FUT
HAIR TRANSPLANTATION

Find a Permanent Solution to Baldness WIth Follicular Unit Transplantation

How Follicular Unit Transplantation Works

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), also known as strip harvesting, is a hair restoration technique where a patient’s hair is taken from the back of the head and transplanted where needed in naturally occurring groups of 1 to 3 hairs, called follicular units. A narrow strip of hair on the back of the head is trimmed to 2mm in hair length. Local anesthetic is then administered. A strip of hair is removed from the area just above the ears towards the back of the occipital protuberance (the bump at the back of the head). This is called the safe donor area because hair in this region will usually grow forever. When grafts are taken from this area during transplantation they will continue growing in their recipient sites for a lifetime. The two edges of the skin are then sutured together, often with a specialized trichophytic closure, that will minimize the scar appearance. The hair from above the suture is then combed down to conceal the suture line, leaving no noticeable evidence of the surgery. Ultimately there will be a fine, horizontal scar left on the back of the head that will be concealed as long as the hair is not shaved.

The strip is then carefully dissected into follicular units under microscopes by our experienced surgical technicians. This technique allows for the highest quality grafts with the lowest transection rates (accidental cutting of the hair follicle) of any currently available hair transplant methods.

Local anesthetic is 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 2-3 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.

Is Follicular Unit Transplantation Right For You?

Follicular Unit Transplantation is the surgery that is tried, tested, and true. Prime Hair Clinic has been performing this procedure for decades, ever since it was created, and have been honing our skills ever since. We are proud to have offered thousands of valued patients some of the most elegant transplant surgeries in the world. If you ask around, the chances are you know someone that we have operated on; you may not have even realized that they had a transplant given how natural the results are.

Feel confident that you are receiving only the highest quality grafts, extracted by our renowned doctors with the finest surgical touch, and prepared by Alberta’s most skilled team of technicians.

For a non-surgical procedure, we also perform PRP and micropigmentation.

Your Questions Answered

Is An FUT Hair Transplant Painful?

On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain you experience on the initial injection should be about a 1. Throughout the day, the doctors will reinforce the anesthetic as needed to make the day as comfortable as possible. There will be more discomfort the night of surgery as the anesthetic eventually wears off. We will, however, send you home with some medication to help with the pain. The morning after surgery, most patients do not require any pain medication however you will notice some tightness and tenderness at the ends of the sutures; this will dissipate within the first week.

How Long Does An FUT Hair Transplant Take?

The procedure itself has many variables. We like to tell our patients to prepare for a full day. We provide lunch and snacks and, as the day progresses, we can keep you informed as to the estimated end time. A typical case lasts from about 8 am until 5 pm.

Will My FUT Hair Transplant Surgery Be Noticeable?

For the first week of surgery, you will have irritation, scabbing and some swelling. The sutures in the back of the head will be easily concealed by combing your hair down over them. If you are having surgery to add density to the crown and if you have some hair that is long enough, you may be able to conceal the scars even during your first week of healing. If you are creating or adding to a hairline, then it will be noticeable for the first week.

Do I Have To Shave My Head For An FUT Hair Transplant?

You do not necessarily have to shave your head for FUT. Shaving the head does make it easier to see the area for determining donor sites and also for planting the grafts, however, in many cases it is not crucial to the surgery itself to shave.