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Hair Transplantation is the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure of men according to the latest study, courtesy prevalence of Androgenic Alopecia in around 70% of the men across the world. Primarily designed for men, surgical hair restoration is now helping women as well to counter female pattern baldness. Like any other surgical procedure, a hair transplant surgery also uses various techniques to achieve desired results. Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) are two most commonly used techniques. Both the techniques are equally beneficial, with their own pros and cons.

Here we will discuss in detail both FUT and FUE Hair Transplantation techniques compare their pros and cons as well to give potential hair transplant candidates a better understanding on how these techniques work. This will help you set realistic goals and prepare for the surgery in a better way.

1. Follicular Unit Transplant

Follicular Unit Transplant, also known as the strip method transplant, is the conventional technique in which a linear strip of hair bearing skin is excised from the back or the side of the scalp. This strip is then carefully dissected under a stereo microscope to obtain required number of grafts of desired size (in groups of 1 to 4 hairs). Tiny incisions are then crafted at the donor site at specific angles and the grafts are carefully inserted in these incisions. It takes 7 to 10 days before the transplanted follicles anchor themselves firmly at the recipient site.

2. Follicular Unit Extraction

Follicular Unit Extraction is a modern technique that involves direct harvesting of grafts from the donor site, without cutting or stitching the scalp. This modern technique has been devised to overcome a number of flaws that the traditional FUT method has had. The surgeon uses a specially designed punch tool with diameter less than 0.1 mm for extraction of grafts. Each graft is harvested individually and stored in an artificial medium to keep them alive even outside the body. Once the required number of grafts has been extracted, they are transplanted in the recipient areas just like the FUT method.

Comparison of FUE and FUT hair transplant

Invasiveness

• FUT involves cutting and stitching of scalp skin and is thus an invasive technique.
• FUE does not involve any cutting and stitching and is thus a minimally invasive procedure.

Scarring:

• FUT causes a prominent and to some extent permanent linear scar in the donor area.
• FUE results in numerous pinhole scars at the donor site, but they are small enough to be detected from a safe distance.

Discomfort

• FUT involves stitching the scalp to close the wound resulting from strip excision and thus involves a little more discomfort than FUE.
• FUE does not require cutting and stitching of the scalp and therefore the discomfort level is also less than strip method transplant.

Downtime

• FUT requires a downtime of at least 5 to 7 days.
• FUE involves a downtime 3 to 5 days at most.

Surgeon’s time and effort

• FUT is a quick procedure and requires less time and effort of the surgeon.
• FUE is a time taking procedure that requires more expertise and effort of the surgeon.

Expenses

• FUT is a cheap hair restoration method.
• FUE is a relatively expensive technique, but the extra money spent is worth it.

Donor area selection

• FUT can extract donor grafts from the scalp only.
• FUE can harvest hair follicles from almost any part of the body (body hair transplantation).

Scalp laxity

• FUT cannot be performed on individuals who have tight scalp.
• FUE can be performed on patients with tight scalp as well.

Free Consultation

If you are interested in either of the aforementioned hair transplant techniques or you want to know more about the procedure, contact Hair Transplant Dubai Clinic now and get your queries answered aptly. Fill the consultation form below and earn a FREE CONSULTATION.