The Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant technique is one of the industry-leading types of hair restoration surgery today. The FUE hair transplant results that people enjoy are the reason that most of the reputable hair restoration clinics offer this type of procedure.
FUE is a much less invasive procedure than the traditional Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) technique, which is sometimes known as “strip harvesting.” The FUE hair transplant results, as opposed to the FUT technique, are somewhat of a highly debated topic in the hair restoration industry. FUE hair transplant results may look a bit different than the results from a FUT procedure due to the difference in how the individual hair follicles are harvested and reimplanted back into the scalp. Your results typically depend on the skill and experience the doctor has with hair transplants.
What Are Common FUE Hair Transplant Results?
The long-term FUE hair transplant results as opposed to the FUT technique have a lot to do with not only the individual patient’s hair transplant needs, but also sometimes good old-fashioned luck. With the FUT technique, the hair transplant surgeon will go in and harvest a long strip of tissue from the donor area containing the hair follicles and then separate the individual follicular units before transplanting them to the balding area. This will most often leave a long linear scar where the hair follicles were harvested.
With the FUE technique, the individual hair follicles are extracted from the donor site and retransplanted to the balding area, follicle by follicle. However, even with the FUE technique, there are some instances where scarring will occur. When scarring does occur with the FUE technique it will manifest as small dot-like scars scattered around the donor area. Again, this is mostly dependent on the skills of your surgeon. Choosing a hair transplant doctor at a clinic like Best Hair Transplant in La offers the combination of skill and affordability most hair transplant patients are searching for.
In order to really understand why people from around the world have experienced or do experience the best FUE hair transplant results, we need to take a look at how the FUE technique was discovered. Then we can see just how different it is from all the other hair transplant techniques out there today. We’ll explore that topic and more in this article about FUE hair transplant results 1 year after a procedure.
A History of Follicular Unit Extraction
Hair Transplants in Japan
Way back in the 1930s and before anyone was enjoying any kind of FUE hair transplant results, it was the Japanese that were the first to perform surgical hair restoration. Dr. Shoji Okuda, a dermatologist by trade, was the very first doctor to perform a successful hair transplant surgery. Dr. Okuda’s mission was to help burn victims and those with severe scalp injuries. He performed the first successful procedure by extracting massive sections of hair-bearing scalp and implanting the sections into the fire-damaged tissue of his patients. Eventually, and with enough care, the implanted scalp took root and began to grow new hair.
In the 1940s another Japanese dermatologist, Dr. Tamura, begin dissecting the large, extracted areas of follicle-bearing tissue into individual grafts and then implanting the individual grafts into the areas affected by burns and damage. This new technique was a groundbreaking discovery at the time. However, due to the tensions between Japan and other nations of the world at that time, coupled with Japan’s reclusive nature, kept their groundbreaking hair transplant discoveries to themselves.
It wasn’t until 1952 that the United States successfully performed a hair transplant surgery. Unfortunately, the results of these initial hair transplants were far from as extraordinary as today’s FUE hair transplant results.
Hair Transplants in the US
Dr. Norman Orentreich, an NYU Dermatologist was the first doctor to perform a hair transplant in the United States. Doctor Orentreich was the creator of the good old-fashioned “hair plug.” This technique involved taking large punch grafts consisting of dozens of hairs from the back of the head and haphazardly transplanting them to the front of the scalp. Back in those days, and without Japanese science to compare it to, everyone in the U.S. thought this technique was a little short of magic. The downside to the hair plugs was the terribly unnatural appearance of the transplanted hair with each of the grafts being separated by large spaces. Hair plugs at that time generally looked like they belonged on a doll’s head instead of the head of the unfortunate human that had the plugs.
Early in the 1990s, Doctor Bobby Limmer was the first to successfully transplant hair by transplanting individual follicular units and thereby inventing FUT. Dr. Limmer began doing strip excisions on the posterior scalp and then using a stereomicroscope to dissect the strip into individual hair follicles. This modernized technique revolutionized the hair transplant industry in the United States and said goodbye to the unnatural hair plug look.
However, just a few years prior to this, it was the Japanese again who first pioneered the FUE technique. One Dr. Masumi Inaba was the first to attempt a hair transplant by using 1mm punches to extract individual hair follicles, as opposed to “strips” of tissue. (Pathomvanich & Imagawa, 2010).
FUE Hair Transplant Results Compared to FUT
FUE hair transplant results as compared to the FUT method have been studied by hair transplant specialists since the two methods became the most mainstream hair transplants available on the market. The process that the patient undergoes is much difference between the two procedures, but the results between the two are very similar.
The FUE procedure is much less invasive and is known to be less painful during the procedure as well. There is much less residual scarring with the FUE technique as well and a great deal less time spent recovering from the procedure. This is due to the fact that FUT removes a section of the scalp, while FUE removes small follicular bunches. Because of all this, the FUE technique has quickly become the most popular in the United States and beyond.
An FUE vs. FUT Hair Transplant Study
In a study published by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), FUT vs. FUE Graft Survival: A Side-by-Side Study of 3 Patients Undergoing a Routine 2,000+ Graft Hair Transplantation, three male patients were selected between the ages of 35 to 60, all with severe male pattern baldness. None of the three patients had ever undergone any hair restoration surgery. Additionally, none of the patients took any medication for hair loss.
So how did the study work exactly? The researchers drew a line down the center of the three men’s scalps and performed the FUE technique on one half of the scalp, and the FUT technique on the other half of the scalp. All three patients then followed up with the researchers at 4, 8, and 12 months. At that point, the researchers remeasured. The results were surprisingly similar. FUT was slightly better than FUE in 1 patient while FUE was slightly better than FUT in the other 2 patients. However, the difference was very low and never more than 2.7% in favor of FUE.
So, what it really boils down to is the procedure itself. With the FUT procedure, you will experience more pain, it’s more invasive and the recovery time is much longer than with the FUE technique. With the side-by-side results being so similar, and even slightly favoring FUE, it is clear why the FUE procedure is much more popular around the globe. However, that’s no reason to discount the value of FUT transplants. Many patients can benefit from both procedures. In fact, at Best Hair Transplant, many patients receive both FUT and FUE transplants to completely restore their lost hair.
The Long-Term FUE Hair Transplant Results
Unlike the outdated “hair plugs” the FUE hair transplant requires time before you are rocking that full head of luxurious hair. This is because after the hair follicles are extracted, processed, and reimplanted it takes a while before they start to grow. In fact, often two or so weeks after a FUE hair transplant surgery, patients begin to notice some hair loss. This almost always causes panic and confusion. However, it is completely normal. This is a process called hair separation. Here, the old hair sheds, while the root of the follicle remains intact. After the old hair is shed, this will allow the hair follicle to grow all new hair.
At about 4 months after the procedure, patients begin to see some FUE hair transplant results as the new hair from the implanted follicles begin to grow. At this stage, and in some patients, the growing hair will lack the strength to penetrate the scalp resulting in a condition called folliculitis. Frequently, people mistake Folliculitis for an infection. However, there is no inflammation or other symptoms of infection and folliculitis generally goes away within 10 days. If the discomfort from folliculitis becomes unbearable to you, a quick trip to the clinic will clear it right up.
Between 4 and 8 months after the FUE hair transplant, the implanted hair begins to grow and thicken at a much higher rate and density. At this point, we suggest you spend a great deal of time looking in the mirror appreciating the FUE hair transplant results. At this time, the new hair can look a bit brittle and less pigmented than normal. However, as time goes on the pigmentation will return and the new hair will regain its strength.
Our Specialists at Best Hair Transplant Can Make It Happen
1 year after your FUE hair transplant, you will see the results that you dreamed of prior to your procedure. The hair follicles will have implanted fully, and the hair will have grown long and strong. At the one-year mark, the only change you will see in your hair going forward is that will continue to thicken as time goes on.
If you want to make sure that your FUE hair transplant results will be what you dream of, our specialists at Best Hair Transplant can make it happen. Our surgeons are hair transplant surgeons, not dermatologists. These FUE hair transplants results come from people just like you. We make it our business to deliver only the best possible FUE hair transplant results. If you’re considering a hair transplant, we can help you achieve your goals too. These results can be yours. Call us today for a complimentary consultation.
SUFFERING FROM HAIR LOSS?
Best Hair Transplant is the best place to schedule your hair transplant in Los Angeles. We’ve helped both men and women regrow their lost hair. But don’t take our word for it. We suggest learning as much as possible about hair restoration. Do so prior to making a decision on how to address your hair loss. Not every procedure is right for everyone.
At Best Hair Transplant, we’re proud of our results and happy to provide hair restoration services. Additionally, we’re proud to make hair transplants affordable and help you save money on a variety of hair transplants.
To ensure your ease of mind, you can view our customer recommendations HERE on our Testimonials page. Furthermore, you can also see our Google reviews and Yelp reviews. We can’t wait to help you start restoring your lost hair.
YOUR HAIR RESTORATION SOLUTION
Best Hair Transplant
1970 S. Prospect Ave., Suite 2
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(213) 403-0455