Most societies are increasingly concerned about the phenomenon of turning bald, particularly among the youth and some seniors. A study reported that up to 85% of men and 40% of women suffer from hair loss. Even though hair loss can happen for several reasons, androgenetic alopecia is the most common, usually because of genetics or if you have a family history of the condition; There are topical solutions and prescription medications for treating hair loss depending on the source of the hair loss. FUE and FUT are the preferred hair transplant procedures for patients who suffer from significant hair loss; for this reason, we want to compare FUE vs. FUT Hair Transplant method.

In the 1990s, the introduction of Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) gave women, and men hope that they could look younger and more vibrant even after they reached an advanced age as they had the opportunity to rejuvenate their appearance.

‘Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)’ became one of the most advanced techniques for hair transplantation with time. The two hair restoration techniques are both highly effective, resulting in a high level of patient satisfaction. How do they differ from each other? What follows is an explanation of this.

Hair Transplantation Using Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

The surgeon removes a linear strip of scalp from the donor area during FUT. Following that, the specialist may cut up the strip into 500 to 2,000 follicular grafts inserted into small incisions made on the recipient area. A linear scar is left behind after FUT. Nevertheless, the scar will be barely noticeable since the hair will cover it up.

The donor area must be accessed to remove a piece of the scalp in this procedure. The occupation is usually where donor sites are located. Sutures hold the field or donor area together once the surgeon has removed the strip. Based on the length of the strip that was extracted, the suture leaves a linear scar. The scar tissue can expand ear-to-ear in some instances.

In each micro-incision, the hair follicles are grafted onto the recipient areas following the scalp strip. Your stitches can be removed ten days after they are placed. Additionally, this procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia.

For long-term supply, the degree of looseness or laxity of the scalp skin and the number of hairs per square centimeter of donor scalp are the determining factors. FUE vs. FUT, the FUT hair procedure grants access to a higher donor hair yield in a lifetime relative to FUE.

 

 

FUT Advantages

Scarring is the primary concern of patients when choosing an appropriate hair transplant procedure, and FUT is not particularly successful here. Sadly, FUT leaves behind an unsightly scar around the patient’s back, giving them a somewhat unattractive appearance.

However, FUT has several advantages that make it a prevalent method of hair transplantation. Some of the main advantages are described as below:

• As FUT produces more grafts and thus can cover a more significant portion of the scalp, it is excellent for patients with progressive hair loss or baldness.
• A donor area does not have to be extensively shaved before FUT. It ensures that the after-surgery appearance of the patient is not drastically altered.
• A single linear scar occurs in the donor area after FUT, and it can easily be concealed under existing hair.
• Resulting in fuller and denser hair due to the use of 1-4 hair strands per graft, FUT can yield more natural-looking results since it uses follicular grafts.
• Faster surgery compared to FUE, considering the donor area size and number of grafts needed. Surgery typically takes four to twelve hours. The FUE procedure, on the other hand, can take up to 10 hours, depending on the donor area, since several thousand grafts may be needed. There may be times when the FUE procedure takes longer than a single day to complete.
• There is usually a lower cost for FUT than for its alternative FUE.

 

 

Who Is an Ideal Candidate for FUT?

FUT can be used in patients with long hairstyles or balding patches, or areas that need many grafts to cover.

Hair Transplantation Using Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

In FUE, an incision is made in a micrometer diameter at the back of the head, the same part that individual follicular units are harvested. Depending on the condition, these follicles are then transplanted into balding or thinning areas of the scalp. As a minimally invasive procedure, only tiny incision marks are left behind, eventually healing and being hidden by the new hair that grows in.

Both manual and robotic FUE procedures are available. Handheld devices are used by the surgeon to extract the hair follicles in manual FUE. Meanwhile, Robotic FUE is performed by a robotic instrument made by Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the guidance of a surgeon. Grafts are drawn from donor locations (the sides and back of the head) for the FUE hair treatment. A micro-punch tool is used to remove each follicle graft.

Follicular unit extraction transplantation leaves little round scarring that is up to a millimeter wide after the procedure. There could be hundreds or even thousands of scars in the areas where hair follicles have been removed, depending on how the extraction occurs. Following the healing of these puncture scars, they may appear like small white dots. There are typically one to four strands in each of these follicle scars.

Through small incisions, recipients are continually receiving donated hair. It will take many hours, maybe even days, for this to end. To get the best results, the FUE procedure can be performed several times over within the course of two to three months. This procedure doesn’t require stitches, and it usually doesn’t take long for the patient to recover. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure.

 

 

Advantages of FUE:

• FUE can also be performed using a robotic device, which results in exceptional precision and accuracy. To guarantee optimum results, the robotic system can scan your scalp and identify areas of healthy hair to use for follicular graft extraction.
• Even though the procedure is minimally invasive and is performed under local anesthesia, there will be minimal discomfort or pain.
• A short recovery period is possible with FUE since no skin grafting or stitches are required. Within a couple of days after surgery, most patients are able to resume normal activities.
• Scarring occurs throughout the donor area, and it is usually minute and circular in shape. Unlike other hair transplant surgical procedures, the scars from these surgeries are nearly undetectable and will be covered by your hair.
• There is a short recovery period (5-7 days) for patients.
• FUE has a lower risk of causing swelling and pain than FUT; however, results can vary from person to person.

 

 

Who Is an Ideal Candidate for FUE?

The FUE method of hair transplantation is best for patients with short hair since it can be performed in a smaller area. It is appropriate for younger or those who are suffering from hair loss in the very beginning.

For both of these methods, we have a separate plan; if you want to know more about the price, destination, and all other things, go to the service page.

Quality of Grafts in FUE vs. FUT Hair Transplant

FUT involves carefully separating the follicular units with protective tissue intact from the donor strip on the scalp using stereo microscopes. Generally, clinical assistants who undergo extensive stereo-microscopical dissection training produce high-quality grafts.

FUE is a procedure in which the surgeon takes individual follicular units from the donor site. As the upper part of the follicle cannot be directly visualized during harvesting, there is some risk of cutting through the follicles (transecting them). Under the skin, the direction of hair follicles can only be estimated. FUE often results in damaged or missing follicular units because the protective layer is stripped away during the surgery. Compared to manual FUE techniques, robotic FUE hair transplantation provides a better and more consistent quality of grafts in FUE, reducing the critical difference between FUT and FUE procedures.

Is It Possible to Have Both Fut and Fue on the Same Individual?

In short, yes. If FUT is performed first to maximize the yield of the initial procedure(s), subsequent sessions may end up being complicated due to the tightness in the scalp or a wider donor scar. In that circumstance, the physician can use FUE in subsequent sessions. The doctor may use FUE to harvest follicular units, which are then implanted into the widened scar, which conceals it. The patient may also turn to FUT if the results of FUE are not satisfactory, either during subsequent surgery or otherwise.

Scars in FUE vs. FUT Hair Transplant

FUT involves taking a strip of tissue from the midpoint of the donor area, then sewing or pressing it closed, leaving a single, often fine scar. It is usually hidden by hair and cannot be seen unless the hair is concise.

An individual who has previously undergone FUT hair transplantation can have a second strip procedure without the initial scar when the donor strip is removed. This means that no matter how many FUT procedures a patient undergoes, they will only have one linear scar.

Even with short hair, the incredibly small white dots left by FUE can be hard to see. Many people who have cropped or very short hairstyles are attracted to FUE due to these benefits.

As an alternative to removing the dots, the patient can do FUE more than once, adding scarring to those already present. Those scarrings can result in distorted follicular units, complicating future treatments. The total supply of available donors also limits FUE due to this factor.

Donor Hair Utilization in FUT vs. FUE

Furthermore, in FUE, more follicular units are extracted from the middle portion of the donor area than in FUT. In the donor area, follicular units at the outer edges tend to experience balding more rapidly, while those at the center tend to resist balding more quickly.

When FUT is performed, the donor strip is removed from the mid-portion of the permanent zone, while in FUE, grafts are taken from a wider area so that a sufficient number of grafts can be obtained. Therefore, FUE may result in some follicular units being sucked out of the scalp by the balding process.

The FUE procedure usually results in 20% of the follicles being harvested, compared to 100% with FUT / Strip. To ensure adequate hair for transplant, the surgeon may decide to harvest hair both from the upper and lower donor margins.

Consequently, the results may be low-quality hair or non-permanent. It is possible to end up with a visibly thinned donor area if the amount of hair removed from the mid-portion of the permanent zone is too much.

Follicular Unit Extraction leaves hundreds to thousands of tiny scars as the wound is left open to heal. The scarring within adjacent follicle units damages adjacent follicles and increases the difficulty of subsequent sessions. In addition to this, a limited supply of FUE donors is also impacted by these factors. In FUT, the scarring is consolidated into one single line – even after multiple procedures.

An overview of FUE vs. FUT

In summary, both treatments have their advantages and disadvantages. So we could conclude that FUE is the optimal choice for those who care more about the aesthetic aspects of their chosen procedure; it is also the best treatment for those who wish to wear their hair short.

The FUT, however, is a better option for people who are more concerned about the quality of the results of their transplants and who are not so worried about the appearance of their heads after getting the treatment.