How FUE Hair Transplant Procedures Work: The Basics of Follicular Unit Excision to Reverse Hair Loss
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An estimated 80 million individuals in the United States are affected by hair loss or baldness, specifically androgenic alopecia (Cleveland Clinic). This means there is a growing demand for hair loss treatments and hair restoration procedures. When noninvasive hair restoration remedies are not enough, hair transplantation surgery is often necessary to restore receding hairlines or severe hair loss. Hair transplantation is a procedure that extracts hair follicles from one area of the patient’s scalp and places them on the balding area to improve the hairline.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant is a modern procedure that minimizes visible scarring in the donor site due to its method of attaining grafts. Skilled hair restoration physicians can use the FUE method with their expertise and artistry to produce transformative results with minimal scarring and restored hairlines that look natural.
In this article, we will expound in-depth on how FUE works, how it can benefit patients, and what you can expect from a FUE hair transplant operation at the Physician’s Hair Institute, your trusted hair restoration clinic in Arizona.
How Does the FUE Hair Transplant Procedure Work?
FUE is a minimally invasive hair transplant procedure offered at the Physician’s Hair Institute at our state-of-the-art facilities in Scottsdale and Tucson, Arizona. In this method of hair transplantation, the hair follicles are extracted directly from the scalp with a micro punch device and transplanted into the treatment site to replenish the thinning hair.
That is the main difference between FUE and other methods, such as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or strip surgery, a method of donor graft extraction in which a strip of the scalp is removed and donor follicles are harvested from it. This allows for a large quantity of follicles to be harvested, but results in the formation of linear scarring and more trauma to the scalp tissue.
To prepare for the FUE hair transplant procedure patients will be instructed into a seated position or lying comfortably. During the extraction and transplantation, patients will be awake, but the surgical sites will be numbed completely with local anesthesia to minimize discomfort.
During the FUE process, follicular units of 1 to 4 hairs are extracted at a time using a micro punch device. While this does not leave a linear scar, it does result in small dot-like scars that will be nearly invisible after the surrounding hair regrows. For the extraction process, the donor area must be shaved for the follicles to be accessible to the harvesting device.
Physician’s Hair Institute FUE hair transplant procedures are performed by Dr. Sharon Keene herself, so our patients can rest assured that they are under the care of a renowned and award-winning hair restoration surgeon. Dr. Keene is certified by the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Hair Restoration with years of experience in creating natural and aesthetically appealing results to suit the needs of our patients.
The WAW FUE system invented by Dr. Jean Devroye is utilized, which has an innovative punch design that has oscillation and rotation. This system is able to cleanly excise follicular units with minimal transection or cross cutting while preserving the vital tissue surrounding the follicles. Thus, reducing trauma and improving follicle survivability as the growth factors in the tissue are kept and will benefit the grafts.
The follicular units will be meticulously transplanted to the recipient sites in a process that takes hours as care must be taken to place the follicles in ideal angles and orientations. This is where artistry comes in: during the process of recreating hairlines, Dr. Keene optimizes the density of the grafts and takes into consideration how the patient appeared before hair loss began. This is done to produce a natural-looking hairline and pattern that matches the patient’s specifications.
Benefits of Follicular Unit Extraction Procedures at the Physician’s Hair Institute
Our patients’ hair transplant operations will be handled by Dr. Keene herself, a leader of the hair restoration field who has devised a variety of innovations in hair grafting techniques to deliver superior results.
Permanent Hair Transplant Results
FUE results are permanent and to add to this, the transplanted hair follicles are also typically resistant to hair loss as they were extracted from donor areas that are not predisposed to thinning or balding.
Lack of Linear Scarring Unlike Strip Surgery
The FUE graft will leave tiny dot scars, but these will be less noticeable unlike Follicular Unit Transplantation or strip surgery that leaves linear scarring due to the incision made to obtain the follicles. Linear scars from FUT will require long hair to cover up. The smaller scars left by FUE grafts will be more easy to conceal after the hair regrows after shaving.
Less Postoperative Pain Than FUT Hair Transplants
Because the incisions are smaller during FUE graft harvesting, the patient will not have to experience much pain at all, unlike in FUT where a linear incision is made and sutured afterwards, resulting in a wound that will take time to heal, causing significantly more pain.
Minimally Invasive Operation with Faster Recovery Compared to FUT Hair Transplants
Recovery from FUE hair transplant operations is quick because the process counts as as a minimally invasive procedure thanks to the extraction process that does not rely on making a strip incision for harvesting but instead uses a micro punch, which means no stitches are required.
State-of-the-Art Surgical Instruments
Developments in hair restoration have only continued since the advent of FUE as the field strives to deliver improved results to patients. The latest FUE technology utilizes smaller punches to lessen scarring while oscillating and rotating to extract grafts in a more refined way.
For the recipient site, these innovations include a multi-recipient site scalpel designed by Dr. Keene herself to adjust incision depth efficiently and with superior precision while lessen the risk of damaging underlying blood vessels.
Improved Hair Follicle Graft Survivability
The innovations developed and utilized by Dr. Keene include a patented graft holder that will improve graft survivability during the extraction and transplantation process. This is achieved by ensuring graft hydration as the graft reservoir will store the follicles in a solution during the surgical process to prevent dehydration of the follicle tissue.
Schedule a Consultation at Physician's Hair Institute For FUE Hair Transplant Procedure in Arizona
When you decide to undergo hair restoration treatment, you will have to meet our hair transplant surgeon to determine the right course of action to address your hair restoration needs. This involves discussing your goals, evaluating the degree of hair loss, and developing a treatment plan to appropriately address the issue.
If hair transplantation is necessary, your surgeon will examine the donor and recipient areas, and explain what to anticipate in terms of results from the procedure. Realistic expectations must be set depending on the extent of the hair loss as well as the presence and quantity of viable donor follicles. Depending on the patient’s hair restoration goals, the amount of hair transplantation sessions will also be determined.
You will receive pre-surgery instructions, such as avoiding certain medications or supplements that could contribute to bleeding risks, as well as refraining from alcohol and smoking or other habits that could affect wound recovery. Detailed instructions will also be provided on how to care for your hair after the operation when the surgical sites are healing, from instructions on how to bathe to what complementary treatments and medications to take, if necessary.
For further questions, schedule a consultation at Physician’s Hair Institute.