Also known as ‘strip surgery’ or FUSS (Follicular Unit Strip Surgery), FUT stands for Follicular Unit Transplantation, and is a type of surgical hair transplant known for minimizing trauma to the scalp and producing natural-looking results.
In FUT operations, ‘follicular units’ made up of naturally occurring groups of one-to-four hairs, sebaceous glands, nerves, a small muscle, and occasionally fine vellus hairs, are transplanted. Preserving the unit as a whole in this way is thought to help hair growth once transplanted.
Modern Follicular Unit Transportation is considered an advance on older hair transplant techniques which used larger grafts, and often gave obvious and ‘pluggy’-looking results.
Transplanting the smaller units used in FUT allows thousands of grafts to be transplanted in a single session, resulting in a more natural-looking effect for the patient. If done well, the new grafts should mimic normal hair growth patterns and be virtually undetectable.
The difference between Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) revolves around the way in which the donor hair that is used for the transplant, is taken.
For FUT, hair from the back of the scalp is harvested in a single, thin strip. It is then trimmed into individual follicular units under microscopes, with each unit measuring around 1mm in width.
Assuming there is an adequate supply of donor hair available from the patient, up to 3,000 grafts can be transplanted at one time, yielding 100 hairs per square centimeter. However, this method requires a longer healing time after surgery and leaves a large scar across the scalp, though this can be hidden by longer hair.
Alternatively, FUE uses a robotic ‘punch’ device to remove the follicular units directly from the back and sides of the scalp. This specialized punch allows hair to be removed directly from the skin without causing damage, so it is a less invasive procedure. With FUE, the scalp will heal faster and patients often show no visible signs of having had a hair transplant, just ten days after surgery.
FUT hair restoration is generally better for men with advanced hair loss, who need a larger number of hair grafts transplanted.
The best way to determine which procedure is right for you is to schedule a consultation with a hair restoration expert.
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In FUT operations, the surgeon extracts a linear strip of skin from the donor area on the scalp, which is usually the back of the head. The width of this strip typically ranges between 1 and 1.5 centimeters, depending on the number of hair follicles required to cover the bald section.
The surgeon then trims this strip into individual follicular units with the help of a microscope. Each follicular unit can have 1 to 4 strands of hair. These follicular units are then inserted into the balding portions of the scalp in a natural-looking pattern.
The donor area on the scalp from where the strip is extracted is closed using sutures. About 6 to 12 months are required for patients to see results.
A FUT hair transplant cost depends on several factors. However, it generally ranges from $4,000 and $10,000. Factors determining the cost of the surgery include: