Advanced FUE | CIT® Hair Transplant

WHAT IS CIT® HAIR TRANSPLANT?

What Is CIT® Hair Transplant? Cole Isolation Technique (CIT®) is Dr. John Cole’s namesake innovation. A vast improvement over Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), CIT® emphasizes minimal invasiveness and accuracy. This decreases the chance of scarring and encourages natural-looking hairlines without a major impact on the FUE hair transplant cost.

CIT®, the Cole Isolation Technique, was developed specifically to address what standard FUE and automated systems leave behind: follicle damage during extraction, visible donor scarring, and a permanently depleted supply. Performed entirely by hand by Dr. Cole and his trained team, CIT® achieves a transection rate under 3 percent and a graft survival rate above 97 percent (Forhair’s internal clinical data).

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Did you know that 40% of our patients request that we correct other doctors’ work?

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) represents a significant advancement compared to Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). However, the success of FUE heavily relies on the surgeon’s expertise. Inexperienced doctors often lead to overharvested donor areas, resulting in scarring, low hair yield, unnatural-looking hairlines, and thinning hair. Many clinics, lacking the proven expertise of Forhair, inadvertently cause these issues. Patients frequently come to us for corrective procedures after facing such outcomes.

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THE EVOLUTION OF REGULAR FUE HAIR TRANSPLANT

FUE lessens scarring and the recovery process time while also enhancing natural looking results. The method is also quite broad. Hair transplantation specialists may extract individual follicles or multiple ones, for instance. Further, FUE results depend on the surgeon’s skill and artistry. Modern hair transplantation specialists first began developing FUE in the late 80s. It did not become feasible until the early 2000s, though, and for a few reasons.

First and foremost, FUE requires years to master. Practitioners must literally extract and transplant thousands of individual follicles. Such procedures require hours upon hours to complete. FUE only became prevalent as surgeons became more proficient and invented specialized techniques and tools. Today, there are numerous ways to practice FUE. Specialists use machines, robots, mechanical extraction tools, and a slew of different techniques that can radically change FUE hair restoration cost. None, though, offer the comprehensive benefits of CIT®.

WHY ADVANCED FUE CIT®?

FUE is outright the better choice for those who do not want noticeable scars. FUE scars are small and round, while FUT scars will always be long and linear. Scarring is less noticeable with FUE because scars are small, if noticeable at all, and scattered throughout the scalp. Scars from FUT is are bigger and localized, making them more noticeable.

Minimal/No Scarring - CIT® rarely leaves scars and is the only FUE method that leaves stem cells, encouraging scalp recovery.
Better Density - Based on Forhair's internal clinical data graft-per-graft, CIT® has a success rate of 97%+.
Donor Area Recovery - CIT® is the only hair transplant technique that enables donor areas to potentially regenerate follicles.
Faster Healing Process - Patients recover from CIT® procedures faster than any other FUE method (based on clinical observations)..

An advanced technique, CIT® requires special training and tools. Dr. Cole personally instructs all his staff in how to properly administer the method. Proper training is essential. CIT® offers superior results but also emphasizes specialist skillsets and experience. Both are necessary to ensure a convincing hairline with uniform hair density.

Less is More! For patients with extensive hair loss, Dr. Cole developed the less is more approach, using strategic low-density placement to create natural coverage while preserving donor reserves.

“At 4 months I started to see an explosion! I am very happy with the results. I definitely recommend Dr. Cole, I don’t recommend anybody else and that’s the truth and the truth speaks for itself…just watch my videos…”

Patient BBV - Jude FUE results 2023 front

Jude Stritzinger

Codetic

HAIR TRANSPLANT RESULTS

Hair Transplant 1661 grafts FUE

This patient received 1,661 FUE grafts to restore his frontal hairline, along Read More

CIT® AND HAIR REGENERATION TREATMENTS

The unique strengths of CIT® make it perfect for hair regeneration treatments. These groundbreaking formulas deliver successive boosts of growth factors that generate stem cells. In turn, this hastens growth while improving scalp health and hair density. Forhair continues researching ReyaGel®, Platelet Rich Plasma, and other treatments to better improve patients’ results.

REYAGEL - ECM TECHNOLOGY

Extracellular Matrix (ECM) treatments promote recovery and density. The advancement has many uses, particularly for surgical post-op. Administered to the scalp, ReyaGel repairs and nourishes hair follicles. Such nutrients increase blood flow and follicular progenitor cells, both essential for reinitiating hair growth and thicker hair. Forhair’s exclusive ReyaGel techniques specifically help donor areas regenerate hair follicles following surgery and replenishes the donor area supply. With ReyaGel, an average of 30% to 40% of CIT® follicle grafts regenerate, leading to an average 130% to 140% yield -or 300 to 400 new follicles for every 1,000 fue grafts. No other clinic, regardless of their typical FUE hair restoration cost, offers such top-caliber results. Early clinical use suggests it can:

improve donor site healing,
reduce hypopigmentation,
and support hair growth.

Clinical observations at Forhair indicate that an average of 30 to 40 percent of CIT® follicle grafts regeneratein the donor region following surgery, resulting in an average yield of 130 to 140 percent. In practical terms, that translates to approximately 300 to 400 new follicles for every 1,000 grafts extracted. As with all ECM applications in hair restoration, peer-reviewed controlled trial data remains limited, and Dr. Cole himself has noted that broader clinical research is needed to fully quantify the benefits. What is consistent across cases is faster visible healing and improved donor area appearance compared to procedures without ECM adjuncts. No other FUE method is designed with the minimal-depth extraction approach that makes this regenerative potential possible.

CIT® VS. ARTAS VS. NEOGRAFT

CIT® delivers the best results available today. As Dr. Cole was perfecting CIT®, though, other advancements in FUE became available. Two advancements, in particular, receive a lot of marketing.

Each system lacks the unique benefits of CIT® while also having major pitfalls. Look at the table below to better compare these new FUE techniques.

CIT® Vs. ARTAS Vs. Neograft Comparison

Features

ARTAS

Neograft

CIT® (Cole FUE)

*Wang F, Chen Y, Yang C, Li C, Zhang H, He J, Li M, Lei T, Lei H, Liu B, Zhang W. Using the follicular unit extraction technique in treatment of male androgenetic alopecia. BMC Surg. 2024 Nov 15;24(1):358. doi: 10.1186/s12893-024-02655-1. PMID: 39543552; PMCID: PMC11566358.

Note Dr. Cole's clinical observations indicate that patients treated with CIT® combined with ECM therapy regularly achieve near-complete graft yield by 4½ months, earlier than typically observed without regenerative adjuncts. Results are based on practitioner clinical data and individual outcomes will vary.

The real truth, as the chart indicates, is that hair transplants quality depends on both the instruments and the clinic.

ARTAS and Neograft both heavily market to patients, leading many to assume that these brands offer superior results.

However, both Neograft and ARTAS have their detractions as well. Neograft’s system can be too intense for follicular health while ARTAS leaves visible scars and has a higher transection rate than truly experienced FUE surgeons and technicians.

Specialists who use these devices rarely, if ever, develop the skills of an experienced FUE hair transplant surgeon. Neograft is particularly notorious for minimally training its own technicians who then fly to different clinics on an appointment-by-appointment basis. Meanwhile, ARTAS technicians and surgeons must undergo significant training as well as pay a $1 per hair graft royalty, leading to a higher FUE hair transplant cost.

CIT®, on the other hand, emphasizes the surgical team’s experience and skill. Forhair exclusively uses Cole Instruments, the sharpest punches in the world, to ensure quality fue hair grafts each and every time. Emphasis on true minimal invasiveness also offers a unique benefit we already cover: donor regeneration. Forhair, a case by case, proves itself to offer superior artistry and superior methods for truly impressive results.

Reasons to choose CIT®

What to Expect on the Day of Your CIT® Procedure

A standard CIT® procedure at Forhair follows this general sequence:

8:00 AM

8:00 AM - Hairline Design and Consultation

Dr. Cole meets with you to finalize the hairline design. This is a collaborative, artistic process. No extraction begins until both physician and patient are aligned on the aesthetic outcome

9:00 AM

9:00 AM - Local Anesthesia and Extraction Begins

The donor area is prepared and anesthetized. Dr. Cole and his trained team begin extracting individual follicular units using Cole Instruments.

12:00 - 13:00 PM

Midday - Rest and Recovery Break

Patients take a break for lunch. The extracted grafts are stored under controlled conditions during this period to preserve viability.

Afternoon - Implantation Phase

Follicles are placed into the recipient area with precision, following the natural direction and angle of your existing hair. This phase determines the naturalness of the final result.

End of Day - Aftercare Instructions and Follow-Up Scheduling

Before leaving, you receive detailed post-operative instructions and schedule your follow-up appointment.

Note Procedure duration varies based on graft count. Most patients are able to travel home the same day or the following morning.

FUE Questions and Answers

Do FUE Hair Transplants Work?

An FUE hair transplant is considered the gold standard in hair restoration surgery. The transplanted hair from the donor to the recipient area will grow and thrive.

Is a FUE Hair Transplant Painful?

An FUE hair transplant surgery should not be painful during the procedure. However, mild tenderness should be expected after the procedure. Discomfort should subside in a few days and can be managed with over the counter pain killers.

Is It True That FUE Grafts Have a Poor Survival Rate?

The survival rate has many variables, such as the quality and type of hair, though if instructions are followed, the minimal survival rate is 97% of the grafts.

Why Is CIT® Better Than Neograft?

The air pressure used in Neograft’s extraction process can damage the lower portion of the follicle, reducing graft viability. Additionally, many Neograft procedures are performed by traveling technicians with limited training, not by experienced surgeons.

CIT® is always performed by Dr. Cole and his personally trained team. Every graft is extracted by hand using precision instruments designed by Dr. Cole himself. The transection rate for CIT® is under 3 percent. Neograft transection rates vary by operator and have been reported at significantly higher levels in the literature (Avram, Watkins, 2014)

We often repair damage from automated devices.

Does CIT® Leave Scars?

CIT® is specifically designed to minimize scarring. The punch instruments used are calibrated for minimal depth, which means extraction wounds are small, heal quickly, and do not produce the linear scar associated with FUT (strip) procedures.

For most patients, any evidence of extraction in the donor area is undetectable once the hair grows back in. This is one reason CIT® is the preferred technique for patients who wear their hair very short.

Can I Wear My Hair Short After a CIT® Procedure?

Yes. Because CIT® does not produce a linear scar and leaves only small, scattered extraction points in the donor area, patients can wear their hair at a short length without visible evidence of surgery.

What Is the Transection Rate of CIT®?

Transection refers to the accidental severing of a follicular unit during extraction, which renders it unusable. CIT® achieves a transection rate of under 3 percent. By comparison, industry averages for standard FUE range from 5 to 15 percent, depending on surgeon experience, while robotic systems report transection rates of 0.4%–32.1%.

Is CIT® More Expensive Than Robotic FUE?

The cost of CIT® is assessed on a case-by-case basis. In some comparisons, the per-graft cost of ARTAS-based procedures is higher, partly because clinics using that system pay a royalty fee per graft to the manufacturer, a cost that is passed to the patient. CIT® pricing reflects the time and expertise of a highly trained surgical team, not a machine licensing model.

* Wang F, Chen Y, Yang C, Li C, Zhang H, He J, Li M, Lei T, Lei H, Liu B, Zhang W. Using the follicular unit extraction technique in treatment of male androgenetic alopecia. BMC Surg. 2024 Nov 15;24(1):358. doi: 10.1186/s12893-024-02655-1. PMID: 39543552; PMCID: PMC11566358.

Disclosure The information on this page is provided for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Hair transplant results vary depending on individual patient factors, including hair characteristics, degree of loss, and donor density. Consult with a qualified hair restoration physician to determine which procedure is appropriate for your specific needs.

Advanced FUE: Minimal Scarring and Scalp Recovery