FUT or FUE

[wb280]

Hi guys, sorry if this issue has been addressed over and over again! just wanted to showcase my scenario so u experts out there can share some valuable information!

 

I am nearly certain to go for HT, to be done by Dr Pathomvanich from Bangkok ( he is a recommended surgeon in this community ). I am currently 32, with receding hairline, and has been told that i need less than 2000 grafts to achieve satisfactory overall density. My crown is probably still quite ok... Anyway according to Dr, my donor area is fine, and quite lax... so all in all, i am a gd candidate for HT. Question is Dr Path only performs FUT these days... i was all along gunning for FUE since i always felt strip procedure are more for huge hair losers, maybe in the range of 3k and above. I was also consoled by the fact that the tricho closure will probably meant that the scar will be optimally undetectable.. I have gone thru tons of pics of HT patients undergoing FUE... the moth holes dun look pretty. in fact, with strip, u can easily cover up with longer hair at the back... but i understand that no matter how well hidden the scar is, u can nvr shave bald since there is indeed a scar which obviously u hope nobody will want to find out.

 

Sorry for the lenghty story, but can anyone chip in some thoughts? Btw, i reside in the vicinity of Bangkok, so i have limited choices and from what i see, Dr Pat is performing at a high level, so i am quite certain i will be going to him...

[Sparky]

You only get the moth eaten look if you go to a bad fue surgeon, I've recently had FUE to fill in a previous strip scar and you cant see where the hair was taken from, I'm at 6 weeks post op so obviously no hair growing in scar yet.

 

If it was me I wouldnt even consider strip. Not everyone gets an undetectable scar.

[Maxxy]

You have to weigh up the pros and cons of each and make your own decision.

 

Cost - FUE is more expensive.

Scarring - Likely to be less noticeable with FUE (though personally, I wouldn't consider the actual scarring is less).

Extraction - Even in the best hands the transection/damage rate is very likely to be higher in FUE.

Healing - Faster with FUE.

Results - In my opinion strip procedures generally produce better results over FUE.

 

Personally, If I was having anything over a 1000 grafts, I'd go with strip.

[azazelgs]

and also i'd like to add another question, in a web site i saw that there is a higher probability to max out of a donor hair in fue than strip. it shocked me because i knew it was opposite. could anyone tell the truth about it?

[Maxxy]

In FUE, there is only so much you can take before the area looks thin, however, in a strip you are also removing the skin as a result you do not encounter that problem.

 

If you started off by getting large FUE procedures, then you pretty much have to continue with FUE. To get a strip procedure at a later date, you would have to get a wider strip taken as the donor would be depleted.

 

I plan on maxing out my donor with strip procedures before moving on to FUE (if needed).

[Sparky]

I know someone whos had 7200 grafts with fue and got a very very good result.

[Sunnycoastman]

Hi WB, its a tough decision. I have a few questions for you. If you choose FUE, who would do it. You need to find a very good doctor. Does Dr Humayan do FUE, I dont know. I think hes in Pakistan and his prices are low compared to other docs and lots of members on this site recommend him. Otherwise you may have to travel further and pay 2 or 3 times more for FUE than with Dr Path with FUT. So first question: can you afford the travel costs and the extra FUE cost. Next question. Looking at your genealogy how much hairloss do you expect in the future. If its alot then maybe FUT is better now and plan for future FUT treatments. If you dont think your hairloss will be much in future then FUE may be better for you now. Next question. Do you want to be able to shave right down or not. If so FUE is better from a good doc, if not FUT will be cheaper and youll get a better yield for your $. You know you can always get FUT then in future get FUE into your scar and Ok you cant shave right down without it being noticed I think but you can get close maybe. Good luck. Im just a newbie to this site really, I hope a few more can chip in and help with your decision....cheers mate

 

sunny

[wb280]

hi guys, thanks for the valuable opinions! pls keep them coming! However, it seems there is no certain conclusion which is better...

 

Sunny, to answer your questions, i prob dun think i will lose that much until a norwood 6 or beyond. Prob 1 HT can last me a decade or so..hopefully! Yes u r right abt FUE on FUT scar but lets not venture into that now ya? It will be disastrous to assume such a route even b4 my 1st HT

 

costs wise, i think its not an issue with me. i do not need the best bang for my buck. wat worries me are all other issues besides the cash involved. i have limited choices.. Dr Pat is the nearest doc for me and hey i have done some research on this site ( kudos to all who made this site so relevant and informative ! ) I will prob stick to him unless someone can really persuade me that FUE is better...Besides him, i have no other surgeon in my vicinity who has that much experience, and needless to say they are not recommended on this site ( but does not mean they aren't good ) but we all know how impt a HT is to us so its better to be precarious...

 

i can afford the cash but i cannot afford to fly all the way to states for HT due to work commitments... so i guess all in all, that leaves me with no choice ya?

 

Does anyone have really a bad experience with FUT? If so, i really would appreciate some comments here! Btw, Dr Pat is using the open technique, widely known as the trico closure which i believe the regulars in this community are quite familiar with...

[wb280]

Sunny,

 

i forgot to reply on your question on whether i will shave it all in time to come. Unless really absolutely, i have nvr considered myself for that option but even if the surgery did go bad, i prob jus goto keep a certain standard asian hair length to cover up. We asians rarely shave down I cannot pull that look off

[scar5]

Ah..the old favorite question. Are we getting any smarter at answering it after all these years?

 

I was also consoled by the fact that the tricho closure will probably meant that the scar will be optimally undetectable..

 

Trico is NOT the panacea for strip scars it was touted to be! Don't assume too much about trico. More important is the doc and your characteristics.

 

I have gone thru tons of pics of HT patients undergoing FUE... the moth holes dun look pretty.

 

The moth eaten look is a favorite shot for strip clinics. Dr. Cole's pre-CIT era FUEs produced quite a few, but the one he is flogging in his promotion nowadays looks fine. Small tools and good hands do away with the moth

 

But if it comes to yield, it seems to me strip results look better. Exceptions maybe Cole and W**&s . THen we have the docs who do both and seems to me - this is just a personal opinion - that there is a kind of mind-set that gets promoted which says, strip for big, fue for small. I think it's false in terms of pure HT results, but it sure makes sense when you consider time and money patient clinic economics

[Bill - Seemiller]

Donor hair supply varies from patient to patient. However, the average amount of donor hair via FUT (5000 to 7000) still exceeds that of FUE (3000 to 5000). Patients with excellent density but poor laxity may have more available donor via FUE.

 

In my opinion, FUE has its place, but will never be a replacement for FUT via strip.

 

As I see it, here are the benefits and drawbacks of FUT verses FUE in a nutshell. Understand however, that surgical hair restoration should be considered permanent. Thus, planning for the long term is crucial.

 

Benefits of FUT

 

1. More available donor hair supply on average

 

2. More consistent than FUE on average: While FUE in some patients will yield as much growth as FUT, in others, there is much greater transection due to the additional forces placed on the follicle during extraction and lack of supporting tissue surrounding the follicle. A patient's physiology and hair characteristics may exacerbate these risks.

 

3. More cost effective than FUE on average

 

Drawbacks of FUT

 

1. Linear strip scar: though typically minimal with today's advanced closure techniques (aka trichophytic with a double layer closure), there are risks of scar stretching

 

2. Slower donor healing time

 

3. Other risks associated with FUT related to the donor, exacerbated if closed under too much tension.

 

Benefits of FUE

 

1. No linear scar: Scarring with FUE has a greater possibility of being unseen at shorter hair lengths.

 

2. Faster healing time

 

Drawbacks of FUT

 

1. Fewer candidates for this procedure due to the below listed drawbacks.

 

2. Less Available Donor Hair: makes this procedure an impossibility for patients with advanced hair loss, unless used in combination with strip to maximize the available donor hair supply.

 

3. Less consistent than strip: While FUE in some patients will yield as much growth as FUT, in others, there is much greater transection due to the additional forces placed on the follicle during extraction and lack of supporting tissue surrounding the follicle. A patient's physiology and hair characteristics may exacerbate these risks.

 

4. Typically more expensive than strip

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[wb280]

hi bill,

 

firsly kudos to u for the meticulous work done pertaining to the site thumbs up!

 

Anyway Dr Pat has mentioned that my donor area is fine, as in he does not find anything uncommon from his other patients. Thing is, he only performs FUT these days and not FUE. He has made it clear. And after spending so much time on this site, i am convinced i will lay my head literally on the board for a recommended surgeon. As i have mentioned, i stay in the vicinity of Bangkok hence i guess my choices are v v limited and i do not have the luxury of time in travelling to states or even out of Asia... so with this scenario, i guess its pretty straightforward? Also, i know that the moth eaten look is uncommon for patients who had a gd surgery but i just want to have a clearer picture. Even with a good surgeon, u HAVE TO shave off some part at the back. However, with FUT, with less than 2k grafts, i expect the scar to be quite thin and as long as i leave my back hair longer, the scar can be completely covered immediately after surgery..

 

can i safely assume so? Please chip in your valuable thoughts guys!

[Maxxy]

wb280,

 

If the hair at the back and sides is long enough it will easily conceal the scar and stitches post-op, however, it is possible you may suffer shock loss which inturn could make it difficult to hide things. Sadly, this can't be predicted - some suffer it others don't.

[Bill - Seemiller]

wb280,

 

Unless you really don't want a linear scar, I see no reason why you shouldn't consider FUT over FUE. Dr. Pathomvanich has a proven track record of producing excellent results and he has several satisfied patients posting on this forum and in our patient websites. In my opinion, you'll be in great hands with Dr. Pathomvanich.

 

Combe the fact that you require a smaller procedure and this is your first hair transplant with the skill and experience of Dr. Pathomvanich, it is more than likely you will end up with a fine scar. Of course, there are risks, so be sure to discuss them over with your physician.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[wb280]

hi bill

 

thanks for the reassurance! Yes i have in fact directly liased with some of his patients ( from this site of cos ) and they had nothing but praises! I was going thru more pics of patients who did FUE and i think the donor area is really quite huge. I think i came across a 1500 grafts under Dr Feller, and the donor area spanned a few cm and u have to shave off that whole area as well. Is that the standard procedure? If so, i defn would prefer FUT as Dr Path has reassured me that with his closure technique and relatively small procedure, the scar will be really quite fine...

 

All in all, i think i will opt for FUT then

 

Oh yah, on the topic of shock loss, i reckon that FUT imposes a higher chance of that happening, compared to FUE. Am i right to assume so?

 

thanks!!!

[Sunnycoastman]

Hi WB. Sounds like FUT with DR Path then. A fine line is not guaranteed for anyone at the end of the day is it but he is an excellent doc with many many years of experience doing this. There IS something YOU can do to help make sure you do end up with a fine line. If Dr Path tells you to do scalp exercises, make sure you do them religiously...every day, twice a day if you can. It took me 6 weeks before i really noticed a difference in laxity. And its hard work too. I think that the amount of scar stretching is directly related to the amount of tension on the cut line while it is healing over the first 4 or 5 months. The less continuous tension on the scar line the less chance of stretching. That seems to make sense to me. So how do you reduce the tension?...by having a lax scalp to start with. some have it naturally some dont. So do your exercises starting 3 months before the op. I like the idea of dissolvable sutures that help take up the tension for at least a month or 5 weeks. I think it has to help prevent the line from stretching open during that first 4 - 6 weeks after the op. Anyway good luck WB. Dr path has a resume chock full of happy customers, youre in good hands. cheers

[wb280]

hey sunny!

 

how are u doing mate? yah Dr Oravan has reminded me to do scalp exercises religiously. though i have lazed a bit these days

 

anyway u think the scalp exercises really matter a lot? anyway yah i guess based on all the valuable inputs, i am 99.99% sure of going to Dr Path! hey can u post some pics of ur scar? has it healed more since the last time we chatted?

[Sunnycoastman]

Hey WB, Ok so youve started scalp exercises.Good. I do think they are VERY important. One of the first things Dr Oravan did when I got there was check my laxity. They consider it important so keep doing it. You may not notice any difference for a month or more. Its a pain doing it. I found it best to do lying down with shoulders supported by a pillow and watching tv. Even then it was tiring on the arms. Ill update pics again in another week. I have to take them myself so getting good pics isnt so easy. Do you have a date for your surgery yet? cheers

 

Sunny

[wb280]

hey sunny

 

yah i am transfering the deposit to Dr Path tomoro

 

schedule i have yet fix but prob in may... loads of biz to handle from now to april so may shld be better...

 

will start the scalp exercises and diligently!!!