Receding hairlines and pattern baldness are the most common of the problems encountered by men soon as they step over the threshold of middle age. Advances in the field of hair transplant have helped curb many of the hair loss calamities. The contemporary techniques available for hair transplant, FUE and FUT have broadened the horizons of this field, making people warmer to the concept of hair transplant to get rid of hair loss troubles.
FUE, Follicular Unit Extraction, is a technique based on the concept of individual hair root extraction and implanting them on the bald patches. Whereas, FUT, follicular unit transplant, employs the principle of removal of part of scalp containing hair roots in the form of strips and then grafting them onto the required areas. The principal factor that distinguishes the two techniques is the method of extraction of hair roots.
FOLLICULAR UNIT TRANSPLANT (FUT)
In this technique, the grafts are collected in a group. The surgeon excises a narrow strip of hair from the rear of the scalp. The strip is then dissected into discrete follicular units, under fiber optic operated microscopes to protect the grafts from the adverse effects of heat. They are then placed in the thinning regions, where the recipient sites have already been prepared for graft reception.
Pros
- Greater number of grafts can be extracted in one sitting by the FUT method, exceeding 100 grafts per cm².
- It is a cost effective and economical method.
Cons
- There is formation of linear scar tissue at the donor site from where the grafts are harvested, which not only takes longer to heal but is also painful and unless you wear your hair long, is quite evident.
- Post-operative discomfort and painful healing are frequent complaints.
- Suturing at the recipient site can lead to complications like graft rejection, immunologic reactions, abscess formation etc.
FOLLICULAR UNIT EXTRACTION (FUE)
A small circular segment on the scalp around each follicular unit is marked. Each unit is then removed by surgical tweezers carefully. Follicular units (or grafts) are then inserted into the recipient sites.
Depending on the number of grafts required the procedure can last from a few hours to two or three days..
Pros
- Careful extraction of individual hairs is very lenient to the skin and scalp.
- No visible scarring.
- Complications of donor site wounds are rare.
- Selection of roots with maximum yield of hair
- Donor site wound requires less time to heal.
- This method is painless, compared to FUT.
Cons
- Individual extraction of every single follicle makes this method a time consuming and laborious process.
- The follicular unit graft yield is lower as compared to FUT and multiple sessions are required to achieve the same yield as FUT in a single session.
- This is quite an expensive method.
With careful consultation and after extensive research, it is easy to decide upon the method that helps in reconstruction of natural looking hair. What cannot be ignored is the economical worth of these procedures. None of these procedures comes with a 100 percent guarantee of success but the success rates of these procedures has helped many a people around the world live a better life.
For more information, visit: http://my-hair-clinic.co.uk/treatment-and-prices/the-fue-safe-system-method/