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| Follicular Unit Extraction |
This procedure has recently
created a lot of hype on internet and among
hair transplant community due to its stitch
less procedure. It is known by variety of
names such as
Follicular Unit Extraction FUE
FOX or FX ( Bill Rassman-LA)
Woods technique, TOP-UP technique (Ray wood
- Sydney)
DHI (Direct Hair Implantation)
FIT (Follicle Isolation Technique) (Dr. John
P Cole-Atlanta & N.Y.)-
SAFE (Surgically Advanced Follicular Extraction)-
Dr. James A Harris- ENT Denver Colorado
FUSE (Follicular Unit Separation Extraction)
– Dr Arvind Poswal
Follicular unit micro extraction (or FUM)
- Dr. Epstein (NY) |
| Technical Points: |
| It is a
stitch less procedure where individual hair
root (Follicle) is removed under local anesthesia
by a special micro punch. |
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| Advantages: |
1. Suture free (stitches
or staples which cause further trauma to the
donor site)
2. No Return visits are required for suture
removal
3. Donor site heals faster
4. No linear visible scar
5. Less pain
6. No tightness
7. No numbness because no nerve injury
8. Less bleeding
9. Entire procedure performed by doctor &
not given to technician
10. For athletes or people who must resume
full activity right after the procedure.
11. For people who wear short or shave their
heads, no scar is visible
12. For people whose scars widen over time.
13. minimally invasive, less-traumatic and
patient friendly
14. Scalpel free (no cutting open of flesh
from the patient's head like strip surgery
that also disturbs the natural linear arrangement
of follicular groups of the donor region)
15. Body hair Transplant is possible only
by this method – so larger donor site
16. Even advanced stage can be treated (NH6-7)
with sufficient hair by additional use of
Body hair.
17. NO need for a 'Biopsy Test', 'Trial',
or 'Test Patch' prior to our procedure. It
is available to everyone worldwide!
18. For people who have had a lot of prior
transplant surgery that has left bothersome
scars, follicular unit extraction allows the
doctor to work around the scars and select
individual follicular units.
19. Ideal where a small numbers of grafts
are needed e.g. eyebrow reconstruction
20. Provides an alternative when the scalp
is too tight for a strip excision, Ideal for
repairing donor scars that cannot be excised
21. One can choose one hair or multi-haired
graft |
| Downsides: |
1. Scar although not linear
much more scar than closed method
2. Heals fast but open wound may ooze or has
potential for infection
3. Needs much larger (8 times) area of donor
4. Capping- transaction while removal
5. Buried graft- while punching
6. Confluence of nearby donor areas
7. Slow –takes more time and at times
more sessions
8. Needs very short donor area hair so does
not suit every one
9. Repeat procedure is difficult- due to altered
hair root direction due to multiple small
scars
10. Although known as scalpel free it uses
circular knife called punch
11. Higher learning curve, more chances of
damage to follicles in splayed follicles,
or curly hair because the procedure is blind
12. Cost is 3 times more than the strip method. |
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