After carefully cleaning your scalp, a surgeon numbs your required head area using a small needle with local anesthesia. Then they obtain hair follicles for the transplant. Two primary techniques used to obtain follicles are [4]
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) — FUT
In this method, the surgeon uses a scalpel to make several inches-long incisions on the scalp and cuts out a part of the skin from the back of the head. The incision is then closed with the help of stitches.
The next step is to isolate the removed part of the scalp and separate it into numerous small segments called grafts using a sharp surgical knife and a magnifying lens. When implanted, these segments help attain natural-looking hair growth. There are two main types of grafts:
- Slit grafts- usually comprise 4 to 10 hairs per graft
- Micro grafts- typically include 1 to 2 hairs per graft. It depends on the degree of coverage needed.
The advantages of FUT over FUE are that it has a shorter operative time, less transection rate (accidental cutting or harming of the hair bulb), and is less tiring and time-consuming [5].
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) — FUE
In the FUE procedure, hundreds to thousands of tiny punch incisions are made at the backside of the head, and the hair follicles are cut out directly. Then, the surgeon uses a blade or needle to make tiny holes in the zone of your scalp that's getting the hair transplant and smoothly places the hair in the pits. The doctor may transplant hundreds or even thousands of hairs in one treatment session.
After the grafting, bandages or gauze will protect and cover your scalp for a few days. A hair transplant session can take up to 4 hours or more. The stitches are removed about ten days after the surgery. Some advantages of FUE over FUT include
- Not visible scarring on the donor site
- An increased number of harvestable grafts
- Donor site laxity and density are not a significant deterrent
- Post-operative pain and healing time are also less [6]
You may need up to three to four sessions to achieve your desired full head of hair. Sessions are kept a few months apart to allow each transplant to heal completely.