FUE Hair transplant Technique

Table of contents

1. Introduction and Basics of FUE Hair Transplant
2. Steps in FUE hair transplant
3. Advantages of FUE
4. Modifications of FUE

FUE stands for Follicle Unit Extraction.

FUE hair transplant technique is hair transplant in which hair grafts are extracted from donor area with small needle ( punch ) without cut. Steps of FUE hair transplant has been described below

What is Follicular unit or Hair Graft

Hair with its root is called Follicle. Root of hair is 5 mm deep to your skin. If barber cuts your hair than it does not contain the root , as  So that is called hair . It cannot be labelled as follicle.

On our head , Hair stay in groups of 1 – 4 hair. There are 1 -2 mm distance between these groups.

And this group of hair with roots of each hair is called Follicular unit. When we remove this follicular unit from your head then this is called graft.

So one follicular unit = one graft = 1 – 5 follicles ( average 2 follicles ) = 1 -5 hair ( average 2 hair )  .

Bald area ( Recipient area )

Bald area recieves new hair hair so it is called recipient area in hair transplant . We will use “Recipient area” terminology for this.

Donor Area

Donor area is area from where we take out hair to insert in bald area . We take hair from areas where hair are relatively DHT hormone resistant. Mostly hair at your  sides ( just above and behind your ears ) and back of head  , beard hair , body hair are very less sensitive to DHT . So we can take hair from these areas to implant in bald area .

Following are steps in FUE hair transplant technique

Step 1 . – Planning and markings by surgeon – Surgeon draws the hairline and show you bald area. Then bald area are markings are shown in mirror to patient. After patients approves the markings . Surgeon calculates the area in square centimeters and decides the number of grafts required to cover area. Planning is most important step in hair transplant . Inadequate planning may give you inadequate density and unnatural results .

Step 2 . – Anesthesia – To make your area pain free during surgery – Local anesthesia is given in both bald area and donor area . To reduce pain we use Buffered local anesthesia at AKESO which causes 50 – 80 % less pain than normal anesthesia injections.

Step 3. Slit pattern making –  Then Slits ( holes ) are made in bald area  ( Recipient area ) which determine hair direction , density , distribution , hairline level and zig zag pattern of hairline. This is called channel making or slit making or slit pattern . Slit patterns decides natural look of your hair transplant so it should be always done by surgeon .

Step 4.  Hair extraction by hair graft punch –   The Punching or scoring is done by modified needle ( called Hair graft Punch ) . Punch has diameter of 0.7 mm – 0.9 mm . Punch tip is like hollow pipe. The edge of this pipe is sharp. Typically hair goes inside the cavity of pipe.  Edge of this pipe cuts skin and other attachments around your hair so that hair graft or follicular unit gets free of its attachments

Step 5 . Pulling out of hair graft with forceps – Once hair graft has been detached from surrounding skin by hair graft punch , we can easily pull it out with forceps . THis comes out of your body and it is called hair graft after that.

Step 6. Insertion of graft into slits – These hair grafts are then inserted in slits ( holes of bald area made by surgeon ) of bald area.