The primary difference between the two effective hair restoration techniques FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is in the way follicular are collected from the donor’s areas, we know that both methods have a high success rate, but we can tell you that in the FUT method the surgeon will remove a strip of the donor skin from patients to extract individual follicular units and move them to the recipient areas that suffer from a hair loss. While in the FUE hair transplant method, the individual follicular units will be extracted directly from the scalp.
As you already know, hair transplant is a surgical and cosmetic technique that extricates hair follicles from one section of the body, which we call the donor area, to a thinning hair section known as the recipient area. This procedure is done to treat male and female hair loss and baldness. Since there are 60% of men and 50% of women suffer androgenetic alopecia and inexorable hair loss around the globe. So, this hair transplant procedure will remedy the medical condition and leave you with more hair than before.
Which one is better: FUE or FUT?
Both FUE and FUT methods will begin to show visible growth of hair within three to six months of the procedure. However, FUE is the oldest punch graft method with a smaller size punch, doctors will use Punch-Neograft-Smartgraft-Artas instrument with a blind view, leaving you with an open wound and hundreds of small punch scars which are normally permanent, these puncture scars may look like tiny white dots post-healing. You should know each of these follicle scars contains one to four strands. However, you only need a 1 cm hair length to cover up the scars, and since it is a more sensitive procedure, it is normally more expensive than a FUT hair transplant. So, in general speaking, the FUE hair transplant method does not reduce the scars, however, it spreads them into hundreds of tiny scars, you can cover them up with the adjacent hair. As we mentioned, there are no stitches needed for this procedure, and the time or recovery is usually short. It is done on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia.
While in FUT hair transplant method, which is considered a more modern technique, doctors will use a blade under direct microscopic vision to harvest the follicular, they will also close your liner wound, usually from ear to ear, leaving you with a one-liner scar, however, the graft in this method will be intact since it comes with the skin tissues, you will need 2 cm hair length to cover up your scars, and it is actually less expensive than FUE procedure.
Furthermore, the FUT procedure has the chance of causing more swelling and pain than FUE, but results may vary individually. However, this procedure grants access to a higher donor hair yield in a lifetime relative to FUE.
Many factors can determine the technique you choose, including:
- The thinning hair area size
- The scarring from transplant procedures
- The pattern of hair loss
- The quality and amount of donated hair
However, we can’t tell you which procedure is better, but we can tell you how to choose the best method based on your case.
How to choose between FUE and FUT hair transplants?
Each process between FUE and FUT has its own pros and cons. While FUT is often described as a more sophisticated technique, although they both provide superlative results. We will tell you about each procedure’s pros and cons.
Pros of FUE hair transplant technique
- A little to no trace of scarring on the scalp of patients.
- Suitable for patients who wish to keep short hair.
- A short recovery period, usually from 5 to 7 days.
Cons of FUE hair transplant technique
- Takes a lot of time, especially the needed time to extract the grafts.
- FUE is more expensive compared to FUT.
Pros of FUT hair transplant technique
- Excellent for patients that require a considerable amount of grafting.
- Shorter surgery time, harvest time will take between 4-12 hours considering the size of the donor area and the number of grafts required in transplantation.
- Lower price
Cons of FUT hair transplant technique
- More visible scarring in the donor area.
- The recovery period is longer, usually between 10 to 14 days.
Choosing the best procedure is all about your situation and budget. First, if you are on a limited budget, then the FUT procedure is the best option, and it covers a larger area. Since it has more grafts with just a single strip of harvested follicles.
While FUE is better for people in the onset stages of balding, about 1 to 7 years and FUT is better for those who have passed this stage. Finally, regarding the scars on the donor area, FUT is better for people who prefer their hair long, while FUE allows you to wear your hair shorter.
References:
https://www.coleclinic.com/hair/fue-vs-fut-best-type-hair-transplant/
