What is FUE Hair transplant?
FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is a modern hair transplant technique that involves harvesting individual hair follicles from a donor area (usually the back or sides of the scalp) and transplanting them to areas with thinning or no hair. This method is widely used due to its minimally invasive nature and natural-looking results. Follicular Unit Extraction is the method of Hair Transplantation where instead of taking out a piece of skin with all of its hair, individual grafts are harvested one by one from a larger area.
Follicular Unit Extraction is most widely used and the most reliable method of hair transplant being utilized for the permanent and scar-less restoration of hair. FUE is so effective surgical method that it is impossible to distinguish transplanted hair from natural hair. Results are natural and undetectable.
How is FUE done?
The procedure is performed in the OPD under Local Anesthesia. Anesthesia is given to prevent any discomfort to the patient during the procedure.
FUE is the method of extraction donor hair directly from donor site in a follicular unit hair transplant procedure. An instrument is used to make small circular incisions in the skin around a follicular unit while separating it from the surrounding tissue. The follicular unit is directly extracted from the scalp leaving a small open hole.
This process continues until the surgeon accumulates large number of follicular units for the planned hair restoration. For single session, this procedure can take two to three hours whereas for long session, it may be accomplished over two consecutive days. The donor scars are approximately 1mm in size which completely heals within ten days.
Before the grafts are harvested, tiny “recipient sites” are made in the balding area of the scalp using a fine needle-point instrument. The follicular units are then placed into the recipient sites where they will grow into healthy hair-producing follicles. The creation of recipient sites and the placing of follicular unit grafts are essentially the same in both FUE and FUT procedures. The difference lies in the appearance of the donor area and in the quality and quantity of grafts obtained with each technique.
How is hair transplant possible?
The basic principle of hair transplantation is that of donor dominance – that the occipital area consists of androgen-resistant hairs and are therefore permanent – and they retain this property when transplanted to other areas. Hence, these hairs are retained even after being transplanted and do not fall off.
How is Hair transplantation done?
There are 3 basic steps:
- Harvesting grafts from the donor area
- Creating holes in the recipient area
- Implanting grafts into these holes
There are two main methods of harvesting grafts
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT): In this method, a strip of skin is taken from the back of your head, which is sutured closed. This strip is dissected into grafts under a microscope.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE): In this method, grafts are individually harvested one by one from the back of your head instead of taking an entire piece of skin.
How are holes made for the hair transplant?
The hairline is designed in consultation with the patient, we design the hairline to be as natural as possible. Another thing we do is we distribute the grafts in a CUSTOMIZED MANNER. We Place the single hair grafts in the front to give beauty and larger grafts in the back to give volume. This gives a better result.
Implanting the hair transplant grafts
This is done by a team of 3 people to give the best result:
- The hairs have to go in quickly, the longer they stay out the lesser chance of survival.
- The grafts have to be handled as carefully as possible and not be damaged.
What is biostimulated FUE?
It comprises of hair transplantation by FUE along with 3 to 6 sessions of Platelet rich plasma therapy which simultaneously enhance residual hairs as well as transplanted hairs by presence of high concentration of growth factors directly near the hair roots and stimulation of STEM CELLS.
In this hair follicles to be transplanted are preserved in a special solution enriched with patient’s own growth factors and at the end of surgery this concentrated solution of growth factors is injected into the whole affected area.
With biostimulation, a good proportion of transplanted hairs remain in growth phase (ANAGEN) and directly start growing after transplantation.
Direct Implantation @ Delight
We do hair transplant with the modification of Direct Implantation (DI) in which hairs are implanted back as soon as they are harvested which decreases the time they are out of body to a few minutes as compared to a few hours in other techniques. This ensures maximum hair survival and excellent results.
Another special technique of Implantation we do is NO TOUCH TECHNIQUE in which hair roots are not touched at all and hairs are held by skin only during Implantation. This minimizes the chances of hair root damage and ensures excellent results.
We specialize in performing Mega sessions and Giga sessions in which we routinely transplant upto 6000 follicular units/grafts (around 15000 hairs) in single session.
Fue Hair Transplantation – Frequently Asked Questions
FUE hair transplant might be for you if you are looking for permanent fix for hair. Although the results are different for different people, you can expect the results to last a long time. This is good news for those who no longer want to worry about hair loss. The results of the FUE transplant procedure will last a lifetime as long as the graft is chosen carefully from the permanent area. Also, hormonal changes should not affect the graft. Some patients may experience a depletion of their donor area as they age. In this case, the transplanted hair can experience the same phenomenon. However, this does not apply to all patients.
Of course, the procedure is absolutely safe. But each procedure can be different, which means that some people can have an adverse reaction. However, most patients who undergo this procedure do not have problems.
In Follicular Unit Extraction, also known as FUE, hair follicles units are separated. Follicles naturally occur in groups of 1-5 hairs in the donor scalp area. Depending on the case, FUE can be done manually or using a piece of automated equipment or both. The extraction method used depends on whether the hair is curly, sharply angled, long shafts, etc.
The method of removing individual hair units allows collection without leaving linear scars on the scalp. Immediately after the procedure, several small wounds appear in the area where the hair has been removed. After about 3 to 5 days the wounds close and the resulting small scabies disappear after the first week. In the next week, it will be challenging to determine where the graft has been removed.
Most patients rest 2-7 days after the procedure to recover. While FUE scars usually heal in 3 to 4 days, it takes up to 10 days for the donor area to heal correctly and be free of scabies. Individual results may vary.
Patients usually report almost no pain during or after the procedure. We use ice pack over the donor area with vibrator for giving local anesthesia so that the patient will not feel any pain before the procedure. In rare cases, patients may experience mild discomfort, itching and swelling after the procedure, which resolves within a few days. We provide patients with pain relief medications after the procedure.
As soon as the transplanted hair enters the anagen growth phase after 3-4 months, new hair starts as thin and fine hair. Hair will become longer and thicker in the next few months. Coarse hair becomes visible between 10 and 12 months, and the result is seen around 12 months after FUE. Please note that each individual is cured at different rates and results vary depending on the patient.
Yes. The transplanted hair is removed from back of the scalp (donor site) and transferred to bald site (recipient site). The transferred tissue is not “rejected” as it is not foreign tissue. The transplanted hair maintains its own characteristics; colour, texture, growth rate, and curl, after transplantation and re-growth. The vitality of the grafted follicle is maintained by the rich blood supply to the scalp.
Before the operation, for one week: • Avoid exertion-relax. • Avoid smoking/alcohol, too much coffee/tea. • Use anti-dandruff shampoo for three days before surgery. • The day of surgery be at our center on time; • Have food before coming. Do not come on an empty stomach. • Leave hair on donor site long
On the day of surgery: • Relax. • Watch television/listen to music. • Have light easily digestible food. Avoid spicy food. • Take the painkillers as prescribed. • Avoid jerky movements of the head. • Use a soft pillow to sleep. The next day-return to the center to remove the bandage. After removing the bandage, you may start shampooing the scalp. This will help remove the crust in 4-5 days.
It is not necessary. You need to be available at the clinic only for four to five hours. You are discharged the same day and can attend work next day.