The pros/cons of FUE. Myths dispelled.

[Mickey85]

With so much misinformation coming from various factions, it is easy to get a false picture of FUE. I thought I would write up a list of advantages and disadvantages. Now there will be glaring comparisons to FUT, that is a given. I will say that the disadvantages of FUT listed are not in the majority, but I feel obliged to mention them because they can occur and sometimes do. I feel that patients and potential patients have the right to know the differences between the two methods so they can really make an informed decision. The list will be quite exhaustive and brings up many factors that are very rarely spoken about.

Advantages

 

-No linear scar: This is the most obvious advantage. With FUE the follicles are not taken in a linear fashion. They are scattered about. And while the remnants are scars, they are usually much less detectable and scar visibility is reduced especially when hair is wet etc. This also allows for different hair styles such as messing up the back and sides. Braids or cornrows can be had without the exposure of a linear scar. Here are some examples of FUT scars:

 

Excellent FUT scar:

 

Bad FUT scar:

 

It is important to note that even with the best FUT surgeon using a trichophytic dual layer closure, there is no guarantee the scar will end up thin. Alot of it has to do with your physiology.

 

FUE scars after 4,200 grafts shaved down to a zero:

 

FUE scars after 3,489 grafts:

 

Patient with very short hair at months 1, 9 and 20 post operative after 2,810 FUE grafts:

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Less chance of nerve damage: Due to the punch sites being smaller and less confluent, the nerves repair themselves much quicker than FUT. With FUT, a large section of tissue is removed so it can take longer for the nerves to re-adjust and realign. Some people who have undergone FUT say that they still have feelings of numbness/tingling in the donor area many years after their procedure. Permanent nerve damage, although rare is possible. Permanent nerve damage is possible with both FUE and FUT, but less likely with FUE.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Less invasive: Because a small(.75mm-1mm) punch is used and not a scalpel that cuts into deep tissue, healing time is usually much quicker and mostly less painful than FUT. No sutures or staples are used as the punch sites are so small that they heal without such methods. The donor area can look untouched within a few weeks without the redness of an FUT scar that can linger for over 6 months. That said, FUE is not a painless surgery and temporary shockloss can still occur.

A picture of a typical FUE extraction intra-operative:

A picture of an open FUT extraction before it is sutured:

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

-No increased scalp tension: With FUT, with each procedure a patient endures, laxity is taken away from the scalp. Most are lucky in that they do not notice but the unlucky few can experience a tighter scalp. Some have reported a 'facelift' effect on their scalp where the hair above the ears and the nape is raised after a FUT procedure. One patients with an already tight scalp, these effects can occur in just one procedure.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Graft selection: This is a big one that not even the ardent FUT enthusiast can debate. FUE allows the Doctor to 'cherry pick' grafts that are necessary for an optimal result. He/she can select finer hair to use in the hairline, he/she can target 3-4 hair grafts for the crown and/or added density. He/she can extract only single hair grafts for hairline designs. These factors are left to chance with FUT.

 

Surgeon can target specific grafts:

 

 

 

Patient had FUT(top) and then FUE(bottom, same surgeon). Cherry picking allowed for a more refined result

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Retains donor growth patterns/swirls/direction/angle: With FUT, the natural direction, swirl, wave etc of the donor area is eliminated(for lack of batter word) due to the removal/closure of a section of donor area. In some cases the effect is minimal but in others it can be more drastic. It can created a "step" in the donor area where it looks like hat-hair or just unnatural. In patients with wavy/curvy/frizzy hair, the effect is much more noticeable. With FUE, the direction/swirl etc retains its natural course as the donor area is not manipulated in such a way that a large section is removed.

 

"Additionally, strip surgery will destroy the natural geometry of the donor region by obliterating the natural linear arrangement of follicular groups along the consecutive spirals"

-Quote from Dr Umar

 

Yellow lines show the eradication of natural flow of direction. Green lines show the untouched natural flow:

 

Another example. Noticeable difference in direction.

 

The natural flow has been eradicated.

 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

-No transection of follicles from strip incision: During FUT, the surgeon carefully cuts the strip with a scalpel. However, it is almost impossible to avoid cutting through follicles given that the intersect like a zig-zag pattern. Those follicles are transected and rendered dead. Now if a strip is 30cm long, you have to factor that that is 60cm of follicles at the top and bottom edge of the strip(plus the corner). I don't have the exact math as it would be based on patient density and doctor skill but you are going to transect something.

________________________________________________________________________________

-Retains natural hairshaft diameter gradation/groupings: With FUT, a section of scalp(usually 1-1.5cm wide) is removed and dissected with the open wound closed up. Much like how FUT distorts the natural angles, direction and swirl of the donor area, it also destroys the natural gradation or progression of the hairshaft diameter/groupings. You may find the coarse, multi-graft, thick caliber hairs in the middle of the donor abruptly meeting the finer, smaller caliber single hair grafts toward the bottom of the donor. The smooth natural transition is obliterated. This is avoided in FUE as no area is cut out and closed off.

 

The abrupt meeting of thick, multi-hair grafts(top) and fine single-hair grafts(bottom) after FUT:

________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Exercise and weight lifting are not prohibited for as long: After a FUT procedure, most surgeons recommend against weightlifting and strenuous exercise. This can range from a month to 3 months as it could result in the scar stretching. With FUE, it is usually after 7-10 days as there is no chance of the FUE scars stretching. To athletes or people that are passionate about sports and/or weight lifting, this could be paramount to decided which method to choose.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

-Exact graft count: The surgeon can stop at exactly the right quantity he/she desires. No overshooting. You need 2,000 grafts and only 2,000 grafts? That is what you will get. This is important for donor conservation. We all know with FUT that it can be hard to estimate donor density and sometimes the doctor overshoots leading to more grafts than needed or undershoots.

 

FUE graft counter documenting every single graft taken in real time:

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

-No dormant hairs are discarded: At any given time on any person's head, about 10-20% of the hairs are in the dormant cycle, meaning in their resting phase and are unseen for that given time. As they move into the cycle they become live while other live hairs become dormant etc. When a FUT strip is excised, it contains some dormant hairs which cannot be seen under microscope. Those dormant hairs(which would become live) are then discarded. However not all dormant hairs are discarded as some multi-hair grafts may contain a dormant follicle next to a visible active follicle. 10-20% of the single hair grafts cannot be seen however and are discarded while an unknown percentage of multi-hair grafts may have all grafts dormant and discarded. This is not a factor of FUE as the Doctor only targets grafts he can see.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Use of body hair/beard hair: The advent of FUE has also allowed for the exaction of non-scalp hair. This can be extremely useful for repair patients, patients of depleted or low donor hair etc. Say what you want about body hair transplantation, but it is here to stay. Doctors like Dr. Bisanga and Dr. Umar have pushed the boundaries on what can be done with body hair.

 

Dramatic restoration via the use of body hair and FUE:

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

-No sutures or staples: Avoids the discomfort and inconvenience of having to wear staples or sutures in the donor area post-op. No need to return to the clinic for their removal. No risk of going to a non-HT doctor and having them wrongly removed. Less obvious tell-tale sign that you have recently had surgery.

 

Staples in the donor region after a strip procedure

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Avoids the irregularly angled hair protruding through a FUT trichophytic donor closure: Given that a trichophytic closure is the worldwide standard now for FUT closures, one common side effect is that the hair growing through the scar itself will be at a different angle to the surrounding hair. This can be quite drastic and stark and is different to the previously listed disadvantage of FUT "Retains donor growth patterns/swirls/direction/angle". It is also dependent on the patients physiology, luck and surgeon skill. It is especially noticeable when the donor is cut short.

Misaligned and mis-angled hair protruding from the trico closure:

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

-No potential scar stretching: In FUT, the linear scar can stretch, regardless of the surgeon's skill and closure technique. It has to do with the patient physiology and scalp tension. I have seen stretched scars from all Doctors. No Doctor can guarantee a scar will stay 1mm thin. With FUE, the scars won't stretch. I will elaborate on FUE scars in a later section.

Stretched FUT scar that can occur regardless of surgeon or closure technique:

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Optimal for small cases/eyebrows/beard work/scar repair: Say you needed 400-700 grafts for some minor hair recession. Undergoing FUT would not be desirable for such a small amount of grafts. FUE would be perfect. If someone wanted eyebrow restoration of 300 of so grafts, again, FUE would be the best method for that quantity. The Doctor could even select single hair grafts and finer hair so get as close to natural eyebrow characteristics are possible. Many patients with stretched scars or discontent with their FUT scar can have a few hundred FUE grafts inserted to fill it in.

 

Eyebrow restoration:

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Avoids the 'traintrack' effect that can occur from a FUT closure: When a FUT closure is sutured or stapled, there runs a chance of killing hair surrounding the scarline if the sutures/staples are too deep, tight etc. It can strangulate the follicles and result in perpendicular scarring to the lateral linear scar much like train tracks. Even a thin scar can have some traintrack effect. Avoided with FUE.

A potential byproduct of sutures:

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

-No need for scalp exercises: Given that laxity plays a non-existent role in FUE, scalp exercises associated with strip surgery are not needed. Much like the need for shaving ones donor for FUE, this factor is minor but still an inconvenience to some.

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

That is it for the advantage section. It should be noted that some of the factors like the FUT nerve damage or scar stretching are circumstantial in that they do not occur to everyone, but they can occur, even if they are in the minority. For those member who will jump on this thread and say "I had FUT and I didn't get any of those nasty things you say!" that is fine. I'm glad your procedure went smoothly. But if 1 in 20 FUT patients experience scar stretch or numbness, that makes it a potential disadvantage. I'm just making people aware on the potential pitfalls of both procedures. Disadvantages on FUE in the next post.

 

More details on FUE, the various tools used, the surgeons who use them, their protocol etc can be found here:

Click here

Edited July 5, 2013 by Mickey85

[HARIRI]

Great thread and well written :-)

[Mickey85]

Disadvantages

 

-Cost: Given the labor intensive nature of FUE on the surgeon, FUE rates are generally higher than FUT rates. This can be a factor for alot of people. While not a flaw in the FUE technique itself, I feel compelled to mention it. Some Doctors in Europe and Turkey perform FUE at a much lower rate but they are few and far between. In general, FUE is usually just under double the cost per graft compared to FUT. This may change in a few years.

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

-More sessions needed for higher Norwood patterns: Most FUE clinics cap off their sessions at 3,000 grafts, some even less. Some split their large sessions over a few days like 1,500 over 2 days etc. In general if a patient needs 5,000 grafts, it would have to be done in 2 sessions with a 12 month wait in between. With FUT, 5,000+ grafts can be done in one day. Again this may not be a flaw to the FUE technique, but it can be a hindrance to the patient and a disadvantage.

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Potential higher transection: With the nature of FUE and our inability to see under the scalp, it is up to the surgeon's skill to evaluate the angle, direction and depth of the graft he is about to extract. Some surgeons do this better than others. Failure to properly diagnose these factors can result in transection and a dead graft. With FUT, the grafts are cut under powerful microscopes and transection is generally lower. Semi-dormant grafts(2 hair or 3 hair grafts that contain dormant grafts) can also be mistaken for a smaller graft and be partially or fully transected by using too small of a punch size.

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

-FUE scarring: With the extraction of FUE grafts, the donor area may look thinner after the procedure depending on the quantity taken. FUE does leave behind small white punctate scars that are scattered through the donor area. This will inhibit the ability to shave down to a grade 1 for example, again, especially once large amounts have been taken from the donor. While FUT can thin out the donor area(especially after multiple procedures, Jotronic mentioned this) due to the scalp losing laxity and the skin spreading, thinning the donor is a disadvantage of FUE also and can be more evident.

 

Here is an example of poor FUE scarring:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Can damage surrounding follicles: If a punch too large is used, it can hit grafts around the target follicle. If a punch too small is used, the target follicle can be transected. These are potential pitfalls of FUE and can occur, especially with a poor/inexperienced surgeon. Again some surgeons can avoid this better than others, but it is a potential occurrence.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Less tissue surrounding the graft: In order to reduce scarring and avoid damage to surrounding follicles, the Doctor tries to use the smallest gauge punch possible whilst still preserving the graft. This leaves the graft with less protective tissue surrounding it compared to FUT grafts which makes them more fragile and susceptible to damage.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

-In general, less hair can be obtained overall: In comparing FUT and FUE in terms of the amount that can be harvested overall(exclusively with each method, no combination FUE/FUT), FUT can generally obtain more grafts. Factors such as scalp laxity(FUT) and hair density(FUE and FUT) certainly play a large role but the possibility of a nw 6 patient getting good coverage and density with FUE is lower than with FUT. The amount of harvestable grafts from FUE is generally lower than FUT by the nature of its design.

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Hair taken from the nape area and upper donor can be prone to future loss: While this is totally within the control of the surgeon, I have seen leading FUE surgeons extract grafts from the lower and upper regions of the 'safe zone' where it might lead to loss years down the line. No one can predict how low the crown loss will be or if the nape hair will miniturise so I feel it is warranted to mention that as a potential disadvantage. Especially on larger FUE cases, the Doctor may be tempted to 'chance it' and extract slightly out of the safe zone as he doesn't want to over harvest any particular area.

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

-Head must be shaved for anything more than very small sessions: Unlike FUT, for anything above a few hundred grafts(not sure on exact figure) the whole donor region must be shaved down. This can be a disadvantage to some patients who generally wear longer hair.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

That's it for the disadvantages. Again if anymore come to mind, I will add them. Much like the advantages section, these factors might be in the minority of patients but they still can occur. The point of this thread was to outline in writing all the potential and definite advantages and disadvantages of the method. I was a bit hesitant to list the cost of FUE as a disadvantage as it is not related to the actual science of the procedure and is dictated by the doctors discretion but I did so to remain impartial.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Mickey85

[Mickey85]

What can FUE do??

 

Norwood 1:

 

836 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

1,441 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

Norwood 2:

 

1,906 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

2,360 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Norwood 3:

 

2,154 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

2,067 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

2,543 grafts

Work of Dr Bisanga. Click to view profile

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Norwood 4:

 

2,533 grafts

Work of Dr Bisanga. Click to view profile

 

2,701 grafts

Work of Dr Lorenzo

____________________________________________________________________

 

Norwood 5:

 

5,035 grafts

Work of Dr Lorenzo

 

2,600 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

____________________________________________________________________

 

Norwood 6:

 

3,939 grafts

Work of Dr Lorenzo

 

6,381 grafts

Work of Dr. Lorenzo

____________________________________________________________________

Crown:

 

1,499 grafts

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

Scar repair:

 

278 grafts to conceal strip scar

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

1,200 grafts to conceal strip scars:

Work of Dr Umar. Click to view profile

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

More natural hairlines and temples:

 

Same patient, same surgeon. FUT in the top photo and then FUE in the bottom. You decide which looks more natural

Work of Dr Feriduni. Click to view profile

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

Eyebrows:

 

Nape hair and hair from the legs often are more suitable for replicating thin caliber eyebrows

Work of Dr Umar. Click to view profile

 

___________________________________________________________________

Edited June 1, 2013 by Mickey85

[MAGNUMpi]

Great thread and well written :-)

I concur.

[sl]

Nice write up and many good points raised.

 

I've known body hair on occasion also to be taken via small Strips. We haven't done it as such but have seen cases where this has been done, although in the minority and involving under arm or pubic hair, but as you say body hair is overwhelmingly harvested via FUE.

 

Thank you for posting, I enjoyed the read.

[PupDaddy]

Very well laid out, Mickey85, and very helpful!

 

One point I might comment on concerns the issue of transection with FUT v. FUE. While I suppose it is true that when cutting the strip, some follicular units at the periphery of the strip, either at the edge of the strip itself or at the edge of the adjoining non-excised donor, could be (likely are?) transected. However, any such fu's won't be transplanted because they will be caught ahead of time by the techs dissecting the strip under their microscopes. In other words, there should be no surprises, which is why most excellent FUT docs achieve yield rates for transplanted grafts approaching 100%. Also, as you noted, the chances of transecting a graft during dissection of the strip itself into follicular units is nearly nil when you have skilled techs working with microscopes.

 

Transection of follicular units in the context of FUE is something of a different animal. Every punch around, excision of (the "twiddle"), and extraction of (tweezing out) a graft risks transection of that graft or other injury to that graft for the reasons you stated: the doctor is working "blind" and can never be certain what twists, turns, or direction a follicular unit might be taking under the surface of the scalp; the doc is often using very small punches with little room for unseen deviation or error; stubborn grafts that want to "hold on" can be damaged when tweezing them out; and even when a graft is punched, excised, and extracted otherwise perfectly, the smaller amount of protective tissue around the graft (as you also noted) compared to a "chubby" FUT graft can leave the graft susceptible to non-growth or partial growth. The good news, however, is that more and more docs who are passionate and dedicated to FUE now appear more adept at mastering, or at least minimizing these challenges and are upping FUE graft survival and yields.

 

Another "disadvantage" of FUE comes to mind, although it has nothing to do with the technique itself: Some of whom I consider to be the most skilled and artistic ht docs who consistently produce some of my favorite results have been slow to adopt and offer FUE. I won't name names here, but boy do I wish that a couple of the docs I have in mind (one in particular) were offering FUE.

[Mickey85]

Thanks for the compliments guys

 

Indeed PupDaddy, the hairs transected along the edges of the FUT strip are not implanted. However we all know every graft is precious and those grafts lost(could be up in the hundreds) cannot be brought back. With FUE, this is avoided. That is what I was getting at, not that those grafts would be used in the recipient. Just that it is a waste of good grafts.

 

sl I had no idea small strips were used in the underarm or pubic regions! I can't see pubic hair being very ideal for scalp hair!! Haha.

[GNX1]

have to disagree with the number of grafts availble with FUE vs. FUT. FUT only allows grafts taken from head.

 

FUE allows grafts to be taken from the entire body which is why Dr. UImar is able to transplant 15000-20000 grafts. there isnt any FUT doctors transplanting that many grafts from ones head.

[Mickey85]

have to disagree with the number of grafts availble with FUE vs. FUT. FUT only allows grafts taken from head.

 

FUE allows grafts to be taken from the entire body which is why Dr. UImar is able to transplant 15000-20000 grafts. there isnt any FUT doctors transplanting that many grafts from ones head.

:cool:

 

that is very true. most people do not entertain the idea of body hair as scalp hair though,, hence why big body hair sessions are mainly seen in repairs. if we are talking about scalp only hair, than fut generally allows for more. but you are not wrong in what you are saying.

[Blake Bloxham]

Nicely stated! Thank you for sharing.

[PupDaddy]

An additional disadvantage of fue is:

 

With large FUE transplants, many grafts will be taken from outside the "sweet spot" of the safe zone where the most DHT-resistant follicles reside. This is done to avoid over-harvesting a confined area, which would result in a moth-eaten appearance. With FUT, all grafts are taken from the sweet spot. The upshot is that there is a greater chance over time that some of the FUE grafts will thin or die.

[Mickey85]

An additional disadvantage of fue is:

 

With large FUE transplants, many grafts will be taken from outside the "sweet spot" of the safe zone where the most DHT-resistant follicles reside. This is done to avoid over-harvesting a confined area, which would result in a moth-eaten appearance. With FUT, all grafts are taken from the sweet spot. The upshot is that there is a greater chance over time that some of the FUE grafts will thin or die.

 

ahhh but this is not exclusive to fue. in fact, i have seen slightly more fut cases where the strip is taken higher where future loss may occur. Bill's case with dr. Hasson is an example. so given that it is not inherient in eother techique exclusively, i dont see it as a particular disadvantage to fue alone. just my opinion. i wouldnt want unsafe hairs implanted with either technique.

[Raj Jayukdht]

which Dr would plant FUE hairs that are taken out side the safe zone....are they mad, whats the point in doing a HT.

[PupDaddy]

ahhh but this is not exclusive to fue. in fact, i have seen slightly more fut cases where the strip is taken higher where future loss may occur. Bill's case with dr. Hasson is an example. so given that it is not inherient in eother techique exclusively, i dont see it as a particular disadvantage to fue alone. just my opinion. i wouldnt want unsafe hairs implanted with either technique.

 

As I recall, Jotronic explained that in the case you are referring to, it was an illusion that the strip was taken higher than normal. Personally, I've not seen any FUT cases performed by Coalition members here or recommended physicians here where strips were taken above or below the ideal area of the safe zone. There would be no need to, that I can think of. If it has happened, it would be an anomaly. By contrast, it is always the case with large-number FUE transplants that follicles are taken outside the sweetest spot of the safe zone. It just has to be that way.

[PupDaddy]

which Dr would plant FUE hairs that are taken out side the safe zone....are they mad, whats the point in doing a HT.

 

You misunderstand my post. It isn't that reputable FUE docs routinely take grafts from outside the safe zone -- although we have seen some non-Coalition and non-recommended docs and their patients posting cases here where that appears to have happened. It is that the safe zone has a horizontal "sweet spot" running across it that is maybe (by my estimation) one and a half inches high, where the best, most robust, most DHT-resistant follicles within the safe zone reside.

[Mickey85]

As I recall, Jotronic explained that in the case you are referring to, it was an illusion that the strip was taken higher than normal. Personally, I've not seen any FUT cases performed by Coalition members here or recommended physicians here where strips were taken above or below the ideal area of the safe zone. There would be no need to, that I can think of. If it has happened, it would be an anomaly. By contrast, it is always the case with large-number FUE transplants that follicles are taken outside the sweetest spot of the safe zone. It just has to be that way.

 

Bill's own testimony on the matter differs quite a bit from Joe's. there was no illusion, Bill knew very well the risks involved and discussed it with dr. Hasson. given the lack of miniturization in the non-safe areas where the grafts were taken, it was considered fairly low risk. any potential loss of grafts from dht was said to not have a dramatic effect anyway due to the majority being within the safe zone. There is even a thread regarding h&w taking strips too high and i think thats where Bill explained it.

 

if i remember correctly, dr. Hasson was following the path where the densest sections of hair were, to obtain the most grafts possible.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Mickey85

[PupDaddy]

Bill's own testimony on the matter differs quite a bit from Joe's. there was no illusion, Bill knew very well the risks involved and discussed it with dr. Hasson. given the lack of miniturization in the non-safe areas where the grafts were taken, it was considered fairly low risk. any potential loss of grafts from dht was said to not have a dramatic effect anyway due to the majority being within the safe zone. There is even a thread regarding h&w taking strips too high and i think thats where Bill explained it.

 

if i remember correctly, dr. Hasson was following the path where the densest sections of hair were, to obtain the most grafts possible.

 

If you're contending that good FUT docs routinely take strips from above or below the sweetest spot of the safe zone, I dare say that they all would reject that contention. For starters, there would be no reason to do that in most cases.

 

By contrast, each and every large FUE transplant requires that many grafts be taken from above or below the sweetest spot of the safe zone. On that point we can all agree, yes? This very point was explained to me just yesterday by one of the most respected Coalition docs here, who does both FUT and FUE (no, his last name does not begin with "F").

 

This doesn't mean that the FUE grafts won't grow. It means there is a greater chance that, in the long run, many of the transplanted grafts will begin to thin (or possibly die) sooner than if the same number of grafts had been extracted via strip. As it was explained to me, not all "safe zone" follicular units are created equal. The follicular units in the sweet spot of the safe zone are the best of the best because they are the most robust and most resistant to the long-term effects of DHT.

 

I am neither trashing FUE nor advocating for it. Nor am I trashing FUT or advocating for it. The point I raised is just one of the "cons" of FUE that should be considered by someone who is deciding between FUE or FUT for a large transplant (as I happen to be as we speak).

[Mickey85]

fair point, i see what you mean now. i will look at the big fue cases from the likes of erdogan, hakan and lorenzo etc and if they take hair out of the safe zone, i will rethink my stance. dr. diep took hair weel into the crown in one case(patients first surgery at 2000 grafts) but i never agreed with his recommendation here. he used a dual blade scalpel and cut the strip in 3 minutes at most..

[Atticus]

have to disagree with the number of grafts availble with FUE vs. FUT. FUT only allows grafts taken from head.

 

FUE allows grafts to be taken from the entire body which is why Dr. UImar is able to transplant 15000-20000 grafts. there isnt any FUT doctors transplanting that many grafts from ones head.

 

 

Exactly!

 

Atticus

[Arrie]

Nicely written....

I myself am looking to a long road ahead with my genetics saying i will most likely be a NW 5 or a 6. So as long as the patient can use advantages of each technique to their advantage then they will get the most out of it. I would venture to say i will have 2 more FUT procedures and if $$$ allows go and use some FUE from the scalp (if any left) and the rest from my body to cover my scars and finish off any spots that I can. YOU GOTTA LOVE SCIENCE nowadays!

 

I, however, do believe that in one form or another, FUE will be the norm in the future, but right now at this point in time we are at both procedures have their place.

 

I am just thankful for these talented individuals;

Docs, representatives of the practicing offices aka Janna, Spex, Jotronic to name a few, the techs and the moderators of this and other forums. We have a fighting chance against all of our biggest insecurity THE SHINY DOME. We can have a "normal" life again.....

[PupDaddy]

fair point, i see what you mean now. i will look at the big fue cases from the likes of erdogan, hakan and lorenzo etc and if they take hair out of the safe zone, i will rethink my stance. dr. diep took hair weel into the crown in one case(patients first surgery at 2000 grafts) but i never agreed with his recommendation here. he used a dual blade scalpel and cut the strip in 3 minutes at most..

 

No, no, no, Mickey. I'm not talking about FUE docs taking grafts outside the safe zone. I'm talking about FUE docs, when doing large transplants, necessarily taking many of the grafts from outside the BEST PART of the safe zone. The grafts still come from what is technically within the safe zone, but many don't come from that "sweet spot" of the safe zone -- the very best part of the safe zone, which is where the strip is taken from for FUT. That "sweet spot" within the safe zone is where the best, most robust, most DHT-resistant follicular units reside and comprises a rectangular "strip" about 1.5 inches or so high that runs smack across the part of the safe zone having the greatest density and thickest caliber hairs, which are the also the last hairs to be compromised by the effects of DHT over a lifetime.

 

Above and below that sweet spot are areas still technically within the safe zone, but as it was explained to me, follicular units residing in those areas are less safe from being at least partially compromised by DHT over the long haul than those that come from the optimum part/best part/sweet spot of the safe zone. In other words, "safe" is a relative term when discussing the safe zone, and not all follicular units within the safe zone are equally safe. Think of the cartoon image of the bald guy with only a solid strip of hair remaining, running across the back of his head. That "strip" (I'm using that term differently than how we think of strip) is the sweet spot of the safe zone. That is where all follicular units are taken from for FUT, but you can't do that all the grafts from that "strip" for large FUE transplants because that would result in an obviously depleted "strip" of donor area that looked moth-eaten if not nearly devoid of hair with lots of very close together punctate scarring. In other words, over-harvesting of a confined area. That is why with every large session FUE transplant we see post-op excisions all over the back and sides, stopping north just shy of the crown and stopping south just shy of the nape. Even thought all those grafts came from within the "safe zone," many came from above and below the sweetest part of the safe zone.

 

Anyway, as it was explained to me by a Coalition doc, that is one of the "cons" of FUE. The grafts taken from above and below the sweetest part of the safe zone may never thin or die, but there is a greater chance they will than those taken from that sweetest spot -- which is where all FUT grafts are taken from. I hope all that made sense.

[PupDaddy]

fair point, i see what you mean now. i will look at the big fue cases from the likes of erdogan, hakan and lorenzo etc and if they take hair out of the safe zone, i will rethink my stance. dr. diep took hair weel into the crown in one case(patients first surgery at 2000 grafts) but i never agreed with his recommendation here. he used a dual blade scalpel and cut the strip in 3 minutes at most..

 

No, no, no, Mickey. I'm not talking about FUE docs taking grafts outside the safe zone. I'm talking about FUE docs, when doing large transplants, necessarily taking many of the grafts from outside the BEST PART of the safe zone. The grafts still come from what is technically within the safe zone, but many don't come from that "sweet spot" of the safe zone -- the very best part of the safe zone, which is where the strip is taken from for FUT. That "sweet spot" within the safe zone is where the best, most robust, most DHT-resistant follicular units reside and comprises a rectangular "strip" about 1.5 inches or so high that runs smack across the part of the safe zone having the greatest density and thickest caliber hairs, which are the also the last hairs to be compromised by the effects of DHT over a lifetime.

 

Above and below that sweet spot are areas still technically within the safe zone, but as it was explained to me, follicular units residing in those areas are less safe from being at least partially compromised by DHT over the long haul than those that come from the optimum part/best part/sweet spot of the safe zone. In other words, "safe" is a relative term when discussing the safe zone, and not all follicular units within the safe zone are equally safe. Think of the cartoon image of the bald guy with only a solid strip of hair remaining, running across the back of his head. That "strip" (I'm using that term differently than how we think of strip) is the sweet spot of the safe zone. That is where all follicular units are taken from for FUT, but you can't do take all the grafts from that "strip" for large FUE transplants because that would result in an obviously depleted "strip" of donor area that looked moth-eaten if not nearly devoid of hair with lots of very close together punctate scarring. In other words, over-harvesting of a confined area. That is why with every large session FUE transplant we see post-op excisions all over the back and sides, stopping north just shy of the crown and stopping south just shy of the nape. Even though all those grafts came from within the "safe zone," many came from above and below the sweetest part of the safe zone.

 

Anyway, as it was explained to me by a Coalition doc, that is one of the "cons" of FUE. The grafts taken from above and below the sweetest part of the safe zone may never thin or die, but there is a greater chance they will than those taken from that sweetest spot -- which is where all FUT grafts are taken from. I hope all that made sense.

[GNX1]

By contrast, each and every large FUE transplant requires that many grafts be taken from above or below the sweetest spot of the safe zone.

really? so what about hairs taken from the beard and body? where do they fall in the "sweet" spot?

 

see this is where the misinformation comes from when talking about large FUE cases when the doctor giving said advice doesnt perform BHT on a regular basis. factor in beard and body hairs (which can result in 10,000+ EXTRA grafts) and sweet and safe zone arguments go right out the door....:rolleyes:

[PupDaddy]

really? so what about hairs taken from the beard and body? where do they fall in the "sweet" spot?

 

see this is where the misinformation comes from when talking about large FUE cases when the doctor giving said advice doesnt perform BHT on a regular basis. factor in beard and body hairs (which can result in 10,000+ EXTRA grafts) and sweet and safe zone arguments go right out the door....:rolleyes:

 

 

That is a different topic altogether than the one I am discussing, GNX1. In his initial post to this thread, Mickey85 already listed the ability to take body hair and beard hair as one of the advantages of FUE. No one is disputing that. To the contrary, I think most people see that as a significant advantage of FUE, particularly for extreme repair cases where donor from the scalp has been compromised or depleted. (I also don't think anyone would dispute that body hair or beard hair transplanted to the scalp is not going to look as good cosmetically as scalp hair, but if body hair is all the surgeon has to work with, then FUE is the only way to get those hairs.)

 

What we are now discussing as a disadvantage of FUE is the long-term survival and characteristics of FUE grafts taken from the scalp for large transplants relative to the long-term survival and characteristics of FUT grafts taken from the scalp for large transplants -- the disadvantage of FUE in this context stemming from the necessity to take many of such grafts from above and below the "sweetest" zone within the safe zone where the best quality, most DHT-resistant follicular units within the safe zone are found.