What is a Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) hair transplant?

Hair loss affects up to 85% Trusted Source of men and 40% of women. Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and other hair transplants are minimally invasive surgeries to help cover bald spots caused by hair loss.

There are two predominant types of hair transplantation currently in use:

• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

In FUT surgery, a surgeon cuts a strip of skin from the back or side of your head and extracts individual hair follicles. These follicles are then inserted into the balding parts of your scalp. The surgery works best at covering a receding hairline caused by male pattern baldness.

Keep reading to find out what you can expect during FUT surgery, who the best candidates are, and how FUT differs from FUE.

How does a FUT hair transplant work?

During FUT, a surgeon cuts a strip of skin from your scalp, usually from the back of your head. The exact size of the strip depends on the number of follicles needed to cover bald spots. The strip usually doesn’t exceed 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide. Once the individual follicles are removed from the strip, they’re re-inserted into your scalp.

Hair transplant surgeries take between 4 and 8 hours. FUT surgery is generally quicker than FUE surgery. Most people stay awake during the surgery with a local anesthesia that numbs their scalp. Know More.

Procedure for FUE Hair Transplant.

Here’s how the FUE procedure works:

1. Your surgeon will shave down the hair in the area where follicles will be removed as well as around the transplant area.
2. Using a micropunch tool, they will remove follicles from your skin.
3. Your surgeon will then make a series of tiny incisions with a needle or other small, sharp tool where the extracted follicles

1. The surgeon will re-draw your hairline, mark the area of hair extraction, and take photographs for your medical record. You may have the option of taking a sedative before surgery. Local anaesthesia will be applied to your scalp to numb it.
2. The hair at the donor site, where your hair is removed from, will be trimmed to about two millimeters.
3. The surgeon will cut out the strip of skin with the hair follicles that will be used as a graft. You’ll stay awake during the surgery.
4. A technician will remove individual hair follicles from the strip and prepare them for transplantation.
5. The surgeon will close your scalp with sutures.
6. The hair follicles will then be inserted into the balding parts of your scalp in a pattern that looks natural.
7. An antibiotic and bandages will be applied to your scalp.

Most people see results from the surgery in 6 to 9 months. Some people have to wait a year to see results.

What is the Recovery Time for FUT Hair Transplant?

After the Follicular hair transplant surgery, remove your dressing before going to sleep. Go to the hair transplant surgeon for follow-ups.

• Visit surgeon after 10-12 days to remove stitches.
• The transplanted hair will fall out 2-3 weeks after surgery. This will make way for the growth of new hair. After 8-12 months, you will notice a substantial amount of hair growth.
• There may be temporary numbness around the donor region which will recede in a few months. The average FUT hair transplant time to see the proper results is around 1 year.
• After your FUT surgery, it would be better to take a week off before you resume your work.

FUE Transplant Results – Before and After Pictures.

After FUT hair transplant, your hair will be shed after 1 month. The new hair will start to grow 3-4 months after hair transplant surgery. In the beginning, the new hair will be fragile and fine, but as it will grow longer, it will become thick and strong.

After 6 months, you will experience substantial hair growth. Eventually, you will see the result of FUT hair transplant. Your hair will attain the same quality as your donor hair from which follicular units were harvested.

Hair transplantation: FUT vs. FUE

Individual hair follicles are transplanted in both FUT and FUE procedures. A surgeon removes a strip of skin from the back or side of your head and then harvests the hair follicles during FUT surgery. Rather than removing a strip of scalp skin, your surgeon will remove individual hair follicles straight from your scalp during FUE surgery.

FUT has certain advantages, such as being a better alternative if you require a high number of hair follicles transplanted, a quicker procedure duration, and less expensive surgery.

FUE has some advantages, including a faster recovery period, reduced pain after surgery, and the absence of a noticeable scar.

Even if you have a low hair density, hair from different body regions can be utilized.

The most sophisticated approach of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is robotic hair transplantation. Traditional treatments are usually time-consuming, unpleasant, inconclusive, and yield short-term results.

What is the cost of an FUE hair transplant procedure at Dermaplast?

The cost around  Rs. 15 to Rs. 30 per hair grafts at Dermaplast Clinic

Takeaway

FUT surgery is a method of extracting hair follicles from the back or side of your scalp and using it to cover bald spots. The surgery is considered generally safe and can create a natural-looking result if done properly by a trained surgeon. The surgery leaves a scar at the site of hair extraction, so if you usually wear your hair short, FUE surgery might be a better option.