age, FUT might not be suitable for older patients.

Conclusion

Of course, when deciding on the best hair transplant method for your hair loss, the surgeon should take your medical history, type of hair loss, and desired aesthetic goals into consideration. That will help in achieving satisfactory results. 

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