Hair Transplant – Selecting the Right Extraction Method

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Hair Transplant for men

Are you planning to get a hair transplant? Do you know which of the two types of Hair Transplant Procedures, namely, Follicular Unit Transplant that is, FUT, and Follicular Unit Extraction that is FUE are better? Do you know the difference between these two methods? Well, it’s not only you, many other patients also have the same question. So in this article, we have views on this topic from two specialists Dr. Manas Jain & Dr. Mohit Srivastava who are working in this field for several years & are known for best in class hair transplant.

Dr. Manas Jain is one of the best hair transplant surgeon in Mysore. In this article he will be explaining the whole hair transplant process & will elaborate the two major procedures of hair transplant.

Dr. Mohit Srivastava, who is established hair transplant surgeon in Surat. In this article, he will be explaining the difference between FUE & FUT & will also guide you to select the best surgeon for hair transplant. This article will help you to make the best decision while selecting the method of hair transplant.

Hair Transplant:

What-is-Hair-Transplant

So, let us try to understand what a hair transplant actually is. Basically, a hair transplant is a process where a surgeon extracts your own hair from your donor area and implants it onto the recipient area or bald area. Majorly the back of your scalp is used as the donor area & is also known as the permanent hair zone. The grafts are extracted from this donor area either by the FUT or FUE procedure.

Hair transplant is a costly procedure. But remember, you are spending only once for the treatment as it is a permanent solution to hair loss. Click here to know more about hair transplant cost.

Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT):

In this procedure, a thin strip of 4 to 6 inches is extracted from the donor area which is later divided into 500 to 2000 grafts. The number of grafts required depend upon the level of your baldness, hair type & quality as well. These grafts are then implanted in the recipient area.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):

This is a recent & more advanced method of hair transplant. A surgeon will extract individual hair follicles rather than extracting a strip. The entire scalp is shaved off before the transplant. The surgeon will numb the area & will use a follicle extracting pen, also known as a punch needle to extract individual hair follicles.

Baldness Hair Transplantation Set

Implanting Process:

The implanting process is more or less the same for both methods. Your surgeon will numb the recipient area so that you won’t feel any pain during the process. He then will use a small needle or scalpel to make small slits in your scalp. Hair grafts are then implanted in those slits. Each hair graft contains 2-4 hair. The whole process takes around 6-8 hours to complete. Though it depends upon the number of grafts. Usually, a patient needs 1000-5000 grafts. But the focus here is the quality of grafts, rather than quantity.

Post Surgery:

After the surgery, the scalp is usually very sensitive. Patients will feel some discomfort & pain in the scalp when the anesthesia will start to wear off. Your surgeon may also ask to consume certain medications to manage the post-surgery pain. 2- 3 weeks after the surgery, you will notice hair fall from the recipient area. However, you need not worry as this is a part of the treatment itself. Once the shedding phase is completed, it will take around 6 to 8 months for new hair to grow again.

FUT vs FUE:

Hair Transplantation Fut Vs Fue

Now as we have gone through the surgery process, let’s try to compare the two most common methods of hair transplant that are Follicular Unit Transplant & Follicular Unit Extraction. We can majorly differentiate the two processes on the following basis.

  • Scar- As mentioned earlier, in FUT a whole strip is extracted from the back of your scalp, which means it is a more invasive process. As a result, it leaves a permanent visible linear scar on the donor area. But in the case of FUE, it is a more minimally invasive method where one hair follicle or groups of follicles are removed one at a time using a very small instrument. It leaves small circular marks that are recovered within 15-20 days after the surgery.
  • Pain- Both these procedures are done under local anesthesia and therefore, patients don’t feel pain during the procedure. However, after the FUT procedures, patients will feel some tension on the scalp due to the removal of a strip. This tension will fade away eventually. The healing time

for the FUE method is comparatively less than the FUT method. In fact, the pain felt by a patient during the FUE method is almost negligible. Patients will feel some numbness during the FUT method. But one doesn’t feel such numbness during the FUE method. Patients will face minimal swelling after both procedures. This swelling is common & it reduces in 6 to 8 days.

  • Result- It is important to store these grafts safely and properly as well. These grafts are extremely delicate and they dehydrate very quickly. In the FUE procedure, the ratio of yield of these grafts and their survival rate tends to be less comparatively. The survival rate is comparatively higher in the FUT procedure. If these grafts aren’t handled carefully in both of the procedures, then this can damage the healthy hair follicles which will impact the result adversely. The number of grafts getting damaged during storage is less in the FUT procedure.

Selecting The Right Surgeon:

men-with-bald-head-black-wall-close-up_120739-761

Whatever the extraction method is, the success of a hair transplant depends on various other factors as well. Such as the Surgeon’s experience, skills, and training impact the success rate of the surgery. No matter what procedure you go for, we always suggest looking for an experienced doctor & a clinic where modern facilities are available.

Selecting Right Method:

Both of these procedures can bring you good results. One cannot simply say that only one of these procedures is better than the others. Both these procedures come with their own pros and cons. What method is better for you is something you need to discuss with your surgeon. Your surgeon will carefully observe your scalp, the quality of your remaining hair, and the hair density of the donor area. They also observe the donor to recipient ratio to determine the number of grafts to be extracted. They will carry out some comprehensive tests to determine whether FUE or FUT will be the right extraction method for you. Remember, choosing the right extraction method is very important for a successful hair transplant. For patients suffering from Grade 5 or Grade 6 baldness, they may even need for both these procedures to be done in combination with one another. Nowadays, most patients prefer the FUE procedure over the FUT procedure due to less pain & minimal scar.

Final Takeaway:

Remember, whether you choose FUT or FUE, both these method comes with their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, you need to make a well-informed decision for your hair transplant. Discuss your expectations clearly & frankly with your surgeon. Talk to your surgeon about which procedure will suit you the best. Tell your surgeon about your expectations from this surgery, also mention your time constraints or availabilities. Cost is a very important factor. So, discuss it with your surgeon and then only make the decision of going for a hair transplant. Your surgeon will be helping you in choosing the right extraction method for you.

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