Why NOT to get an FUE- Interview with Dr. Willaim Reed- by Dr. Feller and Bloxham

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Dr Feller,

 

Do you have any pics of results of mFUE and the donor extraction sites? How is the yield so far with that technique? I don't know what to think of ishrs at the time being as some members seem to do things detrimental to patient safety and they are still members of such list it seems.

 

Dr Bloxham or Dr Feller, do you have any technique that can remove cobblestoning or ridging?

 

I think main problem with FUE is robots, techs, nurses, extracting. Or some using harsh high speed motorized tools. Or Suction based tools. Not many commit to true manual punch and that us sad. Manual may reduce the negative impacts quite a bit it seems.

 

I just wish there is something or someone can do to help some repair folks move forward.

 

Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham, youve been making some good points and worth noting. Id love to see more repair work by your office. Thanks.

 

Cobblestoning repair isn't in demand like it used to be because it usually takes larger grafts squeezed together to produce it. Even low end clinics use smaller grafts these days so you don't see much cobblestoning.

To answer your question, there is a technique to reduce cobblestoning.

 

Even manual FUE pales in comparison to FUT which is why all reputable FUT clinics who claim to also perform FUE hold on to their FUT techs. Good move. But you are right about the FUE machines, they are truly awful.

 

Thank you for the kind words.

[wazaam]

Thanks Dr Feller for your detailed response.

 

1. Do you feel that Manual FUE (not Manual with a motorized punch as some clinics use and claim to be Manual) is the superior extraction method for FUE procedures given your experience.

 

2. What is your opinion on average lifetime available donor grafts for an FUE procedure(s).

 

3. Why is donor supply a number that varies so much even when consulting with some of the the top hair transplant physicians who use similar FUE methods. I have been told I have as many as 10,000 avaible grafts by one clinic and as little 5000 available donor grafts by another? What gives as this is a pretty dramatic difference.

 

I appreciate all your feedback.

[Melvin- Admin]

I've stepped away from posting, mainly because of these types of threads, the fact that doctors would take the time to search posters photos and post them in a way as to make the member feel bad is dumbfounding. What else can I say other than I am at a loss for words, I joined this site and have shared my photos and spoken to countless guys and helped countless others for FREE just because I get joy out of helping others, but for photos to be taken and posted in the manner that they have been posted here is inexcusable especially from doctors. I've always respected ANYONE who decides to undergo hair transplant surgery, the whole ordeal is stressful enough I don't see a point in pointing at one member/patient to say "see that's why x procedure is bad just look at him". I really don't see any value in doing this other than to push a specific agenda at the expense of another. These threads unfortunately remind me why I've stepped away from posting.

[BaldingBogger]

I've stepped away from posting, mainly because of these types of threads, the fact that doctors would take the time to search posters photos and post them in a way as to make the member feel bad is dumbfounding. What else can I say other than I am at a loss for words, I joined this site and have shared my photos and spoken to countless guys and helped countless others for FREE just because I get joy out of helping others, but for photos to be taken and posted in the manner that they have been posted here is inexcusable especially from doctors. I've always respected ANYONE who decides to undergo hair transplant surgery, the whole ordeal is stressful enough I don't see a point in pointing at one member/patient to say "see that's why x procedure is bad just look at him". I really don't see any value in doing this other than to push a specific agenda at the expense of another. These threads unfortunately remind me why I've stepped away from posting.

 

This thread is just a rehash of the 2015 campaigns . It is beyond tedious at this stage.

 

Dr Feller and bloxham clearly believe if you say something enough times it will become true.

 

I think everyone agrees FUT will yield more lifetime grafts. However the disparity between yields from top clinics FUE/FUT these days is close. Just because one clinic can't achieve similar yields does not mean other talented clinics cannot.

 

There's simply no comparison between FUT and FUE scarring. Cherry picking atypical poor FUE scarring may pull the wool over new posters but people doing enough research will see through this.

 

It's time for everyone to move on.

[Melvin- Admin]

This thread is just a rehash of the 2015 campaigns . It is beyond tedious at this stage.

 

Dr Feller and bloxham clearly believe if you say something enough times it will become true.

 

I think everyone agrees FUT will yield more lifetime grafts. However the disparity between yields from top clinics FUE/FUT these days is close. Just because one clinic can't achieve similar yields does not mean other talented clinics cannot.

 

There's simply no comparison between FUT and FUE scarring. Cherry picking atypical poor FUE scarring may pull the wool over new posters but people doing enough research will see through this.

 

It's time for everyone to move on.

 

My issue isn't even about FUT vs FUE, if they convince a guy to choose FUT over FUE I have no problem with it because as I said the end goal is the same, I don't see it as a "us" vs "them" situation, my issue is with photos being searched for and posted, then Matt posting a thread you created years ago, completely uncalled for, I can recall a time when he did the same with me in 2015, and he did that several times resorting to calling out other members to push his point. I have never and will never post about another posters results to try and justify my decision. Albeit Matt is just a poster so I can understand him doing this although I don't condone his behavior, the fact that doctors would resort to this is something I can't understand.

 

I might as well post my own photos before they're posted fo me, donor zone at a zero guard after 5K plus grafts no taper fade done to "hide" FUE scars, the scars are there and I'm sure I'll be completely dismantled by the doctors about my donor and decision and who knows what else, I'm happy and my results have changed my life I don't only have photos but several videos on YouTube including wet hair comb through, I just want to add that I respect many members who've had FUT I have nothing negative to say about the procedure or any member who's gotten the procedure. Both procedures can be good in the right hands and bad in the wrong hands and both have their place.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2017 by Dr. Alan Feller

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Thanks Dr Feller for your detailed response.

 

1. Do you feel that Manual FUE (not Manual with a motorized punch as some clinics use and claim to be Manual) is the superior extraction method for FUE procedures given your experience.

 

2. What is your opinion on average lifetime available donor grafts for an FUE procedure(s).

 

3. Why is donor supply a number that varies so much even when consulting with some of the the top hair transplant physicians who use similar FUE methods. I have been told I have as many as 10,000 avaible grafts by one clinic and as little 5000 available donor grafts by another? What gives as this is a pretty dramatic difference.

 

I appreciate all your feedback.

 

You are welcome.

This video gives a detailed answer to your first question:

 

 

Your second and third question are too subjective so no way for me to answer. But 10,000 available grafts ?! That's a bit far out there.

[Yaz89]

After an 10 hour night shift and 10 hour sleep. I'm back. I would like to apologise to Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham. Even this is the internet, we all have feelings and we are humans. I have edit my own posts and have removed bad language.

 

I feel I don't have an dogs fight in this fue vs fut thing. It doesn't benefit me or makes me money at the end of the day. For this reason, I am ceasing my participation in this thread.

 

Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham, I always liked you guys and always found your content interesting. My words were put down in an heated moment and I am sorry. Oh Dr Bloxham, some nice piece of marketing I read in the Telegraph (UK) about you done by Spex.

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

After an 10 hour night shift and 10 hour sleep. I'm back. I would like to apologise to Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham. Even this is the internet, we all have feelings and we are humans. I have edit my own posts and have removed bad language.

 

I feel I don't have an dogs fight in this fue vs fut thing. It doesn't benefit me or makes me money at the end of the day. For this reason, I am ceasing my participation in this thread.

 

Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham, I always liked you guys and always found your content interesting. My words were put down in an heated moment and I am sorry. Oh Dr Bloxham, some nice piece of marketing I read in the Telegraph (UK) about you done by Spex.

 

Yaz,

 

This is a very honorable and classy move. It's rare to see people act this way online, and I commend you for it. And as I said before, I'm extremely pleased that hair transplant surgery was a success for you and allowed you to address an issue bothering you and live a happier life. This is what's most important here. And helping patients research and find the same solace is precisely why we do what we do. Of course if any of this is misinterpreted, it was not the intent and I do want to make sure that is clear.

 

Thank you for mentioning the article as well. It's received more attention than I thought it would! But I want to share it again here because I think it helps demonstrate the reasons why we do what we do and why it is important.

 

Again, thank you for your contributions to the threads, and congratulations on your success with hair transplantation!

 

10 thing no one tells you before you become a hair transplant surgeon

[Sean]

You are welcome.

This video gives a detailed answer to your first question:

 

 

Your second and third question are too subjective so no way for me to answer. But 10,000 available grafts ?! That's a bit far out there.

 

Dr Feller, as already documented, i was also initially told i had over 10,000 grafts available. without any tool used, but rather sifting through the hair with hands and eye fuckment. Is it that simple to calculate grafts like that?

[wazaam]

Dr Feller,

Sean and I share some of the same concerns regarding donor availability via FUE method .

 

On an average patient with a virgin scalp how many FUE grafts would you say are available before the donor appears moth eaten or becomes too thin?

 

You stated that 10,000 grafts seemed high which I tend to agree with. What number would you feel comfortable with assuming for the moment that only FUE is available method to the patient?

 

Thanks

[1978matt]

my issue is with photos being searched for and posted, then Matt posting a thread you created years ago, completely uncalled for,

 

 

Actually the thread I posted was highly relevant to the discussion as BB makes regular jibes about FUT (in fact he has made a subtle one just now on an FUE result), yet he has experienced the very problem with FUE which is unpredictable growth. It's somewhat disingenuous to claim it grows the same as FUT when your own FUE transplant didn't.

 

I can recall a time when he did the same with me in 2015, and he did that several times resorting to calling out other members to push his point. I have never and will never post about another posters results to try and justify my decision.

 

 

I don't know about several times but I seem to recall you basically came out of nowhere (not a regular poster at the time) and started preaching to everyone that FUE grows the same, gives the same number of lifetime grafts, allows you to buzz down, strip scars are unpredictable, basically giving the false impression it's a 50:50 choice.

 

Unfortunately a lot of people will have believed that and gone off to have FUE thinking it is the equal to FUT, only to be severely disappointed. This is reflected in the ever increasing number of poor FUE results the last 3 or 4 years. I did in the past post a list of about 30 or 40 poor results (with poster names obscured) to make a point. Again this was relevant to the discussion at that time as someone had posted claiming that this wasn't the case. As it happens, quite a few people messaged me for the unedited list as they were doing their research.

 

If a few hurt feeling saves some guys having their donor areas thinned out unnecessarily for mediocre growth then it was worth it in the end.

 

Edit: I'm not actually anti FUE but I think everyone should know it's true drawbacks before signing on the dotted line.

[BaldingBogger]

Actually the thread I posted was highly relevant to the discussion as BB makes regular jibes about FUT (in fact he has made a subtle one just now on an FUE result), yet he has experienced the very problem with FUE which is unpredictable growth. It's somewhat disingenuous to claim it grows the same as FUT when your own FUE transplant didn't.

 

 

 

I don't know about several times but I seem to recall you basically came out of nowhere (not a regular poster at the time) and started preaching to everyone that FUE grows the same, gives the same number of lifetime grafts, allows you to buzz down, strip scars are unpredictable, basically giving the false impression it's a 50:50 choice.

 

Unfortunately a lot of people will have believed that and gone off to have FUE thinking it is the equal to FUT, only to be severely disappointed. This is reflected in the ever increasing number of poor FUE results the last 3 or 4 years. I did in the past post a list of about 30 or 40 poor results (with poster names obscured) to make a point. Again this was relevant to the discussion at that time as someone had posted claimed that this wasn't the case. As it happens, quite a few people messaged me for the unedited list as they were doing their research.

 

If a few hurt feeling saves some guys having their donor areas thinned out unnecessarily for mediocre growth then it was worth it in the end.

 

 

I openly stated i had around 85% growth on first procedure but close to full yield on my subsequent 2 procedures. Hence i created a thread on the subject. You know what though, i would have taken 85% growth on each procedure to avoid a strip scar and to have the freedom to keep my hair short.

 

Its good you make reference to the other recently posted case. As it shows a case which is clearly a disasterous FUT procedure from a forum recommended Dr with minimal growth. The poster has had an FUE repair which appears to have yielded excellently.

 

However if i was a prospective patient and reading threads like these and comments from posters like you. I would have the impression FUT could NEVER fail and only FUE is unpredictable. This is simply not true.

 

There is the risk of unpredictable growth through both procedures. As i have stated many times there is no guarantee with either procedures. Whether that be due to Dr skill, technician error, x factor etc. The patient can minimise the risk by choosing a reputable clinic but never fully remove it.

 

Bearing in mind not every transplant (FUE & FUT) will grow optimally. In general rates from top practitioners are not that far apart. There are hundreds of cases posted online which back this up. We all know there are a lot of FUE & FUT hair mills out there that should not be in business which produce sub par results.

 

Ive spoken to several patients who are absolutely gutted they had an FUT procedure which has failed and they now don't have the budget , donor to fix their situation. And can't shave their hair short. People should be fully aware of the unpredictable nature of hair transplantation before they take the plunge.

 

If you want to continually seek self validation that you chose the correct procedure in FUT and rubbish FUE at every opportunity thats your decision. However there are many many patients who are extremely happy with their FUE results.

 

Also I'm not the one going around making FUT 'jibes'. Rather more responding to 'FUE' jibes and what i see as not fully accurate information. I have always said FUT can get great results just like i think FUE.

 

Also the picture you posted when i asked for a picture of you donor shaved is irrelevant. You hair is grown out and looks at least a 4/5 cut. As other posters pointed out it is not a relevant comparison. This further reinforces the point the level of visible scarring and shortness of hair that can be achieved resulting from both procedures.

Edited May 28, 2017 by BaldingBogger

[BaldingBogger]

Also I was previously asked for pics. I had procedures with Dr Ilker and Dr Lorenzo.

 

This was my starting situation and where I got too I had a touch up after the first op of around 400 grafts to address a thin area. 3 procedures just under 6000 FUE.

 

In fact I created a thread on 'touch ups'. As having spoken to many patients the impression I got was touch ups are very common for both procedures. Something I think patients should be aware of.

 

Im told i still have excellent donor and upwards to 3000 grafts left. No visible signs of any further minutarisaton and I'm 40.

 

I'm delighted I went with FUE and with my results. I regularly buzz my head and crop it close all over with no worries. Obviously if your on the higher Norwood scale FUT could be your only option

 

Each to their own. If people are happy with keeping their hair longer and go the FUT route knowing

the inherent risks and unpredictable nature of hair transplantation all power to them. Its just important people know the facts before hand.

 

With that I bid Adieu to this thread which is just continually going in circles of former threads and covering old ground. Happy FUE bashing

Edited May 28, 2017 by BaldingBogger

[Melvin- Admin]

 

Unfortunately a lot of people will have believed that and gone off to have FUE thinking it is the equal to FUT, only to be severely disappointed. This is reflected in the ever increasing number of poor FUE results the last 3 or 4 years. I did in the past post a list of about 30 or 40 poor results (with poster names obscured) to make a point. Again this was relevant to the discussion at that time as someone had posted claiming that this wasn't the case. As it happens, quite a few people messaged me for the unedited list as they were doing their research.

 

If a few hurt feeling saves some guys having their donor areas thinned out unnecessarily for mediocre growth then it was worth it in the end.

 

Edit: I'm not actually anti FUE but I think everyone should know it's true drawbacks before signing on the dotted line.

 

I could make a list of several guys who've had failed FUT's a list does nothing there are to many variables to compare results, there is no surgery that is 100% guaranteed, i can recall a time where you specifically referenced a thread and said something like "this is so called growth" the poster wasn't even unhappy with his results, this is totally uncalled for I could do the same thing but I choose not to, several guys have less hair loss than I did and have had more grafts with FUT and may not have the same appearance, is it the procedure itself? or could it be other variables, like maybe they have thinner hair caliber a bigger head etc. Regardless as a hair loss sufferer I know how terrible hair loss can be and I would never stoop to this level to prove my point, this does nothing other than create an environment where guys who've had impressive results start bashing other guys with less visually pleasing results just to justify their procedures.

 

I admit in 2015 I bit the bait, I was heavily involved in that thread, I stay away now for the most part until I see blatant digs at other members for the sake of argument, to be fair I don't believe Dr. Feller has done this because he his a hair loss sufferer himself and knows how sensitive one can be when it comes to hair. Maybe it was just Dr. Bloxham being ignorant on the matter, but from the outside looking in it appeared as Yaz putting up a picture of his hair and not saying anything negative towards the doctor but simply stating he couldn't have this hairstyle with FUT, then his pictures were retrieved from his thread with a comment like "this is what you really look like", to me this is no different than if I were to post a photo of myself hair done and layered and then someone posting a photo of me where my hair may have been greasy and under direct sunlight and saying this what you really look like, to me that would be a blatant dig and would certainly upset me and rightfully so, I don't condone how Yaz reacted by using foul language but I do feel posting his photo was uncalled for and insinuating it looks worse now since that photo was only 2,500 grafts. I don't post as often but felt compelled to post because this upset me and I'm not even Yaz .

[Mick50]

After an 10 hour night shift and 10 hour sleep. I'm back. I would like to apologise to Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham. Even this is the internet, we all have feelings and we are humans. I have edit my own posts and have removed bad language.

 

I feel I don't have an dogs fight in this fue vs fut thing. It doesn't benefit me or makes me money at the end of the day. For this reason, I am ceasing my participation in this thread.

 

Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham, I always liked you guys and always found your content interesting. My words were put down in an heated moment and I am sorry. Oh Dr Bloxham, some nice piece of marketing I read in the Telegraph (UK) about you done by Spex.

 

Well done Yaz takes a man to apologise and cool that Dr Bloxham has accepted it ,bottom line is man you've had a great result and you're happy, same as myself I had 4200 FUE and

has made a huge difference to my life, its not perfect but a dramatic improvement for the better ,no longer wear a hat .

I know you put up your pics most people wouldn't notice anything with your donor but of course trained eyes like Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham will observe the scarring that occurs with FUE. As HT soon alluded to could have been dealt with a little more sensitively,

but from the Docs point of view it was valid to counter your points about FUE scarring in relation to fade cuts etc.

As for people saying Dr Feller and Bloxham have an agenda and it's business well of course it's business anyone who thinks differently is naive but that's secondary to Dr Feller I think we would all agree , in his opinion FUT is the way to go and has to be admired for not

getting into FUE as a money spinner .[for large cases ]

.

For me I have taken on board all the points he has made but in my opinion there are Doctors who OK may not have overcome the inherent drawbacks with FUE [and I know Dr feller argues because of these drawbacks should opt for FUT, but whether it's rational or not scar for lots of guys will always be an issue] but they are still able to produce solid results even with larger cases but as a layman obviously cant say how they achieve this, would love more FUE Dr involvement involvement but that aint gonna

happen .

Edited May 29, 2017 by Mick50

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Are these hundreds of patients your own patients or did they have their FUE somewhere else? If they are not your patients, why are they coming to see you at all? If they're coming to you for repair doesn't this make your conclusion lopsided?

 

I understand your reference to the study but I looked it up and that study is fifteen years old. Was anyone really so experienced with FUE in 2002 that their conclusions would still be valid today?They also said that FUE is for patients that "wear their hair short", implying that this is more likely with FUE than with strip, which you were kind of debating against with some members.

 

*EDIT* Adding link to paper

https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/research/follicular-unit-extraction-minimally-invasive-surgery-for-hair-transplantation/

 

 

 

You have a 60% survival rate for your FUE?

 

I asked another question in my last post. You asked "if the price for FUT in Europe has dropped so low, I wonder how many trained staff each clinic is now employing to properly perform FUT compared to 2010 ? I'll bet fewer."

 

Why you believe that FUT in Europe has dropped "so low"? I said earlier that what clinics told me was that their FUE was slightly higher than their FUT and their FUT pricing is slightly lower than what I've found in NA. There is a clinic named Hattingen that routinely matches any clinic in NA for megasessions even up to 7000 grafts with strip and their pricing is equivalent to slightly lower to NA clinics, and this is not taking into account the exchange rate.

 

 

In the beginning, from 2002 to 2004 most were my own patients as there really was nobody else performing FUE of any kind of regular basis in America. The results were ok for smaller procedures like 500 grafts or so and thus FUE looked promising. But as the cases got larger in number, the growth deficiencies and unnecessary damage to the donor area became more and more apparent. I saw this early on and avoided large FUE sessions. Of course I performed them, up to 3000 grafts, but could see the results just could not compare to FUT. And the damage caused by these megasession procedures was unjustifiable.

 

As others began to jump on the FUE bandwagon I began to see more and more of other doctors results and that's when I learned most growth rates were about 60% of the reported number for megasessions. And the reason for this became obvious rather quickly. I wrote about it extensively on this forum when HTN used the older format. The problem was that in order to increase the number of grafts the speed had to be increased. As speed increased, trauma to the graft increased as well. So the growth yields dropped.

 

Of course I wanted to believe that those clinics who were offering megasession FUE early on just had better technique and instrumentation than I did. I WANTED to believe that because I could ultimately learn it or figure it out for myself. But the results online and in person didn't bear that out.

 

Most megasession FUE patients were NOT happy as reported on the internet and in personal consultation. As disappointed patients visited me for repair or just my opinion on the growth it became clear that the reality was not matching the hype. I knew something was wrong and I knew why. But I could only speak for myself because back then no clinic would tell or show how they performed their FUE...except for me.

 

The modus operandi back then was to NOT tell or show how the FUE procedure was performed and then CLAIM a new and innovative method was being employed for marketing reasons. All lies of course, but how could it be proven ?

 

Then a well known Greek company of the time screwed up. They posted a video of their "advanced" FUE technique that they had been hyping for sometime. It was supposed to be a marketing video. But I was appalled when I saw the video. I knew then and there that all they were doing was working faster, not smarter. No new techniques and no new instrumentation. I wrote against it and was, of course, attacked by them for it. But the evidence was right there in the video. They condemned themselves, but by me pointing it out I gained a reputation as a truth teller.

 

 

 

Why did the patients of other doctors come to see me? Because of two things:

 

1. The first was the internet chat forums were beginning to gain greater popularity allowing patients to find doctors who specialized exclusively in HT. FUE cases back then, as now, were performed by "part-timers" and their patients didn't yet know there were HT specialists they could have gone to. Internet forums like this one opened a whole new world of choice to them and I was one of the few doctors who: participated regularly online, had a good rep for FUT as well as a good rep for the newer FUE procedure. So naturally they sought me out when they were unhappy. They weren't going to get satisfaction from the part time doc who gave them their poor FUE surgery now were they ? Of course not.

 

2. I created a persona of blunt honesty online and this resonated with unhappy patients of other doctors. It still does to this day.

 

 

A 15 year old study is just as valid today if nothing substantially has changed. And that IS the case with FUE. Nothing has changed since the time Rassman and Bernstein did the study. FUE is 100% the same. A punch is used to score around a graft, the graft is grasped with a forcepts, and then traction is applied to break it free.

 

I created a new punch and technique to decrease the detimental forces associated with the FUE technique and must admit that they made almost no difference in the over all yield. Nobody has produced anything better yet to date. The limitations of FUE still all boil down to those detrimental forces inherent to the procedure. So the FOX test and the study are just as valid now as they were 15 years ago.

 

As far as pricing. FUT in Europe used to be incredibly high. I suspect that's why so many traveled to the US for their hair transplant procedures from 1995 to about 2013. But the introduction of bargain basement FUE into Europe seems to be destroying the European HT industry in general and an attitude of "if you can't beat them, join them" is prevailing. So more and more European doctors are getting on the FUE bandwagon as a matter of survival. The quality of a cheap FUE is not on par with the quality of a well performed FUT, problem is however that European patients don't know that. They don't seek out the reality and the doctors are all too willing to allow patients to believe what they want as long as they sign up for a procedure in their clinic. ANY procedure.

 

This isn't happening in America because the techniques employed by the most vocal European FUE hair mills are illegal. And rightfully so. Pull the kind of crap going on in Europe and an American doctor will lose his license through regulatory malpractice which is a far lower bar than legal malpractice.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

After an 10 hour night shift and 10 hour sleep. I'm back. I would like to apologise to Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham. Even this is the internet, we all have feelings and we are humans. I have edit my own posts and have removed bad language.

 

I feel I don't have an dogs fight in this fue vs fut thing. It doesn't benefit me or makes me money at the end of the day. For this reason, I am ceasing my participation in this thread.

 

Dr Feller and Dr Bloxham, I always liked you guys and always found your content interesting. My words were put down in an heated moment and I am sorry. Oh Dr Bloxham, some nice piece of marketing I read in the Telegraph (UK) about you done by Spex.

 

Thank you.

[mikeyhwk]

Dr Feller if I may ask a question, I know conventional wisdom is strip out then when you cant any longer then fue out. If somebody did fue first, is the option for strip on a 2nd procedure an option still or has that boat sailed once you've gone fue already. Your fut arguments are making me think maybe I should consider fut but I did go fue once already.

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

Dr Feller if I may ask a question, I know conventional wisdom is strip out then when you cant any longer then fue out. If somebody did fue first, is the option for strip on a 2nd procedure an option still or has that boat sailed once you've gone fue already. Your fut arguments are making me think maybe I should consider fut but I did go fue once already.

 

You can do FUT after a previous FUE procedure. In fact, we do them quite often. The real variable will be the size of the previous FUE procedure. This is because the larger the procedure, the more picked over the donor, and the less you'll get out of a strip. For most people, it's still absolutely worth it and you'll get a good number of quality grafts from the strip. Definitely less than a virgin or previous FUT donor, but still good numbers.

 

The last one I recall was a patient who had pretty extensive FUE done prior. I don't remember the number precisely, but decent. I did a large FUT on him and was able to get over 2,000 grafts. Thickened up his frontal band and also some filling in the mid-scalp. Not bad for someone who had been hit pretty hard previously.

 

How many FUEs have you had?

[Schiller]

I thank the doctors for this thread, but the "NOT to get" in the title discourages me and I'm sure some others who have no FUT option left. That is not to say that the truth of this should be hidden or whitewashed. But can I suggest a doctor-led thread that recognizes the problems of FUE and focuses on optimal uses of the method and improvement? I did watch the mFUE posting, but what else? Really? This discouraging thread has only left me with a knot in my stomach and a weakness for the day ahead.

[Mick50]

Very interesting question it's something I have thought about after having an FUE of 4200 grafts.

Dr Bloxham do you think by looking at my donor I would be a suitable candidate for a strip of lets say 2000 grafts?, I realise it would only be an estimate as pics aren't the best way to evaluate ,this is the shortest I wear my hair

 

Forgot to quote mikehwk's question about FUT after an FUE

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

I thank the doctors for this thread, but the "NOT to get" in the title discourages me and I'm sure some others who have no FUT option left. That is not to say that the truth of this should be hidden or whitewashed. But can I suggest a doctor-led thread that recognizes the problems of FUE and focuses on optimal uses of the method and improvement? I did watch the mFUE posting, but what else? Really? This discouraging thread has only left me with a knot in my stomach and a weakness for the day ahead.

 

Hi Schiller,

 

Not being able to undergo the FUT procedure -- or more FUT procedures -- is an excellent indication for FUE. We've always held that FUE is a good procedure and an excellent adjunct to the gold-standard FUT procedure; and if you don't have the option to undergo this approach, it may be your best and only option. What we have cautioned patients against is undergoing FUE megasessions, performing FUE in young patients with the potential for aggressive future loss, etc. It doesn't sound like you fall into this category.

 

If you would like to share some images or your story here or privately, I'd be happy to review and tell you honestly if I do believe FUE is your best option. Feel free to send me a PM or a direct email (drbmbloxham@gmail.com).

 

Hopefully this helps you feel a little less discouraged!

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

Very interesting question it's something I have thought about after having an FUE of 4200 grafts.

Dr Bloxham do you think by looking at my donor I would be a suitable candidate for a strip of lets say 2000 grafts?, I realise it would only be an estimate as pics aren't the best way to evaluate ,this is the shortest I wear my hair

 

Forgot to quote mikehwk's question about FUT after an FUE

 

Sure looks like you have healthy donor left. As you said, it is always very difficult to tell based on images alone, especially with longer hair. However, I do believe you would have the option to undergo an FUT procedure and still obtain a respectable graft number. Obviously less than you would have without the prior FUE, but looks like you're blessed in the donor department. I wouldn't even guess how many you could obtain, but looks like FUT is still an option for you.

[Mick50]

Sure looks like you have healthy donor left. As you said, it is always very difficult to tell based on images alone, especially with longer hair. However, I do believe you would have the option to undergo an FUT procedure and still obtain a respectable graft number. Obviously less than you would have without the prior FUE, but looks like you're blessed in the donor department. I wouldn't even guess how many you could obtain, but looks like FUT is still an option for you.

 

Thanks Dr Bloxham for your reply, I must admit I'm wary of extracting more grafts via

FUE as I really don't want a moth eaten look donor, so good to know FUT is a possible option and maybe the way to go .