Hair Transplant Surgery: What Are the Different Types Available ?
Today, there are lots of different types of hair transplant procedures available. These methods vary because there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to hair restoration procedures since there’s no ‘typical’ hair transplant patient. The right one for you will depend on what type of hair loss you have and how many grafts you want. If you chose Qunomedical as your partner for your procedure, this can be discussed with your Patient Manager and your chosen doctor.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE, FUE harvesting)
The FUE technique is one of the most popular hair transplantation methods as it’s the least invasive and has minimal downtime.
The FUE method involves a specialist harvesting hair follicles from a donor area — usually the back of your head — under local anaesthesia. These follicles are then transplanted to where your hair loss is to create a natural, uniform look. FUE is traditionally performed by using steel blades to make the incisions for transplantation, however, some clinicians prefer using tools such as sapphire blades, which are becoming increasingly popular.
Some surgeons use ARTAS for an FUE hair transplant, a robotic surgical technique that uses algorithms to detect viable hairs for transplantation. Robotic technology can allow for greater precision and is currently used at a number of reputable clinics.
The number of hair grafts that you have transplanted through the FUE method will depend on the extent of your hair loss and the eligibility of the hair in your donor area. In most cases, patients usually have around 2,000 grafts transplanted. Doctors and clinics may advise that the maximum number of grafts that can be transplanted during one FUE session is around 4,000-5,000.
FUE hair transplant before and after at Suzermed, Istanbul.
Direct Hair Implantation (DHI)
Direct hair implantation, or DHI, is a similar technique to FUE. However, it differs in that DHI uses a special tool known as a Choi Implanter Pen. This allows extracted hair grafts to be implanted straightaway and more precisely, reducing the risk of the hair follicles becoming damaged.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT, Follicular Unit Strip Surgery, Strip Harvesting)
Developed in the 1950s, FUT involves a surgeon removing a strip of skin from the donor area (usually the back of the patient’s head) under local anaesthesia, dividing it into smaller grafts, and then implanting them into place on the recipient sites.
With this method, the patient has a permanent scar in the place where the scalp was removed, and the recovery time is around two weeks. FUT is an old school method that’s less commonly undertaken due to the fact that it leaves scarring following treatment. However, it can still provide effective, natural-looking results and in some cases, it may be the only viable method, depending on your circumstances.