FUE hair transplant
FUE hair transplant is a more recently developed technique compared to the FUT operation.
In the FUE hair transplant method, hair follicles are individually removed from the donor site between the ears by a specifically designed micromotor and micro punches with diameters of 0.5-0.8 mm.
With rapid advancements in technology, the results of FUE hair transplant came to be comparable to FUT operations, and the FUE hair transplantation rapidly gained popularity. The most important factor which led to the recognition of FUE hair transplant as the standard has been the development of surgical tools which rapidly and smoothly extract hair follicles without harming them. Nowadays, hand-held punches have been replaced by manually or electronically controlled micromotors. These tools make it possible to extract follicles rapidly without encountering any problems. The duration of challenging operations which took two days has decreased to considerably shorter duration of 4-5 hours during which an FUE hair transplant operation can be completed. These have led to a higher level of comfort for the patients after the surgery.
Nowadays, FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method is the most common hair transplantation technique thanks to its advantages. In the area of hair transplantation, the first method that comes to mind is FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction).
This situation has valid grounds. FUE hair transplant is a painless operation. It allows for a quicker return to the ordinary life for the individuals.It requires no incisions or stitches. No visible permanent scar is left on the donor site from which the hair follicles are extracted.
Which factors are considered in the examination done before the Fue hair transplant operation?
Although hair transplant is perceived as a simple operation, a number of factors should be fulfilled for a hair transplant operation to obtain an aesthetic and successful result.
A successful hair transplantation process starts with a detailed examination and technical analysis by a specialized plastic surgeon.
The individual who plans to have a hair transplant operation should undergo a systemic examination by the plastic surgeon. In this examination, family history is learned first, and the diseases and other health problems of the patient are questioned. In most of the cases, the diagnosis is androgenic alopecia, ie. male pattern hair loss. It is caused by the genetic endowment of the individual.
Donor Site
Then the donor site which will function as the source of hair follicles is examined. In this stage, the density of hair follicles is reviewed by a specially designed camera called the Proscope and the number of hair follicles per cm2 is determined. Then the total number of removable hair follicles can be calculated.
In addition to the hair density, the thickness of hair shafts, hair color and the number of hair shafts contained in every hair follicle (follicular unit) is determined.
Ozge Ergun, MD “FU” (follicular unit), ie. hair follicles, while calculating the amount in hair transplant. Transplantation of 30 to 60 hair follicles per square centimeter corresponds to 80 to 150 hair shafts per cm2. Transplantation of 4000-4500 hair follicles in total corresponds to 10,000-12,000 hair shafts.
Ozge Ergun, MD transplant a total of 4000-4500 hair follicles in 4 to 6 hours in a single day for an individual. Since no new hair follicle develops to replace the extracted hair follicle, these numbers are not exceeded in order not to create a visible hair thinning on the donor site. No visible thinning occurs on that region between the ears as long as the safe limits are not exceeded.
Scalp Health
After the hair examination, the scalp is examined, too. A healthy hairy scalp both on the donor and recipient sites and the tightness of the scalp are significant criteria for a hair transplantation operation.
As a result of all these analyses and examinations, it is decided whether you are a suitable candidate for hair transplant or not. If the commonly used hair transplant methods are not suitable for you, alternative ancillary hair treatments will be recommended.
After the hair transplant decision is made, the patient is given detailed information regarding the location of hair transplantation, the extent of the recipient site, the transplantation density to be obtained, duration of the treatment and post-operative care.
The patient should have realistic expectations.
One of the most significant criteria for a successful hair transplantation performed with an individual experiencing hair thinning is the appropriate patient expectation. A realistic and feasible common ground should be found between what we, as physicians, can provide the patient with and what the patient dreams of. Full patient satisfaction is achieved with the hair transplantation operations performed by a Plastic Surgeon specialized in the field with those individuals who have appropriate expectations.
How should a satisfying hair density be for me after fue hair transplant?
In cases of a convenient hair density on the donor site and a convenient hair shaft thickness, 80-100 hair shafts per cm2 can cover the scalp. The number of hair follicles to give this density of hair depends on the characteristics of the patient. While 30 hair follicles per cm2 are enough for hair transplantation performed with those follicles containing predominantly three and four shafts. This number is as high as 40-60 per cm2 with a person whose follicles predominantly contain single or double shafts.
We both had the same number of hair follicles transplanted, why does he get a denser result?
Assuming that an equal number of hair follicles are transplanted on an equal extent of a site on both of the persons, the person with thicker hair shafts and with a higher number of hair shafts in the follicles will obtain a more satisfying result with a denser hair appearance.
While 4000 follicles with predominantly three thick hair shafts correspond to an average of 10,000 thick hair
