Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE is a popular method of obtaining follicular units or grafts during a hair transplant surgery. Alternately known as the FUE harvesting method, follicular units are directly extracted from the areas of strong hair growth and placed on areas of scanty hair growth. This particular method differs from strip harvesting or Follicular Unit Transplantation where an entire strip of hair is extracted and the individual strip is then dissected into multifarious grafts that can be placed on areas of scanty hair growth.
Today, we will be taking an extensive look at FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction – why it is performed, whether it’s worth investing in this particular method or not and of course other such important aspects. However, before delving into these details we’ll be looking at the brief history of FUE Hair Transplant. So, let’s unravel.
This particular method of hair transplant actually has its origin in Japan. The process, in fact, was first described by Masumi Inaba in the year 1988. He was responsible for initiating the use of 1-mm needle for extracting follicular units as well. Then it was in the year 1989, that FUE went on to be successfully carried out on public patients in Australia. It was Dr. Ray Woods who carried out these surgeries. In 1996 FUE was filmed as a Good Medicine program for the very first time.
However, the year 2002 turned out to be quite a milestone for FUE since William. R. Rassman and Robert M. Bernstein officially made it a part of the medical literature. Pick up the publication “Follicular Unit Extraction: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Hair Transplantation” to find out more in this regard.
Not many know, but let us tell you that this particular procedure can actually be carried out to transfer hair from body to the scalp as well. It was Ray Woods who first tested it successfully in the year 1998. It has also been opined that though body hair usually grows up to 4 cm, when transplanted on the scalp, it can actually grow up to 15 cm.
Comparisons: Should you invest in FUT or FUE?
Since FUT or Strip harvesting and FUE are the two most popular methods of hair transplant surgery, comparisons are inevitable. In fact, these comparisons are helpful for those mulling this surgery at the soonest as well. We will discover more about the same in the course of this post.
Now, since FUT involves cutting the strip of hair and then dissecting the same in to individual grafts instead of obtaining individual follicular units one by one (that’s what happens during FUE), it is presumably completed faster than FUE.
However, it should not be forgotten that cutting off a strip of hair actually leaves behind a scar which definitely takes times to heal. Since there is no severing of a strip of hair involved in FUE, one can well gauge that there is no scar to deal with as well. The recovery time, as such, is faster when it comes to FUE.
Now, it will not really be justified to judge the efficacy of FUE arbitrarily. Yes! It’s actually very important to weigh the pros and cons of FUE before you’re actually jumping the gun. One of the best bets to take in this regard would be to look up the online reviews offered by the patients themselves. These reviews will definitely help you put things in the right perspective. You can look up the internet in order to find out why we are saying so.
The reviews are as detailed and as credible as they can be. We will tell you how. Now, you will find patients sharing their “FUE experience” in details – i.e. the year they had gone through this surgery, how their hair looked at the beginning, what the status of its growth is right now, whether they have been able to notice the desirable changes or not, the treatment cost shelled out by them, whether they’re mulling another surgery because they were not satisfied with the previous results or not – and so on.
In short, you can actually go on to unlock answers to many of your questions simply by going through these reviews.
The credentials of the surgeon roped in by you will also go on to play a major role in actually making all the difference between a highly satisfying experience and a regrettable one. Make sure you are only driven by realistic expectations. Let us tell you that hair transplant cannot really go on to deliver overnight results.
The old hair will fall off in 2-3 weeks and the new hair will start growing in a month or so. It is extremely important on your end to ensure that you’re doing your groundwork properly before you’re stepping inside the clinic.
Your surgeon should ideally tell you about the entire process thoroughly before initiating FUE surgery. You can find a qualified surgeon only after you have conducted thorough background research of the same. It will not really be difficult for you to procure as much information as you would want to. It’s quite natural for you to reach out for recommendations. However, do not really go on to rely on a single recommendation blindly. It is so important on your end to ensure that you are embarking on research which is as detailed as it can get. We have already told you about the reviews – what a crucial role they can play in your search – how they can help you put things in the right perspective. Make sure you are personally visiting clinics and surveying the hygiene standards maintained there and getting an overall vibe in order to gauge possibilities associated with your treatment.
We hope that this primer has been of help for you. Read more in order to stay duly informed and make a wise decision.