Can I Start with Follicular Unit Extraction and Have a Strip Hair Transplant Later?
This question, from a member of the Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by recommended hair restoration physician Dr. William Lindsey:
I am having a small FUE procedure of around 700 grafts. If one day my [tag]balding[/tag] progresses and I need a larger session, will the FUE have reduced the total amount of grafts I will be able to get from a future FUT [tag]hair transplant[/tag]?
I have written several times that I think that [tag]follicular unit extraction[/tag] ([tag]FUE[/tag]) is potentially over-recommended. For me, it’s perfect for someone who is not likely to go “real bald”, someone who needs a smaller case(s) and who is a poor scar candidate or someone who is extremely worried about the scar line. That said, we have a few patients who are in the process of getting a series of FUEs to get up to 3,000 grafts so that they can wear a very close haircut.
For guys that need a smallish case, like a patient we did last week, I tell them that they can always keep doing more FUEs if they need little tuneups but, they could switch to [tag]follicular unit transplantation[/tag] ([tag]FUT[/tag]) if they need to down the road. I suspect that after a few FUEs the strip yield will have a little scar tissue in it but that it will still yield a nice quantity of [tag]follicular unit grafts[/tag] if needed.
William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS
McLean, VA
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David – aka TakingThePlunge
Assistant Publisher and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the [tag]Hair Loss[/tag] Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
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