FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) Hair Transplant
A follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplant involves removing individual hair follicles from a donor site (usually the back of a patient’s head) and then implanting them into other areas of the scalp where a patient is experiencing balding/thinning. The number of grafts used depends on each individual case and how large the areas of concern are. Approximately 2,500 grafts can be harvested in one sitting and is important to note that some patients may require multiple FUE sessions depending on the severity of hair-loss, a person’s age or ability to extract from donor area.
Some common questions include:
What is the difference between an FUE and FUT? FUT is follicular unit transplantation and involves the excision of a strip of skin at the back of the scalp. This strip is then harvested of all of its follicles and then these and re-implanted back into the balding/thinning sections of the patient’s scalp. The major downside to an FUT is the patient is left with a large scar from where the donor area is taken from. The upside to FUT is it is usually cheaper and less time consuming of a procedure. Benefits of FUE in comparison to FUT include:
Less scarring
More grafts can be harvested
Healing and recovery time is decreased
Less invasive of a procedure
Greater options for future hair styles.
Who is suitable to have an FUE? Unfortunately, not everyone will be an ideal candidate for an FUE and a thorough consultation with a practitioner is advised. It is suitable for patients with mild to moderate thinning but may be considered in severe thinning patients if the donor area is suitable for the patients desired results and whether the end goals are achievable. Both men and women can receive transplants and medical history, hair-loss progression and current medications should be discussed during the initial consultation.
Can the grafts fall out and how long does the transplant last? The good news is once the grafted hair has been transplanted, they do not fall out! Yet, in saying that some considerations should be taken into account for each patient including: diet, life-style, hair-loss, history, genetics, health status, medical conditions, comorbidities, compliance with post-transplant care and more.
The main issue and concern usually aren’t the longevity of the transplanted hair, the issue surrounds the natural hairs surrounding the transplant as they may continue their progression of hair fall, causing the site to look thin again over the course of a few or many years into the future. These issues will be taken into account before going ahead with the FUE with such treatments as PRP possibly being used to aid these concerns. In some cases, a patient may need a second or third FUE completed to achieve desired results.
Is it expensive and why do a lot of people travel overseas for this procedure? The price of the FUE is dependent on the number of grafts needed per patient hence a thorough consultation with a practitioner is required to ensure a sufficient estimate is given. Generally, the standard market rate is $8 – $12 per graft as a general guide. At BioCell clinic our prices start from $5000 for 500 grafts through to $8500 for 2500 grafts.
Some people will prefer to travel overseas as the prices in countries such as Turkey and Iran are a lot cheaper (roughly around $1000 – $2000). However, this does not include the cost of flights, accommodation, food expenses and use of holiday leave so overall the price will end up working out roughly the same or more. Yes, there are many reputable international clinics that perform transplants but there are also downsides with include:
Minimal ongoing support and inability to ask follow up questions and discuss queries and complications.
No long-term reviews or follow up between clinic and patient
Over-harvesting of donor site is common
Some clinics hire non-medical professionals to carry out the surgery.
How long does the procedure take and will it hurt? The length of the procedure will vary depending on case to case and how many grafts are being transplanted. Anywhere between 6-12 hours. The practitioner will use a numbing agent such as lignocaine to numb the scalp before starting the procedure and top up throughout the procedure accordingly.
How long from start to finish until I see results and what is the downtime like? In the first week the patient may experience swelling, tenderness/pain or itchiness in both the donor area and the transplanted area of the scalp. This is totally normal and should start to settle after 1 week. During the first 1-3 days we ask the patient to sleep elevated and not consume any alcohol, ibuprofen, aspirin or blood thinners of any kind. Some scabbing from the grafts will be noted and will begin to fall off themselves over days 4-13. Your clinician will go through a scalp washing routine with you post procedure.
By 2 weeks the grafts are fully embedded and normal hair washing routine can commence.
In 1 month, the grafts will start growing and it will be recommended by your practitioner to commence PRP injections at this stage to aid with transplanted and non-transplanted hair. The donor area should be healed and look completely normal but some of the surrounding skin near the grafts may still appear slightly pink and shiny as its healing. By 2-3 months the grafts will continue to grow, and slowly begin to thicken in area.
At 3-5 months the grafts may go through a shedding phase which is a normal part of the hair regrowth process. Hair has a 90-day growth cycle regardless and these hairs should grow back thicker and fuller.
Maximum results will be achieved by 12 months.