Last Updated on March 28, 2023 by Flavia Calina
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a surgical hair restoration procedure that removes a strip of tissue from the back and sides of your scalp. Then, individual follicular units (hair grafts) are microscopically divided and transplanted to areas where you have thinning hair or baldness.
For women who want to restore their natural hair, FUT and FUE can be great options. However, there are some things you should know before deciding whether a hair transplant is right for you.
Donor Area
The donor area of the scalp is where hair grows naturally and is not influenced by the hormone dihydrotestosterone. FUT transplantation removes a thin strip of scalp tissue from this area, which is then transplanted to areas of hair loss.
If you have androgenic alopecia, which causes thinning and hair loss, you may be an ideal candidate for a Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) procedure. However, you may not be a good candidate for FUT if you are experiencing hair loss due to a medical condition such as a thyroid disorder or alopecia areata.
FUT is a surgical hair restoration technique that involves extracting a single thin strip of scalp tissue from the back and sides of your head. It is then trimmed into individual follicular units under a microscope and implanted into the thinning areas of your scalp.
While FUT requires a longer surgery time, it can produce better results in the long run. This is because it allows you to harvest the same number of grafts from a smaller scalp area than FUE.
Although FUT can result in a linear scar, it is easily hidden by your existing hair. It is also less painful than FUE, and you can return to work and your daily routine immediately following the procedure. It is essential to avoid contact with tight-fitting headgear or pillows for the first six days after your FUT procedure. This is to prevent the formation of micro-wounds in the scalp that may cause so-called shock hair loss, which can take several months for your transplanted hair to grow back ultimately.
Preparation
Many different hair loss treatment options are available to women, but follicular unit transplantation is one of the most effective. This procedure restores a full head of hair, providing an attractive and natural-looking result.
The procedure involves a hair follicle strip harvested from the back or sides of the head called the donor area, which is used for transplanting grafts into thinning areas or balding parts of the scalp. The hair follicles are then placed into the balding parts of the scalp using small slits made in the recipient area by the surgeon at the proper angle, depth and direction.
This process is performed under local anesthesia so you won’t feel any pain during the surgery. Before the hair follicles are extracted, your hair will be trimmed to a certain length (less than 1mm) in the donor area.
After the follicles are removed, the scalp will be numbed, and the patient will be sent home. Some patients may experience some pain the evening of their procedure, but this is usually relieved with Tylenol or aspirin.
The FUE hair restoration method removes individual follicles from the donor area without incisions and leaves no scarring. This technique is a preferred option for many women because it allows us to deliver more discreet, natural-looking results than the older strip method that removed strips of tissue and left an unsightly scar.
Procedure
Follicular Unit Transplantation is a surgical hair transplant that can restore your natural-looking hairline and fullness in balding areas. The procedure involves removing a strip of scalp from the back and sides of the head most resistant to balding, dissecting the individual follicular units into tiny grafts and then transplanting them into recipient sites in the thinning or balding areas of the scalp.
In FUT, a thin strip of tissue is removed from the back and sides of the scalp and then carefully microscopically divided into one to four individual follicular units (grafts). The grafts are then placed into a particular holding solution that mimics the body’s fluids and is refrigerated. At the same time, they await placement in the balding or thinning area of your scalp.
The grafts are then positioned into the balding or thinning area with a fine needle size instrument. The 1-hair grafts are placed at the hairline, the 2-hairs behind them and the 3- and 4-hair grafts in the central forelock area of the scalp.
For women, who have lost significant amounts of hair, Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is an effective method for restoring your thinning or balding scalp. The grafts are individually extracted from the donor area by a hand-held device allowing a fast, minimally invasive procedure with no linear scar or zipper appearance. The process is done under local anesthesia and typically takes less than a day, depending on the number of grafts involved.
Recovery
A surgical hair transplant requires a recovery period, and patients should expect some healing time before they are fully recovered and before results begin to show. This is because the surgery involves removing a thin strip of skin from the back of the scalp, and this needs to heal properly before the transplanted hair can be implanted into the recipient area.
The procedure is also complex and can be carried out by only the best-qualified surgeons in an accredited clinic. At The Maitland Clinic, we will conduct a complete medical examination and discuss your medical history before recommending the most suitable treatment.
Once the operation has been completed, scabbing will form on the donor and recipient areas, although this should go away within 7 to 10 days. The grafts will then shed and enter into a resting phase for around three to four weeks, during which new hairs should begin to grow.
As part of the recovery process, patients should refrain from putting pressure on the grafts as this could cause them to dislodge and affect their results. Swelling in the forehead region may occur, but this should subside within a few weeks and can be easily treated with pain medication.
In most cases, FUT patients can return to work and physical activities three weeks after the procedure. If you are concerned about downtime, discussing this with your surgeon is essential.
