FUT vs FUE post-op return to "normal" time frame?

[Shampoo]

I have a basic question that I am sure has been discussed in the past.

 

I had 2 more recent FUT surgeries that basically took about a year to return to normal from.

 

So for the sake of discussion FUT takes anywhere from 9-14 months to go thru "ugly duckling" stage, fully heal, and return to a "normal looking" stage.

 

My question is....how long does a typical FUE surgery take to return to the normal stage?...say 2500 FUE grafts?

 

I know it can partly depend on if the patient is shaved down for the surgery and I tend to believe the best results come when a patient is shaved down for surgery...so maybe keep answers geared towards FUE patients that have some degree of shave down.

 

BTW...my question is not intended for a debate on FUT vs FUE because both have their own upsides....my question is because I am now at the stage where I need more of a touch-up and have been told after 3 FUT surgeries that I need to have FUE in the future. I am very well versed on FUT post-op and healing time....but not on FUE.

 

Thanks for any feedback.

[Justin77]

I had a 1700 graft FUE and my head was fully shaved. I'd say that I felt like I was out of the ugly duckling stage by the end of 4 months. And now just half a month later, I actually think I look better than I did prior to the surgery as the new hairline is quite obvious and frames my face better.

 

Still not close to my final result yet, but I feel completely normal-looking and don't hesitate at all to go out anymore.

[pkipling]

I"m curious as to what aspect of the surgery took you so long to recover from? While it can take a year or so to see full/mature results, that seems like an awful long time for the ugly duckling phase to last, whether strip or FUE. I was fortunate to be an early grower and had some significant growth even by month 4.

 

With FUE, my donor area was back to normal within a week or so. My main issue was the lingering redness of my recipient area (my scalp has always been very sensitive), but that was a nonissue after about 4 weeks - and how the recipient area heals shouldn't matter whether it's strip or FUE.

[Shampoo]

i guess it is how one defines the "healing and return to normal" process. I would say for me the FUT ugly duckling phase was the first 3-4 months. Then it was mostly..(but not all) waiting for it to grow in. I felt like a total return to normal and full grow in was 10-14 months. It sounds like with the exception of the healing of the incision site the healing/regrowth is about the same either way with FUT or FUE. Thanks.

[matt3480]

I guess I'm not clear on what you mean, either.

 

The ugly duckling stage is normally when you shed the transplanted hair and are waiting for it to grow. That really won't change FUE or FUT.

 

I just had my FUE third surgery February 6.

 

My first was in March 2015.....2,075 grafts. Yeah, that took longer I think because I had no hair where Dr. Konior transplanted into...so obviously I was red/pink in that area until the hair grew in to cover that....so that was maybe solid 5 months that I wasn't looking great.

 

My second was in December 2015....I had him go back in and hit me with more density in the same area. I felt I was only pink for literally a few weeks....and I already had hair there, so even when the transplanted hair fell out....it didn't really look bad.

 

I had a final touchup February 6 (last month) in the same area (I have extremely fine hair and wanted perfection). I look fine already....no pinkness. It really depends on how much hair you have in the area.

 

I heal extremely fast from FUE....I mean the donor looks mint now and really it has for 2 weeks now.

 

So yeah, my head had to be shaved down and that's the only thing that isn't normal about me right now (since I always wear it grown out) but in terms of pain or looking weird....that really lasted maybe 2 weeks. I am so glad I never got FUT because you really have to baby that donor scar it seems. Fue....piece of cake with the right surgeon.

 

Since you are just going for a touch-up in an area that already has hair presumably....you likely will notice pretty much nothing past a month tops (with the exception of the shaved head).