Advice regarding FUT or FUE?

[Haircharity34]

I've done a good bit of research online but I still haven't concluded whether it'd be best to go with FUE or FUT for my initial HT. I'm 32, Norwood 6. I've attached 2 photos. One shows my current baldness and the other shows how I'd wear my hair if I had it back. Incidentally, due to budget constraints, I've got my eyes set on various doctors in Turkey/India (not the US). Any thoughts are most welcome!

[Speegs]

Given your advanced hair loss, FUT will more efficiently harvest larger donor strips, be more cost effective, and likely yield greater growth results.

 

Graft transection is less common with a strip than with attempting to harvest a large amount of grafts via FUE.

 

Reality is you're going to require at least 6000 graft to get coverage for what you have, and it will likely take two or three procedures to do it.

[MrGio-WHTCClinic]

I would first have a scalp analysis and a density check.

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

I think you'd be better served by the FUT approach. Mr Gio is correct too; you should undergo evaluations in person.

 

Good luck!

[JON86]

I just had an fut and it was not the horror story people say it is. You just need to find the right doctor. Someone that is class 6 should probably do fut to get the most grafts you can.

[ontop]

Can you post a picture of your donor?

[Haircharity34]

Thank you all so much for the replies. I should've solicited these opinions a month ago! All of the doctors I've zeroed in on overseas exclusively do FUE. I feel like it's back to the drawing boards. Does anyone here know of highly reputable FUT surgeons that are affordable and/or overseas?

 

But just curious, what kind of a difference are we talking about on average between FUT and FUE in terms of graft survival? Is it really significant? Are we talking more than 20%?

[Haircharity34]

I had a little trouble getting pictures of my donor; here's the best I could do. I think my donor is decent, though I don't have an accurate count.

[Speegs]

Thank you all so much for the replies. I should've solicited these opinions a month ago! All of the doctors I've zeroed in on overseas exclusively do FUE. I feel like it's back to the drawing boards. Does anyone here know of highly reputable FUT surgeons that are affordable and/or overseas?

 

But just curious, what kind of a difference are we talking about on average between FUT and FUE in terms of graft survival? Is it really significant? Are we talking more than 20%?

An elite surgeon can give you 90 to 95 percent graft survival with FUT if you take care of the grafts in post op as they tell you to do.

 

Whereas even elite FUE surgeons like Feller will tell you that 70 to 75 percent graft survival is not an uncommon result for a large FUE procedure.

 

Careful surgeons don't like to exceed 1500 with FUE per session, it's a very laborious process, the grafts stay out of the body longer, and there is more opportunity for transection...all the more reason to shy away from a large FUE procedure.

 

To satisfy your present hairloss, my unprofessional estimate is that a 5,000 to 6,000 graft case is at hand for you, probably broken into two separate procedures.

 

You do appear to have a nice donor area, however.

[Speegs]

PS get on finsteride and try out Viviscal Professional, and do it promptly to try and stunt any further hairloss.

 

Another two or three years and you'll be Patrick Stewart if you don't.

[DavidAnderson]

You have an advanced pattern of loss and you crown has opened up, your hair around the nape of your neck looks fluffy and would suggest thinning here. FUE is not going to give you more than a frame to your face and some coverage into the mid scalp.

 

There will be places abroad as you mention that will pull 4000 grafts in one session from your donor but what the donor will look like after is a guessing game and whether all the grafts will last the journey as they will have to sail close to the nape hair and crown to get that many.

 

The advantage of going FUE in your case is of course the ability to be able to wear your hair short sides and back. As long as the donor area is not over harvested it can help as it will reduce the amount of hair sides but in my view anymore than 3500 grafts would over harvest your donor with FUE.

 

Your are likely to get more grafts with FUT unless you have a very tight scalp, if you have good laxity and density you could pull 3500 maybe more in one session and have the potential for another in the future albeit smaller size.

 

You have so much hair in the lower part of your crown that could be saved by meds alone. Which ever way you go I would be realistic and expect the crown to always have a very light coverage if any.

 

Agree with others see some Doctors in person that offer both methods they should be able to show you the hairline position and coverage with each method used. Better to be prepared than to fly overseas and have a shock because what you wanted is vastly different to what can be achieved, as once you are booked that day you will feel a pressure to do the surgery even if you are uncomfortable with what is being suggested.

[Melvin- Admin]

Ahh the old FUE or FUT question, really I agree with what David has to say, 4,000 grafts in one sitting is not a good idea, I chose FUE I have had a total of 4,000 grafts, I split the procedures up in to two separate procedures its really the best way to go.

 

Personally, I do think there are some benefits to FUT, you can harvest more grafts in one sitting and its cheaper, with that being said, FUE is a great procedure, the biggest plus is being able to wear your hair short, what this means for guys like you and me is that you soften the contrast between the top and sides, I have very coarse thick hair so when my sides grow out they look bushy which in turn makes the top look thin, I have uploaded some HD pictures of my donor area taken just a few days ago so you could see what a donor area could look like after 4,000 grafts extracted.

 

Do you ever plan to wear your hair short? Do you want the option to buzz down (not shave)? if you answered yes to any of these questions then FUE is the way to go, if you don't ever plan to wear your hair short and you wont ever buzz down then FUT is the way to go.

[1978matt]

Agree with David. No one on this board can solve your dilemma. Best to visit 2 or 3 high end doctors who offer both FUE/FUT and get their opinions. Konior, Ron & Paul Shapiro, Feller, Gabel, Cooley, H&W etc.

 

With a high end doctor who knows how and when to do strip you shouldn't really end up with a scar wider than 3 or 4mm. Take what you can get through FUT unless you have poor laxity. You can always do a final FUE which also involves putting some grafts into the scar if required. With a bit of luck you could do 3 sessions of, 3500, 2000, 1500 (FUE) for 7000 grafts total. All depends on density and laxity.

 

Multiple FUE cases on high NW tend to work best on people with large high-density donor areas.

[ontop]

More hair you got to move FUT would be more beneficial & cost effective,but only work on zone 1,2 & 3 @ this time.

 

Like matt said, go & seek top doctors & get there input then weigh things up.

 

Good luck

[n00b]

I have very coarse thick hair so when my sides grow out they look bushy which in turn makes the top look thin, I have uploaded some HD pictures of my donor area taken just a few days ago so you could see what a donor area could look like after 4,000 grafts extracted.

 

 

Hi HTsoon

Do you happen to know the thickness of your donor hair?