Could FUE be for you?
FUE is a harvesting technique whereby the individual grafts are punched or ‘drilled’ out from a shaved area of the donor scalp. Although scars are still produced, they usually heal as small dots scattered over a large area. This makes it extremely difficult to notice, even with a short hair cut. It is ideal where the patient prefers a shorter hairstyle, such as a No.1 or No.2 cut. Nevertheless, we recommend discussing this with us in detail during your consultation and following a thorough examination.
Steps involved in FUE:
FUE procedures usually follow the following steps from start to finish:
- Currently, we are able to safely transfer up to 2,000 follicular unit grafts in a single session. This will usually take most of the day. It is possible to carry out two sessions on two consecutive days to achieve higher graft numbers.
- If the treatment involves a significant number of grafts, the entire back and sides of the scalp will be shaved on the day of surgery.
- You will be given a mild sedative and local anaesthesia in both the donor and recipient areas.There might be some mild discomfort when giving the first one or two local anaesthetic injections. Further injections should not be felt as we have devised our unique way of injecting the anaesthesia, using ultra fine needles and injectors. The rest of the procedure should not put you in any discomfort.
- Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, the procedure begins with the mechanically extracting single follicular units using 0.8mm – 1.0mm punches and a variety of other equipment.
- The end result of this step is multiple small dots on the back and sides, rather than the linear scar of the strip FUT.
- The entire procedure is very clean and, when complete, no bandages or dressings are usually requires.
- Due to the nature of the technique, there might be a higher rate of hair transection and, therefore, potential wastage. The transection rate at our practice is usually upto 8% of all attempts.
- FUE grafts -by nature- can also be more vulnerable due to the fact that there tends to be less protective tissue around each extracted graft. The procedure entails extra care in the initial post-operative period to ensure maximal graft survival.
- Within half an hour of completion, you can be on your way home . We strongly advise you not to drive if possible. We can happily arrange transportation to and from the clinic if needed.
- Multiple breaks are given throughout the day. Lunch, snacks and refreshments are provided, as well as a choice of entertainment material to make the time spent more enjoyable.
