FUE vs. FUT Hair Transplant: Which Transplant Surgery is the Best?

Hair transplantation is the process of transferring a section of hair from a healthy region of the body to an area that is suffering from hair loss. FUE (follicular unit extraction) and FUT (follicular unit transplantation) are two prevalent ways of performing the procedure. This article is intended to assist you in distinguishing between FUE vs. FUT hair transplants and determining which is most appropriate for you.

What is FUE?

FUE hair transplantation entails plucking individual hair, one at a time. For each excision, the surgeon uses a micro-punch instrument to cut. The hair is then transplanted to the areas of the scalp that are suffering from hair loss. The donated hair is delivered to the recipient locations via small incisions. The amount of scarring on the tissues is more or less minor, measuring only up to a millimetre in diameter at its most severe point.

In other circumstances, infection and tissue death may result from follicular unit extraction. It's also vital to remember that the procedure is time-consuming and complicated, taking one to two months to complete. It is an outpatient operation conducted under local anaesthetic, and you may return home immediately after the procedure, allowing you to continue your normal routine.

What is FUT?

When doing a FUT hair transplant, it is necessary to surgically remove a part of the skin from the donor region before grafting that piece onto the recipient areas, where micro-incisions are made for each hair strand. Your hair transplant specialist will need to remove the sutures after 10-14 days, at which point you will need to return.

This treatment is conducted outpatient surgery under a local anaesthetic like the last one. The donor region of the scalp normally has an extended scar from which the surgeon takes the skin, but the recipient area usually has a micro-incision. The scarring left by the incisions usually fades within a week after the follicular unit transplantation procedure.

Advantages of FUT

1. FUT provides more coverage. For example, when a significant region of the scalp requires hair implantation. When compared to FUE, FUT might offer the illusion of more fullness.
2. The procedure normally takes between 4 and 12 hours and does not last for many months.
3. When compared to FUE, FUT is more cost-effective.
4. This technique is ideal for individuals who want to preserve their long hair. It is possible to conceal the surgical scars with hair since they are not visible.

FUT Cons

1. The healing period is lengthy, and it may take up to 10-14 days for scars to disappear.
2. The linear scars in the donor region do not go away completely, even if contemporary surgical methods have made it possible to minimise their appearance.

Advantages of FUE

1. Scarring is limited, with no potential of a visible scar due to the procedure. The post-operative scars appear as spotty scarring that is scarcely discernible to the naked eye.
2. The FUE procedure is recommended for those who want to maintain their hair shorter and need fewer grafts overall.
3. When compared to FUT, the recovery time for FUE is shorter.

FUE Cons

1. The technique for hair transplantation is time-consuming.
2. FUE is a more costly procedure.

The Price of Hair Transplantation

The cost of an FUE hair transplant is often more than a traditional hair transplant, as each hair is extracted and implanted individually. Depending on how many implants are necessary for a particular patient, the cost of the treatment will vary. Depending on the circumstances, the cost might range from $4,000 to $15,000. The cost of FUT hair transplantation, on the other hand, ranges from $4,000 to $10,000.

The difference between FUE and FUT

The most significant distinction between the FUE hair transplant and FUT hair transplant is how the hair is harvested. FUE hair transplant scars are less noticeable than those caused by FUT hair transplant scars, which are more like small dots. A linear scar caused by a FUT hair transplant is visible at the back of the head, whereas a dot-shaped scar from the FUE hair transplant is visible only at the front of the head. Most patients who have had FUT hair transplantation will want to grow their hair long to conceal linear scars.

Generally speaking, FUT hair transplants take less time to complete than FUE hair transplants. However, this may vary depending on the patient and the volume of hair transplanted.

How does FUT Procedure Work?

When a surgeon performs a FUT procedure, they remove a piece of skin from the back of your head. This depends on how many follicles are required to cover bald areas. The width of the strip is typically between 0.4 and 0.6 inches (0.8 and 1.2 cm). Once you remove each follicle, it's reinserted into your scalp.

Between four and eight hours are required for a hair transplant surgery. It is often faster to do FUT surgery than FUE surgery. A local sedative numbs the scalp of most patients, allowing them to remain conscious throughout the procedure.

1. The surgeon will re-draw your hairline, note the extraction region, and take photos for your medical record throughout the procedure. Before surgery, you may be able to take a sedative. Your scalp will be anesthetized with a local anaesthetic.
2. The donor site hair is cut to a length of roughly two millimetres before your hair is removed.
3. Hair follicles are removed from the scalp and utilised as a transplant by the surgeon. During the procedure, you will be awake and conscious.
4. Individual hair follicles will be removed from the strip by a technician and prepared for implantation.
5. Sutures will be used to seal your scalp.
6. A natural-looking pattern of hair follicles will be implanted into the areas of your scalp where you are losing hair due to ageing or genetics.
7. Your scalp will be treated with an antibiotic and bandages.
8. The majority of patients notice improvements within six to nine months after surgery. Some folks have to wait a year before they notice any progress.

How does FUE work?

Hair follicles are harvested from the back of your scalp and transplanted to balding regions. Eventually, these hair follicles will produce new strands of hair. This procedure is known as hair transplantation.

The following is a broad guide on what to anticipate throughout the procedure:

1. Your scalp will be numbed with a local anaesthetic once your surgeon shaves it.
2. Hair follicles will be extracted from the back of your head using a fine-tipped instrument by a surgeon.
3. Pen-shaped equipment will be used to load and implant the hair follicles into the balding area of your scalp.
4. All surgical incisions will be bandaged and treated with an antibiotic cream.
5. A typical FUE or DHI procedure takes roughly eight hours to complete; however, the duration depends on the number of hair follicles being transplanted. The surgery's full effect may not be apparent for another 12 to 18 months.

Which Type of Hair Transplant is the Most Appropriate?

The decision between FUT hair transplant and FUE hair transplant will be based on several parameters addressed in detail during your appointment with your doctor. Patients who need more hair grafts due to more severe hair loss are often better candidates for a FUT operation, as FUT grafts typically provide more follicles for transplantation.

For people who just need a small number of grafts or who prefer to return to their normal activities as soon as possible after their transplant, FUE transplants may be a better option, as the recovery period after the FUE surgery is often quicker due to the technique being less intrusive.

To identify which treatment is best for your transplant requirements, your surgeon will talk to you and examine the number of grafts required and the quality of the donor's hair, and the volume of donor's hair available, among other factors.

Hair Transplant Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it possible for the same person to have FUT and FUE?

Yes, the same person may have both procedures. Depending on the circumstances, FUT surgery may be done initially, resulting in the scalp being too tight to execute further FUT surgeries. If this happens, the surgeon will have the option of switching to FUE surgery for any following treatments.

2. What is the average time a surgical hair transplant procedure takes?

FUT hair transplant operations may take anywhere from four to twelve hours, but the FUE surgery might take up to ten hours or even longer for completion. There may be some patients who will need to return the following day to have their procedure finished.

3. If you get a hair transplant, will you have any scarring?

The answer is yes, and there is scarring after a hair transplant. Hair is extracted and transplanted using FUE, which results in little, dot-like scars on the scalp where the hair was taken and implanted. In the case of a FUT transplant, a linear scar appears at the rear of the head, where a strip of scalp is removed for grafting purposes.

Conclusion

We believe that FUT is the ideal option for patients on a budget, as it is less expensive, more convenient, and produces excellent outcomes.

Despite this, many patients who are worried about "skin being removed" during FUT prefer FUE. FUE may be performed on patients with minimal baldness and those who want short hair, as well as those who have sufficient financial means and desire to have short hair.

FUT is preferable to FUE if the patient needs more grafts. Combination is also possible which is termed as the hybrid method of doing a hair transplant. Some clinics may consider using body hair as well with the viewpoint that when scalp hair isn't an option for quantity needed you should choose body hair. Our experts however do not propagate such falsehood as it is well understood and acknowledged that aesthetically body hair will never match the needs of your scalp hair. Hence the final word of caution for such a debate would be to be watchful of such wrong interpretations.