FUE harvesting

[lakes9925]

When it comes to harvesting FUE which techniques causes the least amount of trama on the scalp (helping you heal faster) and which doctors use this technique to harvest from your donor area?

 

Thanks in advance, hope to hear opinion from Melvin and Sean.

[Melvin- Admin]

Some may say manual cause less trauma, but I don’t think that’s true, I think manual or motorized both tools score the skin and create scars. The size of the punch will determine the size of the punch scar, nevertheless the only way to avoid trauma to the scalp is to avoid surgery. Because there is no tool that will avoid trauma, with FUE you’re removing thousands of punch size tissue. It is inevitable that this creates trauma to the scalp. 

This is why surgeons want patients to have FUT first, because FUE causes subdermal scarring. With that’s said, both harvesting techniques cause scalp trauma it is fundamentally inevitable with surgery.  

[Speegs]

The skill of the physician and their care to use the proper sized punches is what it all comes down to, each procedure is a custom job and should be treated as such because different skin types and hair types require dfferent tools.

I would be weary of ever going to a physician that does only FUE, because their treatment options are limited, and there's a risk they have not invested in the microscopes that FUT surgeons use and are still very helpful in examining and prepping FUE grafts before placement.

I would also never go to a practice with automated FUE, it just smacks of a surgeon who is not up to snuf and uninvolved.

[Sean]

Det9925, 

You have to look at it this way- what is the least riskiest way to harvest FUE?

 

1- Doctor should do the extractions throughout donor region and not confined to just a concentrated extracted rectangle or square-  trust me on that one, it can create massive scar tissue in that area that can result in permanent shockloss and a halo or shape/outline of donor density loss

2- Now lets get to the tools:

Is the punch small? .7mm or  .8mm ?  Or is higher then that?  The higher the mm the greater the risk of dot scarring amongst other things.  

Is the punch motorized?  Motorized may heat up due to friction, it can also vibrate- risking tissue damage.  Some surgeons I spoke with start feeling numb after 100’s of extractions. Imagine holding a hair clipper turned on for few hours straight.  Will you be able to guestimate graft bulbs to extract with any vibration present accurately?  It also enables surgeons to work faster and even handle other cases if possible. Is speed what you want?   Is it a risk your willing to take with surgery? 

Is the punch mounted on ARTAS?  If so, then that device apparantly has updates and tool changes, thus meaning it is Not perfected.  It cannot extract certain types of hair and in certain colors.  It also enables doctors to do multiple procedures as the “robot” is extracting.  What if there is a malfunction? Is it a risk you are willing to take?  

Is the extraction device suction based?  If so, the strength of suction can be detrimental to your grafts amongst various other factors.  Both with air and saline.   Is it a risk your willing to take?

Now let’s get to manual punch for extraction.  It is just a punch, no motor, no suction, no vibration, no heat.  Some surgeons I spoke with claim they can feel it better when extracting when they are angling to extract grafts.  It is slower.  Surgeons can do smaller sized cases in a day or can break it up into multiple days to counter fatigue.  Some folks even use the stick in place method when doing manual, they extract and then they immediately insert into recipient site.    This helps grafts gave better chance of survival as they are not out of body for long periods.  Is this the risk your willing to take?

Another factor that determines successful FUE is the caliber and texture of your hair.  The weaker your hair is, the least risky tool you would want the doctor to use.  Your hairs are more inclined to follicle death. The thicker your hair, the better it may survive harsher extraction methods.  Asian/Mid Eastern hair may not survive if poor extraction methods are used vs Caucasian hair.  If you have African hair then you need a special curved tool to extract - maybe-.  Some folks may use regular punches on African hair.  

Regardless of what tool is used, surgery will have scarring but it may be lowered in magnitude if the proper surgical protocol is followed. 

This is my opinion though and some docs agree with me, some who use other techniques, may not.  

Based on my own situation, If i can go back in time, Slow and steady manual FUE by an experienced fue doctor only possibly could have led to a different outcome ( Or even FUT could have) I think the doctors should extract grafts and create recipient sites.  Techs come and go and rotate, it is not consistent.  

Best of luck buddy.  

Edited August 2, 2018 by Sean

[JohnCasper]

Here’s a photo of my donor area about two years after my first surgery.  I’ve posted this picture many times but it still seems relavant here.  About 1,750 grafts were taken from this area with a .08mm punch.  All the grafts were removed by Dr. Vories and placed by him.  The scaring is so small it is just not discernible especially with a little hair growth.  This is why I chose FUE vs. FUT.