See here for different parts of your journey, like first discovery, making peace, and finding a doctor. If you find yourself here at this step during your journey, then you’re researching your surgical transplant options.
But if this is your first attempt at researching hair transplants, your expectations may be all over the place. Can I afford it? Which doctors are trained to do this? Will there be any pain or discomfort? How long does recovery take? What will my hair look like after?
What expectations are realistic? We’ve had thousands of patients here at Advanced Hair Medical Institute, which gives us years of experience, countless happy customers, and answers to just about every question you can think of.
During your initial exam, Dr. Williams will discuss options with you, and then you both will determine the best path moving forward. If the best path is a surgical transplant, a decision will be made based on one of the below procedures and any potential side effects will be discussed.
There are two major hair restoration procedures, each recommended for different reasons:
- Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT): FUT involves taking a strip of hair-rich skin from a donor area, dissecting it into smaller follicular units, and grafting them to the recipient area.
- Follicular Unit Excision (FUE): FUE uses a tiny tool to select hair follicles one at a time. After making microscopic holes in the scalp, the surgeon transplants the individual follicles into their corresponding circular incisions.
FUT is a process that allows the surgeon to use a strip of tissue to restore healthy hair follicles where they are needed. Dr. Williams may recommend this method for hair restoration, particularly in cases of advanced hair loss, as it produces the best results for restoring fuller hair.
The Follicular Unit Transplant Process
Dr. Williams performs follicular unit transfers (FUT) utilizing a narrow, superficial strip of skin. Hair follicles are transferred in natural groupings of 1-4 hairs taken from the back of the scalp. The follicles are easily identified and protected with individual dissection under stereoscopic microscopes.
Smaller 1-2 hair grafts are required in the hairline, but larger 3-4 hair grafts offer additional density in the crown and top regions. The procedure allows for large numbers of grafts (3,000 to 4,500) to be placed in one day. A team of assistants dissects the grafts from the strip while Dr. Williams closes the donor incision and creates the recipient sites in the balding areas. Once the grafts are prepared, placement into the recipient sites can be efficiently accomplished by the team. The hair in the donor areas covers the incision when healing occurs.
Advantages of FUT
- Minimal damage to the skin at the donation site or to the hair follicles themselves
- Suitable for larger areas
- “Dense packing” of hair follicles leads to full, rich hair growth with superior looks
- More affordable
- Speed and precision of treatment ensure a reduced need for follow-up treatments
- Shorter completion time
Who are the best candidates for a Follicular Unit Transfer?
Those best suited for this type of hair loss solution are those who:
- Have good scalp laxity
- Do not have time constraints when it comes to recovery
- Prefer longer hairstyles to help hide any scarring
- Are dealing with significant hair loss
The Follicular Unit Excision Transplant Process
Dr. Williams performs the Follicular Unit Excision (extraction) or FUE hair restoration procedures on patients who prefer this method and are good candidates. Dr. Williams will examine the donor area and discuss this in the consultation.
Advantages of FUE
- No Linear Scar
- Better used in small to medium procedures in hairline or top
- Better used for tight or scarred donor area
- Follow-up procedures may be needed
- Normally less discomfort after the procedure
FUE hair transplants are done with a punch which is a circular skin biopsy blade with an open center. When searching for a doctor, keep in mind that the majority of practices do not have trained surgeons doing these procedures, which can result in wide scars and unacceptable results. Advertising campaigns try to convince consumers that this procedure does not leave any scarring when it’s more accurate to say that it leaves no linear scarring.
FUE is the more popular option mainly because it heals quicker, is less painful, and causes little scarring compared to FUT. It’s also flexible because it uses hair from any part of the body. FUE works even if you have low hair density.
Who are the best candidates for a Follicular Unit Excision?
Typically, the best candidates for a Follicular Unit Excision:
- Are in good health and can safely lay on their stomach for hours during the procedure
- Have hair loss at the top of the head or near the front hairline
- Are those who have healthy donor sites, as – barring specific situations – it isn’t possible to use donor hair from someone else
Now that we have some information about the choices for surgical hair transplant, we can focus on nonsurgical options, along with these upcoming topics:
- Transplant Preparation…
- Transplant Procedure Day…
- After-Procedure Care and Timeline…
- Your New Look; Your Next Chapter…
- What Others Are Saying
