Punch size for FUE micro-motor?

[blackislback]

Would like hear experience of hrn experienced members, and generally anyone who has knowledge about this matter,  i know that there is no rule about punch size for all patients, but it's related to specific patient...

But however would like to know what i need to take attention when talk with doctor at personal consultation, about punch size.

Doctor which i'll choose probably, saw that mostly use 0.6 to 0.8mm punch size micro-motor FUE. I ask this, cause care about scares after FUE HT, i understand that no FUE HT without scares, but if they can be smaller even better, cause if HT not give well results for any reason,thought about option to shave my hair and with not so big scares after FUE HT.

Tnx!

[JDEE0]

Some doctors seem to use unnecessarily large punch sizes still, but it's fairly uncommon for them to be above 1mm. Most use between 0.7 and 0.9, and to be honest, I don't think it makes a huge difference in terms of scarring between the two; they leave pretty similar sized 'holes' or marks to the naked eye. A good surgeon will use the smaller sized punch for single and double grafts and then move up in size for multi's as to not transect the follicles. There's not really any way around this unless you really were to risk a poor harvest for no good reason.

Mostly though, it's going to depend on your own physiology more than the punch size, obviously if a surgeon is not very skilled they can cause excessive scarring by punching too deep and too close together, but in good hands and with a punch size between 0.7 and 0.9mm, the prominence of the scars will be mostly down to how your body heals and how much pigmentation, or lack thereof, is left in the marks afterwards.

If you go to the YouTube channel of someone like Lorenzo (who has tons) and comb through results, people often come back for a 2nd procedure and shave their heads which of course reveals the scarring. You'll see that the punch size is pretty much the same for all patients (although some will of course have more extractions with a larger punch if their hair is coarser and vice versa if finer) and the scarring is at least a little bit different for everyone.

Luck of the draw at the end of the day.

Edited October 26, 2021 by JDEE0

[Gatsby]

You will hear arguments from different surgeons from sides on why a larger or smaller punch is the better one. The one thing to avoid is the ARTAS robot which has a punch size of between 1mm-1.25mm. At the end of the day it's the skill of the surgeon that wields the punch that matters. All the best.

[blackislback]

9 hours ago, JDEE0 said:

Some doctors seem to use unnecessarily large punch sizes still, but it's fairly uncommon for them to be above 1mm. Most use between 0.7 and 0.9, and to be honest, I don't think it makes a huge difference in terms of scarring between the two; they leave pretty similar sized 'holes' or marks to the naked eye. A good surgeon will use the smaller sized punch for single and double grafts and then move up in size for multi's as to not transect the follicles. There's not really any way around this unless you really were to risk a poor harvest for no good reason.

Mostly though, it's going to depend on your own physiology more than the punch size, obviously if a surgeon is not very skilled they can cause excessive scarring by punching too deep and too close together, but in good hands and with a punch size between 0.7 and 0.9mm, the prominence of the scars will be mostly down to how your body heals and how much pigmentation, or lack thereof, is left in the marks afterwards.

If you go to the YouTube channel of someone like Lorenzo (who has tons) and comb through results, people often come back for a 2nd procedure and shave their heads which of course reveals the scarring. You'll see that the punch size is pretty much the same for all patients (although some will of course have more extractions with a larger punch if their hair is coarser and vice versa if finer) and the scarring is at least a little bit different for everyone.

Luck of the draw at the end of the day.

Thank you very much for clear explanation, now is more clear to me about punch sizes, and why some doctors use 0.7, 0.9, 1, 1.25mm , as it depends by doctor's skills, specific patient's state, skin, grafts type, etc etc. , and as could realize seems it's result of many factors will be more or less scares   or simple luckness ...

Hope, in my case will not be much scarring after this micro-motor FUE, just in case if wants shave hair, to feel free regarding scares, and that look more natural, as like after shaving normal hair, i mean , understand that there is no perfect situation with scarring after FUE, but saw few cases here at HRN where pretty good about scarring and very low visible scares at some patients, hope will be my case too ...

[Fue3361]

I'm pretty sure even the best surgeons transect follicles ocassionally on every patient.  There's thousands of them to extract, and you can't get each extraction perfectly.  Sometimes transections happen.

 

That said, the smaller the diameter, the higher chance of transecting a follicle.  A skilled hand can get away with a smaller diameter than someone with less skill.

 

That said, I think 0.7-0.9 is pretty standard (as the smallest they go) among the best surgeons out there from what I've seen.  But I'm not super educated on the topic, maybe some go even smaller and have good success rates.

But to answer the question, I don't think 0.6 is even necessary, even 0.9 still looks great.  It is once they start going above 1mm that you can see more visible scarring.  

[blackislback]

9 hours ago, Gatsby said:

You will hear arguments from different surgeons from sides on why a larger or smaller punch is the better one. The one thing to avoid is the ARTAS robot which has a punch size of between 1mm-1.25mm. At the end of the day it's the skill of the surgeon that wields the punch that matters. All the best.

Thanks for suggestion about that "Artas" robot, will remember about it, and will ask doctor which micro-motor they use, as could see they uze 0.6 to 0.9mm. And seems it much depend on skills of doctor, about post-op scaring at donor-recipient area, i pray to be minimal .

Tnx!

[blackislback]

4 hours ago, Fue3361 said:

I'm pretty sure even the best surgeons transect follicles ocassionally on every patient.  There's thousands of them to extract, and you can't get each extraction perfectly.  Sometimes transections happen.

 

That said, the smaller the diameter, the higher chance of transecting a follicle.  A skilled hand can get away with a smaller diameter than someone with less skill.

 

That said, I think 0.7-0.9 is pretty standard (as the smallest they go) among the best surgeons out there from what I've seen.  But I'm not super educated on the topic, maybe some go even smaller and have good success rates.

But to answer the question, I don't think 0.6 is even necessary, even 0.9 still looks great.  It is once they start going above 1mm that you can see more visible scarring.  

Yes, i agree that it can happen even best surgeons, as surgery takes much time, and often big number of grafts, and it's normal happens some of transection follicles...

Mayne factors are there, like fatigue, concentration, mood at that time, cooperation of patient, etc.  Yes, 0.7-0.9 most use for FUE, sure depend of patient state they choose right one. Just hope any of those 0.6-0.9 will leave less scarring ...