FUE
HAIR TRANSPLANTATION
Find a Proven Solution With Follicular Unit Extraction
How Follicular Unit Extraction Works
Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) is a surgical hair transplant technique where individual follicular units are harvested from the back of the head using small circular punch blades. The donor area is shaved down to a workable length, usually 2mm. Local anesthetic is then administered. We prefer using hand-held motorized punches, without suction, that require more skill to use but allow for more artistry in the harvesting process and less follicular trauma. Once the desired number of grafts are obtained, the donor sites are left to heal without suturing. This method always leaves numerous small circular scars scattered throughout the donor region. Most would agree that, if done properly, the resulting scars are less noticeable to the eye than a horizontal linear scar when the hair is cut very short.
Because a larger donor area is required with follicular unit extraction, some of the grafts may have to be taken from outside of the “safe” donor area, and therefore may not grow indefinitely.
Local anesthetic is again painlessly administered to the recipient area. Recipient sites are created specifically for the correct sizes of the follicular units. The grafts are then gently placed into the sites by our team of professionally trained surgical technicians. A natural look is created by placing the single hair follicular units on the hairline and larger hair follicular units toward the back to add more density. Careful attention is made to the angle and direction of the transplanted hair and the overall shape of the hairline to ensure the most natural results, custom created for the individual aesthetic of each patient.
Punch Incision Around
Hair Follicles
Extraction of
Follicular Units
Harvesting of
the Grafts
Implantation of
the Grafts
Is Follicular Unit Extraction Right For You?
A new take on an old technique, FUE is rising in popularity and its advancement is allowing for some great surgical outcomes. Though more labour intensive for the physician resulting in a higher price point, there are some significant advantages to the FUE approach to hair restoration. One benefit is the resulting scars on the back of the head are small enough that they may allow for a shorter hairstyle than with FUT. Smaller sessions are recommended with FUE as to not over-harvest the donor region, leaving a thinned out “moth eaten” look on the back of the head.
Feel confident in that each and every graft is; inspected for damage before placement, extracted by our renowned doctors with the finest surgical touch, and handled by Alberta’s most skilled team of technicians. If you’re looking for a non-surgical hair restoration technique, ask about PRP treatments in Calgary or even scalp micropigmentation.
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Surgical & Non-Surgical Options
Your Questions Answered
No. Follicular Unit Excision involves cutting the skin leaving thousands of small circular scars. Claiming FUE to be scarless is dishonest, though unfortunately there are lots of inaccuracies in the industry promoted by marketing interests.
We are of the opinion that in the hands of a skilled surgeon, nothing compares to the quality of a handheld punch. We only use industry leading handheld motorized punches. Though promising, robotic transplant machines (ie. ARTAS) are still many years away from the calibre of a skilled surgeon. Suction aided FUE machines (ie. Neograft) don’t allow for real time inspection of grafts and may cause unnecessary trauma, therefore are not utilized at our clinic.
Follicular Unit Excision is not the preferred initial harvesting method for large transplant needs. Suitable surgeries would be 2000 grafts or less at a time. In situations when many thousands of grafts will be needed over the course of a lifetime, FUT should be strongly considered in combination with FUE.
The FUE procedure necessarily has to harvest from a larger area than FUT. Sometimes that involves going outside of the ‘safe donor area’. If the transplanted donor hair was taken from an area that is not immune to baldness, it’s possible for the hair to fall out at some stage following a transplant.
A COMPARISON
FUT
FUE
Hair Length
There is no need to change your current appearance for surgery or post-surgery as long as your hair is more than 2cm in the donor area
Hair must be shaved to a length of 2mm over the entire donor area and often around entire scalp
Donor Area
There will be stitches at the back of the head which can be totally hidden by overlying hair
There will be thousands of small holes that will be visible for at least one week
Scar
A fine linear scar
Many small circular scars
Recovery Time
The transplanted/recipient area looks identical with both techniques
In 7-10 days, stitches are removed
The transplanted / recipient area looks identical with both techniques. No stitches to be removed
Graft Quality
With microscopic dissection, the transection rate is very low
With FUE whether done by hand or a robot, the transection rate is much higher
Resuming Activities
You should refrain from any strenuous activities for 4-5 days
You should refrain from any strenuous activities for 4-5 days
Grafts
Are microscopically trimmed leaving a protective sheath around follicles
Are extracted from the scalp and due to the nature of the technique may be stripped of a protective sheath, leaving them much more delicate
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