FUT benefits on young patient

[SoSoz]

Does FUT method allow to save grafts for the future? For e.g If we do a hair transplant on a 25 yo who is already NW4 would the person benefit from this? How many grafts approx. could be saved for the future procedure?

I heard that good surgeon can make the scar barely visible like pencil thin and you can't even see it if you grow your back a little bit.

Edited April 8, 2022 by SoSoz

[SoSoz]

Sorry I posted this by mistake in wrong section @Melvin- Moderator

[TommyLucchese]

Hi

That is the traditional way of thinking and it's the route I chose to go down 10 years ago at 23, with 2000 FUT grafts on hairline/frontal third It's all worked out for me so far.

There's a similar thread with more replies discussing whether FUT first is the right way to maximise the number of available grafts over your lifetime. 

Are you on meds? At your age with that high level of loss, you would risk wasting most of your donor hair on fixing today's loss. If it continues to be aggressive, you might not have the donor to fix the next phase of loss. So regardless of the method you should research clinics that are reputable so that they take all this into account when choosing 1) to accept you as a patient) and 2) what plan would be best for you

 

[LaserCaps]

2 hours ago, SoSoz said:

Does FUT method allow to save grafts for the future? For e.g If we do a hair transplant on a 25 yo who is already NW4 would the person benefit from this? How many grafts approx. could be saved for the future procedure?

I heard that good surgeon can make the scar barely visible like pencil thin and you can't even see it if you grow your back a little bit.

Typically a patient has multiple FUT procedures available to him.  It all depends on elasticity, donor density, size of head, pattern of loss, etc.  

More likely than not, a doctor will always return to the same scar to keep the donor area as pristine as possible. This process can be done multiple times until the doctor tells you, "the next time will be your last otherwise I will not be able to close the wound." This is due to lack of elasticity. How many grafts you do per procedure can also impact the number of procedures.  

Normally the donor area encompasses the area behind the head, ear to ear and the horizontal area, from the crown down to the nape.  A range commonly discussed is 2000-2500 grafts for a single procedure.  So, if a patient decides to move forward in stages, and start with 1200 grafts, the segment could start from behind the ear and go about 1/2 way.  If he as another procedure with a similar number in the future, the doctor would likely start on the other side and unite the line so as to create only one scar. 

How you scar heals is a result of wound physiology and how closely you follow the doctor's post-op instructions.  For FUT particularly, the doctor is likely to ask you to avoid weightlifting that affects the neck for at least 6 months as this can affect the width of a scar.  Despite verbal and written recommendations patients often disregard instructions, (nor read post op instructions) only to end up with a wide scar.  This is scar tissue which has no hair.  At the time of the second procedure, the yielding area is diminished - and this will have an impact in the number of grafts that are harvested. 

Hair loss patterns can also have an impact on numbers.  Consider a patient with an advanced pattern, dipping in the back and experiencing retrograde alopecia.  This would leave the patient with little to work with.

There are many other factors that are in play, including donor density, size of head, etc.

Going back to the scar.  The doctor has many tricks up his sleeve to help minimize scars and to make them less visible.  A trichophytic closure is one of them. Another is the width he takes in any given procedure.  If he takes a wide scar, this could lead to a wide scar as well.  Make sure to ask during a consultation.

Lastly, FUE is also available and this helps each and every patient take advantage of their entire donor.  This technique can also help patients add grafts to a scar if need be.  With all of these advances, (without putting my foot in my mouth too deep), good time to move forward, provided you find a doctor with experience, etc.

 

[SoSoz]

11 minutes ago, LaserCaps said:

Typically a patient has multiple FUT procedures available to him.  It all depends on elasticity, donor density, size of head, pattern of loss, etc.  

More likely than not, a doctor will always return to the same scar to keep the donor area as pristine as possible. This process can be done multiple times until the doctor tells you, "the next time will be your last otherwise I will not be able to close the wound." This is due to lack of elasticity. How many grafts you do per procedure can also impact the number of procedures.  

Normally the donor area encompasses the area behind the head, ear to ear and the horizontal area, from the crown down to the nape.  A range commonly discussed is 2000-2500 grafts for a single procedure.  So, if a patient decides to move forward in stages, and start with 1200 grafts, the segment could start from behind the ear and go about 1/2 way.  If he as another procedure with a similar number in the future, the doctor would likely start on the other side and unite the line so as to create only one scar. 

How you scar heals is a result of wound physiology and how closely you follow the doctor's post-op instructions.  For FUT particularly, the doctor is likely to ask you to avoid weightlifting that affects the neck for at least 6 months as this can affect the width of a scar.  Despite verbal and written recommendations patients often disregard instructions, (nor read post op instructions) only to end up with a wide scar.  This is scar tissue which has no hair.  At the time of the second procedure, the yielding area is diminished - and this will have an impact in the number of grafts that are harvested. 

Hair loss patterns can also have an impact on numbers.  Consider a patient with an advanced pattern, dipping in the back and experiencing retrograde alopecia.  This would leave the patient with little to work with.

There are many other factors that are in play, including donor density, size of head, etc.

Going back to the scar.  The doctor has many tricks up his sleeve to help minimize scars and to make them less visible.  A trichophytic closure is one of them. Another is the width he takes in any given procedure.  If he takes a wide scar, this could lead to a wide scar as well.  Make sure to ask during a consultation.

Lastly, FUE is also available and this helps each and every patient take advantage of their entire donor.  This technique can also help patients add grafts to a scar if need be.  With all of these advances, (without putting my foot in my mouth too deep), good time to move forward, provided you find a doctor with experience, etc.

 

If doctor would take a strip with 2500 grafts, compared to doing FUE with 2500 grafts, how many grafts approximately am I going to have left for another FUE procedure in future? Would the difference be big?

Edited April 8, 2022 by SoSoz

[LaserCaps]

18 minutes ago, SoSoz said:

If doctor would take a strip with 2500 grafts, compared to doing FUE with 2500 grafts, how many grafts approximately am I going to have left for another FUE procedure in future? Would the difference be big?

If his first procedure is FUT, it is likely he will have at least one more procedure, (or more depending on elasticity). Typically, you lose about 10% on procedure 2 since the scar has no hair.  

FUE area remains intact.  How many grafts can be harvested will depend on the size of your head and the density.  

Years ago most believe patients had 7,000-8000 grafts available.  With FUE also available, it is likely this is even a greater number.  All stars do need to lign up however. Perhaps other can chime in and give their opinion.