FUE hair transplants, or follicular unit extraction procedures are another alternative for hair restoration surgery. With FUE hair transplants, no blades or scalpels are used. Instead, we use a surgical instrument small enough to extract one single follicular unit at a time. The results are the same natural results as a normal strip procedure, but with very little bleeding, no visible scar formation and less recovery time for patients. With follicular unit extraction, patients can benefit from having no visible scar formation and still have the option of shaving their heads throughout their lifetime.

Although the follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique is based on a simple principle of obtaining follicular units one at a time, the procedure and the consistency of the results may vary with each doctor. The technique is also very time consuming and requires a high level of skill from the hair restoration surgeon. Please take the precaution to ask for further information on the FUE procedure with each doctor you approach. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is ideal for patients who wish to wear their hair very short or are afraid of surgery.

Also, with our follicular unit extraction technique, there is very little rate of follicle transection (the destruction of follicles by severing them). Our current transection rate is below 4.2% in most cases. We make sure that each follicular unit will be viable before we remove it from the scalp. The proper angulation, depth, follicular unit control, perforation and resulting traction are necessary for optimal results.

Advantages of FUE hair transplant
Having an FUE procedure has its advantages as it is more comfortable during the healing period, and activities can be resumed in less time. Complete healing from a follicular unit extraction procedure is about 5 to 7 days, compared to two weeks for the traditional hair transplant.

Disadvantages of FUE hair transplant
One of the major disadvantages of FUE procedure is that it is time consuming, and a limited number of follicular units can be harvested in the donor area per session. That is not the case with a normal strip hair transplant where we can take as much as 5,000 grafts per session. For FUE hair transplants, the average amount of grafts extracted in a single day may vary from 800 to 2,500 depending on follicular unit arquitecture and skin conditions. If more grafts are needed, the use of more than one session is suggested.

FUE technique

A very small cylindrical punch instrument is used to take the follicular unit from the donor area. The area from where the follicular unit is removed is less than 1 mm wide (0.70 to 0.80 mm) and will close without the need of suturing. Then, the follicular units are placed in a special medium solution for survival and are processed through special fourth generation stereoscopic microscopes for refining. These grafts are delicately placed on the recipient area where they grow permanently, following a special pattern and providing density as dense-packing is carefully measured. We currently use the "no touch technique", where the follicular unit is placed as not to damage the hair follicle in the recipient area.

Having a hair cut (or not)

At Nader Medical, we know how important it is for our patients to return to their daily activities, work, and social like as soon as possible. When patients limit their sessions to 1,000 grafts, we are able to provide most of them with the opportunity to leave their hair long, as we extract the grafts randomly throughout the scalp without having to shave the entire donor area.

At Nader Medical, we try to maintain our costs for FUE hair transplant affordable and accessible for every patient. For a personalized evaluation and price, please contact Dr. Nader first and he will gladly give you the best option for your needs.

Also, for further information on this procedure, any questions or detailed information, please contact Dr. Nader personally at doctor@nadermedical.com