FUT Hair Transplant

FUT Hair Transplant

FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation), also known as strip surgery which is today’s gold standard hair procedure. Follicular Unit Transplantation is a hair restoration technique in which  a strip of skin having small clusters of hair or follicular units are removed from the donor area of hair (the area in the back and sides of the scalp where hair is more resistant to balding) and inserted into the recipient area (the bald area of your head) as individual follicular units (naturally occurring groups of 1-4 hairs) so that it will look totally natural and be undetectable as a hair transplant . FUT has replaced “mini-grafting” (more than one follicular unit typically in groups of 2 to 8 hairs) which was the dominant surgical hair restoration procedure in the late 1990s, often produced a pluggy, unnatural look.

Candidate for FUT-

The procedure is best suited for more extensive hair loss and in patients where the main concern is the maximum use of one’s donor supply. The hair is maximized because of the precise nature of stereo-microscopic dissection and the fact that all the hair is harvested from the mid-portion of the permanent zone where the hair is most dense and stable.

The FUT Procedure-

Anaesthesia

It is usually performed under local anaesthesia, which is firstly administered in the donor area and then in the recipient area.

Selection of the donor area:

The donor area is the area of the scalp (generally the back and sides) where hair-bearing skin is removed during a surgical hair restoration procedure. For hair transplants to be effective, the hair in this area must be permanent- meaning they should be resistant against balding. Minimizing the scar from the donor incision is a critical part of a successful hair transplant procedure. A fine donor scar allows a person to keep his/her hair relatively short after the hair restoration (if one wants to do so) and increases the amount of hair that can be harvested (removed) in subsequent hair transplant procedures.

Single Strip harvesting & care of the donor area:

The hair transplant doctor extracts a strip of skin tissue from the donor area .The whole process is performed with care and precision in order not to harm the adjacent follicular units. The dimensions of the extracted strip vary, depending on the amount of the follicular units needed and the potential of the donor area.
With the end of the single strip harvesting, the doctor implements the appropriate suturing technique. The stitches will be removed in approximately 2 weeks.

Follicular units’ harvesting:

The follicular units are then harvested from the strip through stereo-microscopic dissection. By using microscopes, the strip is further cut into slices which, in turn, are dissected into individual follicular units (groups of 1-4 hairs). Follicular units are complete anatomic and physiologicstructures, keeping them intact during the follicular hair transplant will ensure their maximum survival and growth. They are sensitive biological structures so particular attention is needed in order to preserve them intact and ensure their viability. Follicular units are very small structures, however, and only careful stereo-microscopic dissection by a skilled and experienced surgical team can ensure that they will be kept whole and will not be damaged during the various phases of the hair restoration process.

The extracted follicular units are then classified according to the number of hairs (1, 2, 3 or more) they have. Until the time they are processed, follicular units are preserved in a holding solution at specific temperature.

Follicular units’ preservation:

The extracted follicular units are kept in physiological saline solution which prevent desiccation/dehydration to follicular units until the time they will be reimplanted.There are a variety of solutions that are used for grafts to be stored during the hair transplant procedure to maintain their viability and insure maximum growth. In our practice, we are currently using HypoThermosol.

Marking and creation of the recipient area:

The surgeon designs the area of implantation(hairline) according to the desire of the patient.

By using needles, the doctor creates the recipient sites at the balding area of the scalp. Specific standards should be followed, regarding their distribution, size & direction and further attention is needed in order not to disturb the elasticity and microcirculation of the recipient area and thus ensure the proper preconditions of growth and nourishment for the implanted follicular units. In order to mimic the natural hair growth and provide maximum density, the recipient sites should be as small as possible and closely situated. 
During the recipient site creation, the extracted follicular units are being processed in order to be appropriate for implanting.

Follicular units’ placement:

The surgeon starts placing the follicular units into the incisions with great attention. During this process, the surgeon observes all the basic principles of flawless placement.

• He places the follicular units at the proper angle & direction, taking into consideration the growth conditions of the recipient area

• He aims at a natural & refined hairline by using single follicular units

• 2-hair follicular units are placed exactly behind the single follicular units and 3-hair & 4-hair follicular units are placed at the central area of the scalp (and the crown if needed)

Hairline Designing & Creation:

Age, facial characteristics, facial symmetry & style are parameters that are carefully assessed during the hairline design. Single follicular units are placed at the recipients sites of the hairline, in order to mimic natural hair growth.
Specific skills and aesthetic perception are therefore required by the doctor for the design and creation of the hairline, in order to be as suitable as possible to the patient΄s profile.

After the end of the placement, the doctor ensures the proper placement.

Hair Growth

Restored hair will grow in the same fashion as one’s native hair. Approximately three months after the procedure new hair begins to grow. Around six months, a patient should notice significant re-growth. The patient’s hair (native and transplanted) will continue to grow naturally.

ADVANTAGES OVER FUE:

The main benefit of FUT is the quality of the hair that is being transplanted, with this usually of a much better standard than the matter that is extracted and harvested with FUE. As all of the hair is originating from the “healthy” area of the head, patients are unlikely to see any future problems with their new hair. This is in comparison to FUE, where cases have been heard in which the replacement hair has started to fall out again due to the fact it arises from areas of poor quality.

FUT Advantages:

  • The FUT hair transplant procedure is more economical (typically half the price per graft of FUE) . FUT prices starts from £1,700

  • Natural-looking and permanent results.

  • The FUT hair transplant also enables a patient to move much larger numbers of grafts/hairs to the balding areas during a single surgical session.

  • The advantage of the FUT hair transplant is that the procedure of implant is much quicker than other surgical or non-surgical hair transplants.

FUT Disadvantages:

The Follicular Unit Transplant technique implies more risks or disadvantages concerning the final cosmetic result of the donor area. The cosmetic results are due to the fact that the FUT hair transplant technique is more invasive and leaves a linear scar in the donor area. Although the scar fades with time, it will still be a bit visible, however concealable by letting your hair grow a little.

Before any cosmetic treatment takes place with the Aesthetic Beauty Centre, a qualified surgeon will outline the entire process, including potential side effects. Our surgeon Dr. Ashish Dutta, operates a number of clinics in the UK, including two in the North East.