Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

This question was posed by a female hair loss sufferer seeking hair loss help on our hair restoration forum and answered by  Dr. Humayun Mohmand of Pakistan who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

Can you tell me what the difference between these two hair transplant methods are: Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT – Strip Surgery) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

FUE stands for follicular unit extraction.  In this hair restoration method, the surgeon extracts one follicular unit at a time with a punch ranging from 0.7mm to 1 mm leaving a small little mark.  The advantage of FUE is no linear scar, but scarring in the shape of small round pits.  Know that there is always a scar, but the visibility is different.  There is also minimal pain during the FUE healing process, though it’s significantly more expensive in some cases.

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) or the “strip” method is where a hair restoration physician will harvest a strip of tissue creating a liner scar from one ear to other.  These days, most surgeons are using the tricophytic closure technique to minimize the visibility of the scar in most cases and if done correctly.  Many surgeons do the tricophytic closure, but their method could vary and hence so does their result.  It’s a bit more uncomfortable than FUE, but you can get it for a very competitive price.  There are either stitches or staples to be removed in 10 days time.

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Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

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