Follicular Unit Transplantation is a surgical hair transplant procedure where hair is transplanted to the balding areas of the scalp using the traditional strip method.
Follicles are taken from the ‘permanent’ zones on the scalp, usually the back and sides, where hair is more resistant to balding. This is accomplished by using naturally occurring groups of hairs called follicular units.
After the patient’s scalp is anesthetized, the doctor removes a strip of tissue from the permanent zone, which is then cut into individual follicular units using microscopic dissection techniques. As these follicular unit grafts are being prepared, the doctor makes tiny holes in the scalp, called recipient sites, where the grafts are placed.
The aesthetic qualities of a hair transplant are determined by the arrangement and positioning of the follicular unit grafts. Depending on the patients’ history of hair loss, the decision on how to arrange the grafts is made on a case-by-case basis. Follicular unit transplants replicate the way hair naturally grows to complete a natural look and feel that is undetectable from one’s original hair.
When you arrive for your hair transplant, our staff will begin by going over your schedule for the day. Your surgical consent form will be reviewed along with the completion of other paperwork, and your doctor will answer any questions that you may still have. Your doctor will then carefully draw on the hairline that was marked and photographed during your consultation. At this point you will have the chance to examine and discuss before proceeding. The doctor will then take high quality photographs that will become part of your permanent medical record.
Sedatives will be given to relax you before the start of your hair transplant procedure; however, you can remain fully alert if you like. You will be offered a movie selection and TV, or alternatively, you can listen to music of chat to the doctor and medical staff. The graft dissection will be performed in the same room as your surgery so that we can explain what we are doing at every step of the way and answer any questions you may have.
The length of your permanent hair transplant procedure will depend on how many follicular unit grafts are transplanted. Small sessions of less than 800 grafts can be finished by midday. Larger sessions of 2400 or more generally take a full day.
How long will the treatment take?
On average, the treatment takes no more than a day to complete. However, when large numbers of hairs are required, the patient can split the procedure across two days.
Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) yields the most donor hair and is best suited for more extensive hair loss and in patients where the main concern is maximising the use of a donor supply.
The hair is efficiently used because of the precise nature of the procedure – and the fact that the extraction is from the area that is densest and most stable.
A limitation of FUT is that it leaves a line scar in the donor area. With normal styling, this is easily covered with hair, but it may prevent someone from wearing their hair very short.
The FUE method is better suited for individuals who don’t have extensive hair loss. In the case of a candidate having extensive hair loss, multiple procedures may be required.
In certain cases, where the hair loss is only minimal, we will also recommend a hair loss prevention program, with recommended lotions and medications.
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