FUE Hair Transplant

The FUE hair transplant technique (Follicular Unit Extraction) is a relatively new procedure of hair transplantation. It is less invasive than traditional methods and uses no scalpels or stitches. It was pioneered by Dr. Woods and Dr. Campbell and is sometimes referred to as the Woods Technique. 

Since it is relatively new, not all hair transplant surgeons offer it and even among the ones that do, there can be a wide variety of skill level and experience with performing a FUE hair transplant.

How does it work?  With a FUE hair transplant, each follicular unit/hair is individually harvested from the back and sides of the head (which are not prone to balding) and transplanted into the target area. The surgeon uses a small needle to pluck out the follicular units, eliminating the need for a scalpel to cut skin from the back of the head.

Unlike the traditionally FUSS (or strip method), the small wounds that are left don't need stitches and leave no real visible scars. Because it's less invasive the donor area heals faster. 

Here are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of the FUE hair transplant. These are not inclusive and your surgeon should inform you of advantages and disadvantages of the FUE method before you decide to go ahead with the surgery:

- No scalpel or stitches involved so it's less invasive for the patient

- Tends to be less bleeding and scarring with no long strip scar on the back of your head

- Recovery time can be faster than with the FUSS

- Post Operative instructions are less restrictive

- Some experts say that the grafts transplanted using the FUE can often start to grow right after the surgery (whereas for FUSS, they take a few months to start to regrow) 

- If you have small donor area on your head, it is possible to use the FUE technique to transplant body hair onto the thinning areas of the scalp (however this is a very new and specialized type of FUE that very few surgeons offer)

Disadvantages:

- Much more expensive than the FUSS technique (it can be up to double the cost per graft)

- Not as many grafts can be transplanted per session (vs. the FUSS)  The best FUE surgeons I came across in my research can do around 2000 and some even less. This means if you have a lot of balding or thinning areas, you'll need more than one FUE hair transplant.

- Because it's a new method of transplantation, many surgeons do not yet offer it and some are very new to the procedure with little experience. Therefore, you may find a wide variety of results across surgeons.

- If the surgeon takes too many grafts, the patient may get a "moth eaten" appearance in the back of their head

- Even though it is less invasive, there are still risks involved (for example, the risk of infection) and just as with the FUSS, you should be prepared to take several weeks off to heal and recover.

After Surgery:

Just as with the FUSS hair transplant, there are things you must do to avoid infection and ensure the best results.  Keep the donor site and target or recipient site clean. Don't get your hair cut for a month and make sure you're following your doctor's post-op instructions, taking any antibiotics they give you.

It's normal for scabs to form at the recipient site. Don't touch them - they should fall off on their own within 2 or 3 weeks. It's also normal to see the grafted hairs fall out along with the scabs.  Don't worry, the follicles are still there and going through a short resting state.  Hair should start to grow within 3-6 months if not sooner.

Rest as much as you can, especially right after the sugery and eat as healthy as you can (fruits and vegetables, high quality protein, etc.)

Conclusion:

While the FUE hair transplant technique offers an excellent method of scalpel-free hair transplantation, there are still risks.  In order to know if the FUE method is right for you, interview a few surgeons to get their feedback.  Once you decide on a FUE surgeon, he/she should fully inform you of the advantages and disadvantages of the FUE.