upcoming HT with Rahal - please help me choose between FUT and FUE

[receder]

Hey all,

 

I'm having my first HT with Dr. Rahal in a few weeks. I've been going back and forth between doing FUE or FUT, and Dr. Rahal has kindly accomodated me by letting me make my final decision on FUE/FUT during our pre-op meeting the day before surgery.

 

I'm a norwood 2/3 and will be getting my receded hairline restored; coverage is otherwise good. Existing hair is dark brown, wavy, medium texture with above average density. Dr. Rahal estimated between 2200-2500 grafts. Another factor worth mentioning is that I am not a particularly fast healer. I'm not a terrible healer either, but I notice that cuts, etc. seem to take a while to heal, and I do have a few scars. Also, I do prefer to wear my hair short (faded in the back from 1 at the bottom to 3 at the top), though I'm am amenable to changing that.

 

As some here may know, Dr. Rahal has recently incorporated FUE into his regular practice. And although he does not have any fully grown results, he has posted a few early results and is confident that he can duplicate his strip results with FUE.

 

After researching for the better part of this year, I believe that I do have a good handle on the pros/cons of FUE and FUT. For me, it boils down to the risk of lower yield with FUE (especially given the lack of fully grown results from Rahal) v. having to deal with the linear scar and the possible numbness, tightness, pain, itching, etc. that may occur with strip. The cost issue is not determinative.

 

I would say that yield and the lack of a linear scar/implications of strip are almost equally important to me, thus the difficulty in making a decision.

 

I'd appreciate hearing anyone's recommendations/insight on their procedures, etc.

 

Thanks in advance all.

[amanindia]

Just 1 word if you are above or NW4:_

STRIP

[uselessgomez]

I'd say FUE for the following reasons...

 

Your profile says that you're about 30. You're young and you have time down the road to make the change to strip if you don't experience good transection & yield.

 

You said you have dark wavy hair. Your skin hair contrast is probably decent (can't see any pics though). And some Docs say this is a good thing for FUE (there's still the "mushy" skin x-factor that might come into play though).

 

You are currently experiencing fairly minor hairloss. No one knows how it's going to pan out. Even with the more tried and tested strip procedure there's some unknowns. I think FUE for the numbers you're looking at preserves more options for the future - the option to wear your hair short, option to switch to strip down the road, the option to shave your head and not have a linear scar showing.

 

You wear your hair short. While some people get visible white dots, the scarring from FUE is less noticeable when the hair is short. I've seen some really good trycho closures posted online that allow for a pretty short cut, but MOST of the time I think short haircuts - advantage FUE. There's a lot of posted results, good average & bad, all posted online. Except for some really bad ones where FUE megasessions were involved, FUE leaves a donor area that looks better for short haircuts.

 

I don't remember if you're on medication. I presume that you are. If not, you should be!

 

I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I think FUE is more appropriate FOR ME, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone for going the strip route with similar needs. Especially if you know that the best doctors will straight up tell you that you're not going to get the same results as strip due to the trauma involved with the handling of the grafts during FUE. The results depend a lot on your physiology, which is an unknown until you actually have seen the results.

 

Just my 2 cents. Best of luck whatever way you go.

[toronto933]

If you just have receeding hairline at 30 and great coverage elsewhere, you should go with fue.

[HT Surg]

Make sense to go with the most conservative option in my opinion ie just address where is required now.

[HT Surg]

the most conservative may be a small strip (depending on your hair density) which can be operated on again (removing the first strip) or FUE....? hard to give advice without pics

[HT Surg]

Comment by an above user: "As i said in my PM to you i would trust Rahal with either method in terms of ability. He wouldnt offer it if he didnt feel capable of trying to tame the beast"..

one thing is for a surgeon to feel capable and another is to actually deliver. though in this case I would make the exception and strongly recommend you stick with Rahal who is a great surgeon but in reality for anyone else considering this anywhere else in the world you have to see the complete results no matter who you're dealing with..

Good luck

[ANTONIOV]

Strip ... Fue is crap in my eyes.. its only for hollywood touches and for the people scarred from cutting... Even you ask rahal or shapiro, they would tell you STRIP .. save your donor area my friend...