FUT – Follicular Unit Transplantation

What Is Follicular Unit Transplantation?

FUT is a surgical procedure which removes small hair clusters or “follicular units” from a donor area on the head in the form of a strip to insert it into the recipient area (any bald spot on the head). These naturally occurring follicular units, if transplanted properly, tend to replicate the natural growth of hair in the recipient area.

What Are The Benefits And Risks Involved

With hair loss affecting 85% of men and 40% of women today, it has become quite a common problem. As the number of men and women suffering from hair loss issues increases, new hair transplant techniques have evolved over the years to curb the problem. Many techniques are used today for effective hair transplants and the FUT / Strip method is the most common of the lot. This minimally invasive surgery helps effectively cover those undesirable bald spots created due to hair loss.

How FUT Hair Transplantation Works?

During the Follicular Unit Transplantation procedure, the surgeon takes off a strip of skin from the scalp of the patient. Usually, this strip is cut from the back of the head and its exact size depends on the number of follicle units required for covering the bald spots. Typically, this strip is not more than 1-1.5 centimeters (0.4 – 0.6 inch) in width. Once the strip has been taken off the head, the surgeon removes individual follicles from it and re-inserts them into the bald spots on the scalp of the patient.

Is FUT Surgery For You?

FUT hair transplant technique requires you to have sufficient amount of hair on the head that could used for grafting.

Men with male pattern baldness (Androgenic Alopecia) are the best candidates for Follicular Unit Transplant surgery. Usually, the condition shows up in men in Norwood pattern or M-shaped hairline where the hair loss is experienced around the temples. As for women, the condition typically shows up in the Ludwig pattern causing hair loss all along the part. Women may also experience thinning on the top of their head.

 

You also make a good candidate for Follicular Hair Transplantation if you meet the following conditions:

  • You are 25 years of age, at least, because hair loss patterns aren’t easily predictable in the younger patients.
  • You are experiencing Norwood hair loss pattern. Men with this hair loss pattern usually respond the best to hair transplantation.
  • You have high hair follicle density as it allows for a better coverage.
  • You are experiencing hair loss towards the frontal area of your head.
  • Your skin color matches closely to the color of your hair. This ensures less color contrast.

 

Besides, you should avoid FUT surgery if you are experiencing hair loss due to a medical condition like Alopecia Areata or Thyroid Disorder.

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FUT Possible Side Effects

Complications rarely happen after FUT surgeries. Large blood supply to the head makes the healing process quicker and also prevents any infections. Infections after the surgery may develop only in less than 1% of the cases.

Some possible complications/side effects of the FUT technique include:

  • Unnatural Hair Look
  • Scarring or Bumps
  • Inflammation of the Hair Follicles
  • Swelling
  • Bleeding
  • Pain
  • Cysts
  • Numbness

 

FUT Scarring

After the FUT surgery, a scar appears on the area from where the hair strip is removed. The scar fades away over time but may not completely vanish. The scar size usually depends on the number of hair follicles required for the transplant surgery. Generally, your hair can hide the scar but it can still be visible if you go for a short hair cut.

Shock Hair Loss

Shock hair loss or donor hair effluvium is a condition in which transplanted hair start falling out inside a couple of months of the surgery. However, the hair will grow back inside four months almost always.

Other Techniques Of Hair Transplant Surgery In Practice Today

As mentioned earlier, there are multiple hair transplant techniques used today and some common options include:

 

The decision on which technique you should go with requires some expert insights. All of these techniques are effective but they may not work for everyone. So, it is a good idea to let “The Hair Link” experts advise you which option suits you best depending on different individual factors.

A Comparison of FUT and FUE Transplant Techniques

FUT and FUE are by far the most used hair transplant techniques today. Both the techniques involve transplantation of individual follicles. However, there is a little difference between the two techniques that you should understand before opting for one. FUT surgery works by cutting a strip of skin from the scalp to extract hair follicles. On the other hand, in FUE surgery individual hair follicles are removed directly from the scalp instead of removing a strip first and then extracting the follicles.

Benefits of FUT

  • Ideal choice for patients who need many grafts
  • FUT gives maximum fullness
  • Shorter surgery time with the process taking around 4-12 hours to complete
  • FUT allows you to grow your hair longer to help cover that linear scar
  • FUT is more affordable than FUE

Benefits of FUE

  • FUE doesn’t leave any linear scars behind. There are only small dot scars that are barely noticeable.
  • With minimal scars, you can opt for short haircuts too.
  • Shorter healing time compared to FUT
  • Less pain post surgery
  • Works best for anyone who needs a few grafts only
  • FUE can use hair from different body parts as well
  • FUE can be a good choice even for those with poor hair density
  • For More Info on FUE – Click Here

How To Find The Right Doctor For FUT Surgery?

When you start looking for options to undergo FUT surgery, you can come across many qualified doctors who actually don’t have any experience in Hair Loss Surgery. Some may even pose as doctors and actually aren’t. So, you can only expect poor results if you choose them for your hair loss surgery. It is really important that you make the right choice here to have a successful surgery and enjoy desired results after the treatment.

To make your choice easier, and to ensure that you end up with the right surgeon, fill our free hair assessment form. We’ll not just advise you on the surgery technique that suits you best, but also connect you with the most qualified and reliable doctors near you who specialize in your specific condition and can deliver great results. Get in touch today!

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