FUT Vs. FUE Hair Transplant
Are you fed up with hair thinning and considering a hair transplant? Hair transplant treatment can help you restore your receding hairline and regain your self-confidence. However, there are two different types of hair restoration techniques that you can opt for to regain your lost hair. Follicular Unit Extraction is a minimally invasive procedure used to transplant hair from one scalp area to another. In this procedure, hair follicles are extracted from the donor area and transplanted to the thinning or balding areas. FUT hair transplant is a quick outpatient procedure that can be used to deal with genetic hair loss. In this procedure from the donor region, a linear strip of your scalp is removed. The strip is then divided into small sections and implanted into the balding or thinning areas. You can go for any of these hair transplant procedures depending on your goals and hair issues.
What is FUE Hair Transplant?
Follicular unit excision is one of the most popular donor hair harvesting techniques used to harvest individual follicular units from the back and sides of the head, so they can be transplanted into hair loss areas. During this hair transplantation procedure, a sharp, small cylindrical instrument is used by the surgeon to meticulously excise or harvest each follicular unit of hair follicles. The surgeon uses these tiny hair grafts to implant them into bald or thinning areas. Before implanting these hair follicles, a microscopic incision is made by the surgeon at a precise angle ensuring it matches your hair’s natural growth direction. FUE Hair transplant is one of the best ways to re-create a natural-looking crown and hairline, with life-long results.
Follicular unit excision does not leave a linear scar and offers faster recovery than other hair transplantation procedures. The best candidate for a Follicular unit excision hair transplant is someone with balding issues or thinning hair. For this procedure, you should have enough thick or healthy hair in other areas of your body to transplant to the balding or thinning area.
Benefits of FUE Hair Transplant
FUE is a minimally invasive procedure that is performed to restore hair to the needed areas. The best thing about this procedure is that the donor area heals in a few days and there are no stitches or linear scratches. Unlike FUT hair transplant, which leaves a linear scar on the scalp’s posterior, FUE results in many tiny extractions, leaving small dots on the surface of the scalp. These dots blend seamlessly with your surrounding hair making FUE the perfect option for those who want to maintain shorter hairstyles. The results of FUE hair transplant are permanent and natural-looking and you can wear your hair at any desired length. The recovery time of FUE hair transplant is also very short. You can return to work after the procedure just within a day or two and resume light exercise within six to seven days.
Disadvantages of FUE Hair Transplant
One of the disadvantages of FUE hair transplant is that it is more time-consuming than follicular unit transplantation. During this procedure, hair transfer can take around six to seven hours for 1,000 follicles. If more than 2,000 grafts are involved in the transplant procedures you may have to go for two sessions on different days. It is also very expensive so people with low budgets may not be able to go for this treatment. During an FUE treatment, individual follicles are cored out from the root which leads to greater chances of damage by the tool as it is being harvested directly out of your skin. Since this procedure requires great precision you should choose a skilled and experienced surgeon.
Duration of an FUE Hair Transplant
The FUE hair transplant’s duration can vary based on the number of grafts required to achieve the desired fullness. On average, the procedure can take around 4 to 8 hours. This process should not be rushed but performed in a meticulous process, ensuring each hair follicle is placed carefully for the best possible outcome.
FUE Hair Transplant Cost
FUE Hair Transplant Cost can vary depending on the experience of the surgeon and how much hair is being transplanted. On average, this procedure costs between $4,000 to $15,000 every session. The FUE hair transplant technique is more expensive than FUT, in which a strip of hair-bearing skin is removed from the back of the head, and grafts are extracted from the strip and transplanted to the recipient area. Some surgeons charge double the rate per graft for an FUE hair transplant because the harvesting process is a time-consuming process.
What is a FUT Hair Transplant?
Follicular Unit Transplantation is a procedure where hair transplantation is done from the permanent zone, the sides of the scalp, and the area in the back where hair is not prone to balding, to the scalp’s balding areas. In this procedure, there is no donor area hair thinning as a strip of skin is removed, unlike the other procedures wherein many individual follicles are pulled. Men with androgenic alopecia are the best candidates for FUT. At the laser hair removal site, the FUT surgery leaves a scar that will fade over time but leaves a permanent mark. The scar’s size depends on the number of hair follicles used during surgery. Your hair hides the scar, but if you keep your hair short it may be visible.
Follicular Unit Transplantation is considered safe and if done properly it can lead to the creation of natural-looking hair. The FUT hair transplant’s success rate depends on the expertise and skill of the surgeon. The success rate of the FUT hair transplant is 98% if done well.
Benefits of FUT Hair Transplant
One of the advantages of FUT hair transplant is that no shaving is needed. It can be a good choice if a large number of hair follicles are grafted. This procedure can be used to treat male pattern baldness and other types of hair loss. It is more cost-effective than other procedures and can be used to cover large treatment areas. The results are natural looking and lasting and the chance for transection is lowest.
Disadvantages of FUT Hair Transplant
The main disadvantage of FUT hair transplant is that it leaves a long linear scar on the area where it is performed which is more visible than the FUE procedure. FUT may not be suitable for patients who prefer to wear their hair short. It has a longer recovery time and also causes more pain than other methods. You may even face a few complications after the surgery in rare cases including swelling, bleeding, unnatural hair, numbness, cysts, and inflammation of hair follicles.
Duration of a FUT Hair Transplant
FUT hair transplant’s duration can vary based on the size of the area that needs to be treated and the extent of hair loss. In most cases, it takes between 5 to 8 hours depending on the severity of your condition and the proficiency of the surgeon who is performing the treatment. The recovery time of FUT is around a few weeks and the surgeon gives detailed instructions to patients so that they follow all the steps required to take care of their transplants. After the transplant, the hair typically takes three to four months to grow. You may experience hair shedding during the first two to eight weeks. However, you do not need to worry as the new hair will grow back healthier and thicker.
FUT Hair Transplant Cost
The FUT hair transplant cost ranges between $4,000 and $10,000. You may have to pay even higher prices depending on the skill and experience of the surgeon, the location of the clinic where you’re undergoing the treatment, and the number of hair follicles that are being transplanted. If you have to travel for this procedure it can also add up to the cost of the surgery. For example, if you have to travel to a cosmetic surgery center in Bangalore from your hometown your travel expenses should be added to the surgery cost.
FUE vs. FUT: Which Is Better?
Both follicular unit excision (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT) are safe and effective hair transplantation procedures. FUT is a surgical procedure wherein a healthy hair donor strip is taken, while FUE extracts follicles from graft areas that are smaller and round. Both FUE and FUT have their own disadvantages and advantages, so you should opt for them depending on your surgeon’s advice, specific condition, and goal. FUT is more budget-friendly than FUE because it’s less time-consuming, less complex, and needs less skill. However, FUT causes more pain and can leave a more prominent scar. The recovery time is also longer in this procedure. However, after an FUE hair transplant recovery time is relatively short. Most patients get back to work just within five to six days post-operation, depending on their job’s nature. Before going for any of these treatments you must contact your surgeon and evaluate your condition.
