Follicular Unit Extraction vs. Follicular Unit Transplantation
There are plenty of surgical and non-surgical methods for hair restoration. When you visit our New York hair loss clinic, we will be sure to go over all of your options in full detail so that you can make the best decision for your needs. Many people assume that there is only one method of hair transplantation surgery, but that's definitely not the case.
Options for Hair Transplantation
There are several ways that hair restoration surgery can be performed, and each is tailored to the needs of the patient. Our hair restoration surgeons in New York, New Jersey, and Boston will make sure to assess your situation fully so that the most effective hair loss surgery is performed. Two options that are rather popular with patients are follicular unit extraction and follicular unit transplantation. Let's give each of these a look right now, starting with follicular unit extraction.
About Follicular Unit Extraction
Follicular unit extraction or FUE is one of the most recent advances in surgical hair restoration and is among the least invasive. It will involve the removal of individual follicular units, which are natural groupings in which hair grow and share the same blood supply. Generally these units contain one to four hairs.
How Follicular Unit Extraction is Performed
A follicular unit extraction is performed under local anesthetic in order to ensure patients experience as little discomfort as possible. Individual follicular units are removed so that they may be transplanted elsewhere on the scalp.
About Follicular Unit Transplantation
New York follicular unit transplantation or FUT is one of the better known surgical hair restoration procedures. Instead of removing individual follicular units, follicular unit transplantation will involve the harvesting of a strip of skin from a donor area that can then be divided into individual follicular units.
How Follicular Unit Transplantation is Performed
The follicular unit transplantation is performed under local anesthetic in order to ensure patients experience as little discomfort as possible. The strip of follicular units is removed carefully. Under a microscope, the hair surgeon will then divide the strip into individual follicular units that can be transplanted onto the bald or thinning portions of a patient's scalp.
Comparing Follicular Unit Extraction to Follicular Unit Transplantation
Both of these surgeries are good treatments for hair loss and balding, though the approaches are different. Patients who undergo follicular unit extraction generally experience a quicker and more comfortable recovery process than those who undergo follicular unit transplantation. In addition, follicular unit extraction allows surgeons more options on where to harvest follicular units, and FUE may be the only option for patients with tight scalps that are not good candidates for strip harvesting.
That said, follicular unit extraction will harvest follicles from a larger area than follicular unit transplantation. There is the possibility of thinning around the donor area after follicular unit extraction, which can potentially make donor area scars visible. Follicular unit extraction can also take longer to perform than follicular unit transplantation, which may affect the quality of the hair graft growth after hair restoration surgery is completed.
Learn More About Hair Restoration and Transplantation
To learn more about your many other options for hair restoration and hair transplantation, be sure to contact our hair restoration centers in New York, New Jersey, and Boston today. The entire team here looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you look your best. We want to make sure that you have all the information you need to make a decision that leaves you feeling satisfied.