Follicular Unit Excision, also referred to as FUE is becoming the latest favoured treatment for hair transplants. The procedure works by extracting individual hair roots from a part of the top where normal healthy hair regrowth occurs, like the side or back of the head. These individual follicles are then inserted into the areas of the head affected by hair loss. If the procedure is successful, new hair growth will begin that occurs in areas where they have been implanted.
Naturally this is a very specialised and complex procedure, but to date the success rates are high and with speedy recovery times and leave no noticeable scarring.
However, much like any medical procedure there are some faqs by patient’s that people want to answer.
How long will my head stay red?
The FUE procedure can be executed within just 1 day, inserting new hair follicles extracted from the scalp into thinning areas. In the long run, there will be no noticeable scarring to patients, but due to the nature of the procedure, the top will show some signs of redness and tissue trauma where in fact the new follicles are inserted. However, this will only last 3-7 days with the right aftercare.
May I transfer from beard to head?
It’s not unusual for men with thinning hair to have no problems at all growing a full beard, which often leads to the question of whether beard hair can be utilised for scalp implants. Ordinarily scalp hair follicles are preferred for FUE because they are more consistent with the others of your hair and better in quantity and quality. However, when there is a lack of suitable hair follicle donors from the scalp, then you'll be able to use beard hair follicles as a replacement source.
Can I have a brief “buzz cut” with FUE?
If you want to wear your hair short and even go for a “buzz cut” after having FUE this is entirely possible and you can shave it any time after the procedure as it won’t affect the healing process. Naturally in the first stages there may be some obvious signs of FUE, but as we utilize the latest electronic punch extraction and insertion technology, there must be no long term obvious scarring or redness to the scalp donor or recipient areas.
Is FUE possible on afro-style hair?
We’re often asked if FUE can be done with afro-style or very frizzy hair types, or if they can only just have Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) that takes strips of hair roots. The answer is yes, FUE is completely possible with this sort of hair. However, the procedure could be a little more time consuming, as the curly hair follicles tend to grow in a slightly different angle within the skin. If you are seeking to undergo this procedure, we'd highly recommend deciding on a surgical team like Artius Clinic, who've experience working with these sorts of hair follicles and so are alert to the potential challenges.