Strip vs fue questions

[Icecreamman]

I just had a consultation with dr feller and I have some questions if anyone can answer them. I am 34 and my hairloss is not terrible but certainly not ideal. Dr feller recommended 1200-1500 grafts to restore my hairline. He said I am a candidate for fue but recommended strip. I have been leaning towards fue because I am not a fan of having a linear scar in the back of my head. However, I have always worn my hair on the long side so eventually covering the scar with long hair is fine. And I understand that I would probably get a better result with strip. My question/problem is withinn the first 4-5 months or so. I figured with fue I would shave my head a week or two after the surgery and walk around with a cap for a month or so until redness subsides and let the hair grow in evenly. With strip, it seems like I would have to leave my hair long in order to cover the scar. I guess my question is wont it look rather odd to have longer hair to cover up the scar while shorter smaller transplanted hair grows in? My main concern is detection from friends and colleagues and I feel that fue would be less detectable. Am I wrong? Am I over thinking this? Sorry to be vague or ambiguous, but I want to make the best decision possible. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanx

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

No, you are not wrong..you are gonna look a little strange from strip surgery for a while..strip does produce better yield, however Feller is top notch FUE..if he recomends strip, I would go with strip..just be prepared to wear a hat..if you were gonna wear a hat a month with FUE then you will be fine wearing a hat a month with strip..a month is plenty of time..good choice on doctors.

[Icecreamman]

Thanx newhairolease for your reply. So one month is all its gonna be of looking like a freak? And approximately what length does my hair have to be in order to fully cover a scar? Sorry to ask these questions I'm just trying to figure all this out. Also, how bad was pain for you with a strip surgery? Was it hard to sleep at night?

Edited December 16, 2011 by Icecreamman

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Thanx newhairolease for your reply. So one month is all its gonna be of looking like a freak? And approximately what length does my hair have to be in order to fully cover a scar? Sorry to ask these questions I'm just trying to figure all this out. Also, how bad was pain for you with a strip surgery? Was it hard to sleep at night?

 

I would say approx 1 in will cover a scar...however, if you have any shock loss associated with surgery it could make for a longer recovery..its something that does happen, but I wouldn't be overly concerned about it! Yes, approx 1 month of the freak stage..:mad:

[mars]

Go for fue,feller is $10 per fue graft so if you can afford it go for it,i think strip should be last resort,you may get 5-10% less yield with fue but the down time is nothing with fue and no linear scar,its a no brainer really for smaller sessions imo.

[Capelli11]

I just had a HT with Dr. Rahal and am on Day 10...he had to shave my frontal third and I def look interesting to say the least! lol. However, this is part of the journey that is a HT...you shouldn't pick one method over the other simply based on how you will look post HT...because remember you have to live with your decision. You should be more focused on getting the right doctor and choose FUE or FUT based on the applicable reasons. I def don't like looking like I do now but I will hopefully love what I look like in 6-12 months...so like everything in life it is a short term trade off.

 

For strip to answer your questions...the actual procedure is painless pretty much. Sleeping is quite difficult the first few nights and still at day 10 i still sleep in a recliner as I can't touch the recipient area. I don't really feel any pain just tightness in the donor area and numbness but that will be gone soon hopefully. It is not ideal looking and feeling like this now but you have to think long term and not focus on the short term pain/look. Check out my website to see the progression the first few days.

 

Also keep researching this site as there are good threads about FUE vs. FUT and also look at everyone's website for their progress as this will show you how long to wear your hair and what to expect!

[orlhair1]

Since Dr. Feller is such a well respected surgeon who does both strip and FUE and is one of the pioneers of FUE, I would follow his advice if I were you. Your scar can be covered with an inch of hair until it heals up. This is a long term proposition, so covering it up for the short term, although definitely something I thought about, is not the most important piece of the puzzle.

[Levrais]

I had fue to the hairline and was able to more or less hide the procedure after about 2 weeks. At least I think no one noticed. Hiding it was more challenging with the second ht to the crown and behind the hairline. Personally I prefer fue but you will eventually lean one way or the other yourself after doing enough research.

[AnthonySC]

To me the decision boils down to a long thin linear scar (strip) VS potentially less yield (FUE). Also in the short term with strip you might look like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon lol . But as noted above this could potentially be worth it for long term gain...it depends on your circumstances.

 

Perhaps its possible to FUE a smaller amount...the Feller "lunchtime" FUE (400 grafts) to see what the yield is/ if it works for you.

[mars]

you will get all pro strip answers here just so you know..get fue trust me for the small number of grafts your getting no need for strip even if a doc reccomends it its your decision go with what YOU want,let me say once again do not get strip get fue,what you look like post op should not be a factor but it is a bonus you can pull off a shaved head afterwards with fue,dr feller seems to get good yields with fue too so the positives of fue outweigh the negatives.

[mars]

thats a weird title for a procedeur 'lunch time fue'

[Capelli11]

Can you post some pics so we can see/evaluate your situation? What NW are you?! Both have pros and cons...it is up to what you are looking for. Keep researching and your answer will get easier with knowledge.

[biscuit]

its your decision go with what YOU want,let me say once again do not get strip get fue

 

:rolleyes:

[Icecreamman]

Capelli11, Thanx for the advice I will try to post some pics shortly but my iPad won't let me...checked out your progress seems like its ping well, congrats! For whatever reason the thought/idea having staples in my head freaks me out (I know, I'm totally neurotic) which is why I'm leaning towards fue. Another question I have that maybe you or someone out there can answer is would the sutures/scar be smaller because I only need 1200-1500 grafts? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Icecream

Yes, your scar line would be smaller with 1500 grafts. Probably just the back of the head as opposed to the back and sides.

[N-6]

FUE is not a scar-less procedure, is more expensive and has less yield. Also, I think its possible that your FUE grafts may not be permanent because its hard to predict progression of hair loss and therefore difficult to say for sure that your grafts are being taken from the permanent safe zone. This varies with the patient. From what I hear the downtime is less with FUE though and you can cut your hair much shorter in the back with FUE than FUT.

 

With FUT, which I've undergone multiple times, it depends on the patient's hair characteristics, amount trimmed down for surgery in donor area and possible donor shock loss, but generally 1-2 inches will suffice to cover scar post-op. Will it look uneven? It can, depending on your hairstyle but this is where having a hairdresser or stylist (not a barber) comes in handy.

 

If you have long hair all around, then I think you can get away with concealing everything even when the grafts at front starts to grow back. You might be able to push it forward to cover the smaller hairs in the recipient area when they start to grow in OR you can try and cut your hair fairly evenly all around when the grafts start to be visible (maybe 4-6 months). By that time, I think the donor area will have recovered its hair and you would require less hair to cover the scar. So it should look fine.

 

I think a 1200-1500 strip will be ear to ear whereas a 3K strip will be wider and run up higher above the ear.

[Capelli11]

The strip may be may as long as they don't have to take as much out...although it could still be ear to ear but just not as wide of an incision. Search around and see members who have had your graft count and check out what their scar looks like. Either way, it will still be a scar so don't think just bc you are getting less grafts that you won't have one...it will prob at a minimum be your entire back of your head (smiley face pattern) but perhaps not go as high up your ear. Remember FUE scars as well but not nearly as much as FUT...you still probably won't be able to fully shave with FUE...as you may see tiny white dots. Again, post some pics so we can access your head and hairloss pattern better.

[Sean]

Icecreamman, I had similar concerns as you. I was debating between strip vs fue and it being my first transplant, I went with FUE. Originally when I started my hair restoration research journey, I was considering strip, but then I wanted flexibility with my scalp, from having an option to have a buzz cut in the future, to be able to have skin tight fades on the sides, to avoid the linear scar. Granted, both procedures do produce scarring, however, FUE is harder to detect in terms of scarring. With Strip, you can't have close skin tight fades, but it costs substantially less and in the hands of most doctors you can get a good yield. However, some doctors that have done strip and fue, seem to match their strip results to their fue results. If you take the FUE route, make sure you know the punch size used. Not everyone is a candidate for FUE. I had to weigh my options and think this a couple of times before I made my decision. Check out my hairloss site link to get an idea of how a 3,000 graft FUE is like. I know you need less than half the grafts so half the donor would be used. I have a video up as well. Either Strip or FUE may be right for you, you just have to carefully evaluate what is best for you. If you keep your hair long, then imo you should consider strip. If you plan on keeping it short, or having more flexibility with the scalp, then get FUE. It's a tough decision to make, just weigh the pros and cons according to your situation.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Sean

I just checked your most recent photos out, your hair looks great! You still have a lot of growth left as well!!

[Icecreamman]

Photos uploaded, lemme know what you guys think. Thanx once again.

[Sean]

Icecreamman, I just saw your uploaded pics. You seem to have decent quality hair and it doesn't seem you need much at all. How does your donor area look? Do you have any pics of that? The crown is stable? If you intend to keep your hair long like that the rest of your life then I don't see why strip should be an issue because the scar would be hidden. It would not show with hair long like that. Save you tons of money too, since it is half the cost of FUE. Did the doctors say there is a possibility of further hair loss or has it stabilized?

 

 

Here is some comparison between the two procedures:

Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE

[Icecreamman]

Thanx Sean. I seem to have a good amount of hair in the back or donor region, and I've been on propecia for five years now so my crown area is pretty stable. Really I'm only losing up front, the rest of my head is fine...or at least it seems for now. Family history on both of my parents side does not have much thinning at all for grandfathers and uncles, however my dad has lost a considerable amount of hair, his father passed with a full head of hair and his brother has a full head of hair. Go figure! Thanx once again.

[Sean]

Thanx Sean. I seem to have a good amount of hair in the back or donor region, and I've been on propecia for five years now so my crown area is pretty stable. Really I'm only losing up front, the rest of my head is fine...or at least it seems for now. Family history on both of my parents side does not have much thinning at all for grandfathers and uncles, however my dad has lost a considerable amount of hair, his father passed with a full head of hair and his brother has a full head of hair. Go figure! Thanx once again.

 

 

That's great you got plenty of donor because in case of emergencies or touchups in the future, you have a lot of ammo. Since you mentioned that your father has lost hair, i'd urge you to make your restoration journey in accordance to his level of hairloss. Almost all the time, what your father has, you will have too or near it in the future. Even though you don't have the same hairloss, but plan out your journey like his because you never know in the future and you just want to be well prepared for any surprises.

 

Some people say hairloss skips a generation. Your father may have had a mutation and had activated the gene towards hairloss, so this can be a new thing even if his brother has a full head of hair. My grandfather and one of my father's brothers had a full head of hair, and my moms side everyone has a full head of hair, my dad went bald and then I followed in his footsteps and planning my journey according to his level of hairloss. My younger brother is seeing thinning too. Even though I am not at my father's level of hairloss I planned it in a way so that I know how to keep up with it if I progress further to that point. I do think the meds, supplements, eating healthy is restoring a good portion of my thinning hairs and have restored my crown greatly.

 

What if you haven't been taking those medications? I am sure they are keeping you from progressing further. It's like they have put a halt to it for now.

 

One thing to consider is you got a virgin scalp, no work has been done to it. So, if you are getting a small procedure, you can try FUE but can get strip later if you need bigger procedures down the road. That's if the linear scar is a great concern to you, if not, then strip is probably a good choice due to lower costs and that you keep your hair longer. Good Luck with everything.

[Capelli11]

You have a great head of hair! Wow wasn't expecting that! lol. If you are stabalized in the crown...and you are in your 30's...you could pass with a FUE procedure. You def appear to be a candidate...seems you would need to just fill in your corners/temples. If I were you I would prob go with FUE as it would be a small procedure, however it is more expensive...literally double that of strip. Sean is correct...if you intend on wearing it really long like that...strip is def a good option because you will never see the scar, although for a smaller procedure (anywhere from 1,000 to say 1,600) you can easily get FUE and avoid all the discomfort that comes with strip as FUE recovery is simple in comparison. Dr. Rahal does pretty amazing work with FUE of late...def check out his latest results and Sean is also a great example of his work.