Hair transplant involves grafting a portion of the hair from a healthier part to the area experiencing hair loss. Two popular methods used for the process are FUE (follicular unit extraction) and FUT (follicular unit transplant). This article aims to help you differentiate between FUE vs. FUT and decide which is better for you.
What Is FUE?
FUE hair transplant involves plucking individual hair separately for grafting. The surgeon uses a micro-punch tool for each excision. They then graft the hair to the parts of the scalp experiencing hair loss. The recipient areas get the donated hair through tiny incisions. The extent of scarring on the tissues is more or less negligible, only up to a millimeter in diameter.
However, in some cases, infection and tissue death might occur. It’s also important to note that the process is long and detailed, spanning over one or two months. It is an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia, and you can head home right after the treatment with no interruptions to your schedule.
See Also: Can I Go Bald After a Hair Transplant Surgery?
What Is FUT?
FUT hair transplant involves surgically removing a section of skin from the donor area and grafting that piece of skin into the recipient areas where micro-incisions are present for every hair strand. After 10-14 days, you will have to go to your hair transplant doctor to get the stitches removed.
There is usually an elongated scar in the donor area of the scalp from which the surgeon extracts the skin while the recipient area has a micro-incision. The scarring caused by the incisions generally heals within a week. This procedure, too, is an outpatient surgery and is performed under local anesthesia.
FUT Advantages
- FUT offers more coverage, i.e., when a large scalp area needs hair implantation. FUT can give an appearance of more fullness compared to FUE.
- The surgery usually spans 4-12 hours and does not stretch over months.
- FUT is more cost-effective than FUE.
- The procedure is perfect for patients who wish to keep long hair. The surgical scars are not prominent and can be covered with hair.
FUT Cons
- The recovery time is quite long, and the scars may need around 10-14 days to heal fully.
- Though modern surgical techniques reduce the visibility of the scars, the linear scars in the donor area don’t fade away completely.
FUE Advantages
- Scarring is minimal, resulting in no possibility of a visible scar. The post-operation wounds consist of dotted scarring that is barely visible to the naked eye.
- The FUE treatment is suitable for patients who wish to keep shorter hair and need fewer grafts.
- The recovery period of FUE is less compared to FUT.
FUE Cons
- The hair transplant procedure is time-consuming.
- FUE is more expensive.
Cost of Hair Transplant
Typically, the cost of an FUE hair transplant is higher because of the individual extraction and implantation of the hair. The cost of the procedure will depend on the number of implantations required for a patient. The cost can range between $4,000 to $15,000. In contrast, FUT hair transplant costs range from $4,000 to $10,000.
See Also: Do Hair Transplant Treatments Leave Behind Any Scars?
How Long Does a Hair Transplant Take?
- FUT – Four to twelve hours.
- FUE – Can span over two to three months.
The Ideal Candidate for a Hair Transplant
- For people with male pattern baldness, the patient should be aged above 40 and must have had baldness for over five years.
- Men and women who have suffered trauma due to burns and other accidents can opt for hair transplantation. Similarly, patients suffering hair loss from facelifts are also ideal candidates.
- People with a dense donor size make a better candidate. The recipient size should be smaller for better results.
- Women with thinning scalp hair also make good candidates.
Who Should Not Opt For a Hair Transplant?
The People Who Are Not Ideal Candidates for Hair Transplant Procedures Include:
- Patients without adequate donor hair.
- People with higher chances of developing keloid scars post operations.
- Persons with medical conditions that cause adverse effects to anesthesia.
- Patients with hemophilia and other health complications.
Hair transplant procedures are a safe way of combating hair loss problems and baldness. If you need a hair transplant in NJ, book your consultation now with Dr. Emil Shakov. With years of experience and expertise in FUT and FUE procedures, Dr. Emil Shakov is the best hair transplant doctor in Freehold, NJ.
