FUT vs. FUE Hair Transplant Comparison – Facts, Scars, Cost and Healing
It can be difficult to find all of the information you want and need about hair restoration, although this information is very important when it comes to deciding which procedure is right for you. This article will provide a comparison between FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) hair transplants.
What is Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)?
This technique used in FUT is that a donor strip is taken from the donor zone. The donor zone is usually an area on the sides or back of the scalp. Once the donor strip is taken, it is grafted on to the area of the scalp where the hair needs to be replenished. After this, individual or small groups of follicles are harvested and transplanted to recipient areas. There is usually a small, linear scar associated with this procedure.
What is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)?
On the contrary, FUE is when a substantially larger amount of follicular units are harvest from a larger donor zone in order to obtain an ample amount of grafts. The surgeon culls each individual follicle one by one, and by doing so, the scars are much smaller and less noticeable. One the follicles are extracted, they are then transplanted to the essential areas. This process can be a very long one and is sometimes split into many shorter sessions.
Comparing Scars After Procedure
As far as scarring is concerned, FUE is the better choice for those who do not want noticeable scars. Whereas the scars with FUE are small and round, FUT will always leave a longer linear scar on the patient. Even though when the actual scarring is measured in both procedures, the scar area resulting from FUE is 7-10 times greater than that of FUT, it is scattered throughout the scalp, whereas the scarring from FUT is localized and, therefore, more noticeable.
However, once the graft has been taken in FUT, in follow-up sessions the new donor graft can be taken from the same donor zone. Therefore, even if there are multiple procedures, the amount of linear scarring is minimal. Also, since the donor area is much smaller in FUT, it is possible to go back to that same area numerous times. Whereas with FUE, it is only possible to harvest follicles so many times before the patient’s hair begins to appear thin.
Time and Cost
Because of the fact that FUE is a much longer process, the cost will appear much higher than that of FUT. The doctors are working many more hours to transplant each individual graft. However, some places are using new robotic technology that can save a lot of time, but the patient will end up paying more for these services because the transaction rates are higher.
Conclusion
It is up to the individual to choose which procedure is right for them. However, FUE has been recommended for patients who:
- Like to change their hairstyle a lot
- Like shorter hairstyles
- Have already had treatments before
