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If you’re considering a hair transplant, there are several techniques to choose from. Some of these techniques have pros and cons, and you should speak to your doctor about which is right for you.
Today’s hair transplantation methods harvest and transplant hair „follicular units“ in natural groupings, mimicking how your hair grows. This leaves no linear scar and gives your new hair a more natural appearance.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a hair transplant technique that harvests individual follicular units from the donor area individually. It’s a minimally invasive procedure done at clinics like Hair Restoration Clinic of Boca Raton that leaves no strip-scar or linear scar appearance, making it the most natural-looking hair restoration method.
The FUE process involves micro-punching with a specialized punch less than 1 mm in diameter. The punch is used in a complex multiple-step process that extracts the hair follicles one by one without interfering with your scalp skin.
Before performing FUE, a surgeon will perform a FOX test. The test measures the ease and completeness of graft extraction to determine whether FUE is appropriate for you.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a more commonly performed hair transplant technique. It removes grafts from a healthy donor area on the back of your head and then transplants them into thinning areas.
In FUT, a strip of hair-bearing tissue is removed from the donor area and stitched up before the follicles are isolated with a scalpel. The follicles are then dissected into individual follicular units under microscopic observation.
The small follicular units are then individually implanted into the recipient area. These follicular units contain between one and four hairs each.
FUT is generally a painless procedure. However, it does require post-operative care and recovery time. In addition, it leaves a scar in the donor area that is visible on your scalp.
Follicular Unit Implantation (FUI)
Follicular Unit Implantation (FUI) is a hair transplant technique in which individual follicular units are removed and transplanted to balding areas. It has become increasingly popular in recent years because of its ability to provide natural-looking results, especially among male patients.
This procedure involves removing a long, linear strip of hair from the back or side of the scalp (known as linear harvesting). The strip is then dissected into thousands of small follicular units using stereo-microscopic dissection.
The follicular units are then transplanted to areas of balding or thinning hair. The grafts are so small that they are virtually undetectable after a short healing period.
This procedure is less invasive than the traditional strip harvesting method but requires careful attention to detail and time. Surgeons must avoid injuring the underlying hair matrix cells with the transaction. Forceps must be carefully controlled not to crush or manipulate follicular units, which could lead to irreversible damage.
DHI
DHI – or Choi Method – is an advanced hair transplant technique that offers many advantages over FUE hair transplant. It provides more precise results, less pain and bleeding, and fewer transplantation marks.
DHI does not require opening canals before grafts are placed into the scalp, reducing trauma and improving graft survival rate in the recipient area. It also enables patients to recover faster and ensures that they return to their daily lives quickly after surgery.
In DHI, a follicular unit from the donor area is extracted using a specially designed disposable instrument with a diameter of 1 mm or less. The follicles are preserved in a unique solution at a specific temperature, which enhances their development after placement.