FUT Hair Transplantation

Follicular Unit Transplantation, more commonly referred to as FUT, is the original method developed to harvest and to transplant individual follicular units.  This technique is what first allowed hair restoration surgeons to design and create natural looking hair lines as opposed to the 4mm hair plugs that were used previously.  The process of performing FUT involves surgically removing a strip of scalp from the back of the head and then dissecting the surgically removed strip under a microscope into individual follicular units that can then be transplanted into the areas of hair thinning or hair loss.  The strip is harvested from an area of the scalp where the hairs are resistant to DHT, the hormone that causes hair loss in male pattern baldness.  This area in the back of the scalp is referred to as the donor area.  The hair follicles from the donor area will maintain their resistance to DHT, which allows them to be transplanted into areas of hair loss where they will then continue to grow on a permanent basis.  After the strip of scalp is harvested the scalp is closed using a technique called a trichophytic closure which helps minimize the width of the scar.

Here at Premier Hair Restoration we offer FUT hair transplantation in addition to the more widely used FUE procedure.  Dr. O’Dea was trained specifically in the FUT technique during the course of his fellowship in hair restoration surgery, and although it is less common than FUE, it does offer certain benefits compared to the FUE harvest technique that are appropriate for certain patients, including those who have previously had FUT procedures and those with more severe hair loss patterns.  Contact us at (210) 642-2291 to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about FUT and other hair loss treatments we offer.  We are excited to help you achieve your hair restoration goals.

What are Follicular Units?

Follicular units are the grafts we place into areas of hair loss.  They are made up of small clusters of hairs with shared blood vessels, nerves, glands, and muscles.  The number of hairs in a follicular unit ranges from one to four or more, with an average between 2.5 to 3 hair follicles per follicular unit.  Because we graft follicular units and not individual hair follicles, if you get a surgery with 2000 grafts there will likely be somewhere between 5000 to 6000 hairs that are transplanted in total.

What is FUT?

FUT is the harvesting of a strip of scalp from the donor area in the back of the head, which is then dissected under the microscope into individual follicular units.  During the strip harvest, care is taken to make the incisions at the same angle as the hair follicles in order to minimize cutting through the hair follicles in the process.  Once the strip is removed the wound is closed using first a deep set of sutures followed by sutures of the skin under minimal tension using a trichophytic closure.  Closure under minimal tension helps keep the scar as narrow as possible.  While FUT does create a linear scar and is less common than FUE at this point in time, performing FUT allows for harvesting more total grafts over a lifetime as opposed to FUE.  Additionally, for those who have had FUT previously, the original scar is removed during the course of the procedure leaving you with a scar similar to the one that was present previously, only slightly longer.

What is a Trichophytic Closure?

Trichophytic closure is a technique where the top layer of the skin is removed from either one or both edges of an incision before it is closed.  This allows for hair follicles underneath to grow back closer to the edges of the scar that forms, allowing the scar to be more easily disguised by the surrounding hair.  A trichophytic closure is a standard part of the FUT procedure.

What are the Benefits of Hair Transplantation?

The benefits of hair transplantation are numerous.  Hair transplantation allows you to fill in areas of hair loss or thinning, as well as allowing you to build a new hairline if your hairline has receded.  This is performed using your own hair which will then grow for the remainder of your life.  The transplanted hair can be cut and styled just like the rest of your hair.  Most patients report feeling an increase in confidence, both personally and professionally, as well as feeling an increase in attractiveness after hair transplantation.

What are the Benefits of FUT?

The benefits of FUT include:

Who is a candidate for FUT?

FUT has long been the primary harvest method for women seeking hair transplantation because it requires minimal shaving of the hair on the back and sides of your head and the scar is easily covered by the hair above after the surgery.  Women with female pattern hair loss as well as men with male pattern hair loss are excellent candidates for FUT.  Men and women who have scarring from burns or trauma may be candidates for FUT depending on the location of the scarring.  Both men and women with certain types of scarring alopecia may be candidates if the underlying cause has been successfully treated.

Personal Consultation

Dr. O’Dea will provide a complimentary consultation to any person seeking to learn more about possible options for hair transplantation.  This will include evaluation of your hair loss pattern and history of hair loss, as well as discussion of your family history of hair loss and your hair restoration goals in order to personalize a hair restoration plan for you individually.

Hair Transplantation Planning 

An individualized and properly developed surgical plan is the most important aspect of a successful hair transplant.  This planning phase is where the art meets the science.  We at Premier Hair Restoration will take into consideration multiple pieces of information including your hair loss pattern, your family hair loss pattern, your age, your medical history, and your personal hair restoration goals in order to create a surgical plan that is designed for you individually to give you the most natural result possible.  A natural appearing hair transplant is the ultimate goal.  This includes incorporating undulations, curves, and minor imperfections into the hairline to help create the most natural appearance possible.

Preparation for Surgery

Minimal preparation is required for most hair transplantation surgery.  Prescriptions will be sent to your pharmacy prior to the procedure for you to pick up.  You will need to take a first dose of medication the night before in preparation and then will continue with medications for several days after the surgery.  For those with significant medical problems or who take medications that may interfere with surgery, more preparation and planning will be needed.  Several oral medications will be given on the day of surgery to help with the procedure and with the healing process.

Procedure

Hair restoration surgery has five main phases.  The first phase is the planning phase where you and Dr. O’Dea jointly design a hairline that fits you personally and that you are happy with, as well as creating a plan for the distribution of grafts elsewhere in areas of hair loss.  Following the design, local anesthesia is administered to the donor area to allow for the strip harvest.  The third phase of the surgery is the strip harvest.  Following the strip harvest, local anesthesia is administered to the recipient area in the front of the scalp to complete the anesthesia portion of the surgery.  The fourth phase of the surgery is the creation of recipient sites using a small 1mm to 1.3mm scalpel.  This phase is the implementation of the design that was created at the beginning of the procedure, and together with the design phase are the two most important aspects of hair restoration surgery.  The final phase of the procedure is the placement of the grafts into the individual recipient sites.

Recovery

The recovery period after FUT is relatively short compared to other types of surgery.  The surgical incision from the strip harvest will heal enough to have the sutures removed after ten days.  In the recipient area, the grafts can be accidentally pulled out of place for the first few days, so we recommend spending the first two to three days resting in a reclined position.  Beyond the three to four day mark the grafts are much more difficult to accidentally pull out so this is no longer an issue.  The grafts will form a crust over the first several days which will then fall off around seven to ten days after surgery.  Most patients report only mild to moderate pain after surgery that is easily treated with Tylenol, ibuprofen, or a mild prescription pain medication such as tramadol.

What is the Cost of FUT?

Most patients can expect a cost of around $4.50 to $5.00 per graft for FUT surgery depending on certain variables.  This is in line with what people may find in other cities across the country.

FAQ