FUE Hair Transplant Surgery: What Does It Do, What to Expect Before, During, and After the Procedure

For people who are concerned with hair thinning or baldness, follicular unit extraction or FUE transplant can be an option to help bring back the confidence that was lost due to this condition. It is advisable to consult a medical expert before considering this operation.

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What is FUE?

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is a type of aesthetic hair transplant procedure where an individual's hair follicles are extracted intact from your skin and moved to another part where there is thinner or absent hair.

FUE is the more preferred method of hair transplant nowadays as compared to the traditional or classic method of hair transplant, the follicular unit transplantation (FUT) technique, wherein an entire piece of skin or scalp along with the follicles are transplanted onto the targeted area. 

FUE is a simple procedure performed by plastic surgeons or hair implant experts as a modern permanent solution for baldness. It is the preferred technique among professional experts since this is a safe method with just minor side effects and fewer chances of scarring. 

Temporary side effects may include bruising and sensitivity and white scars around the area where follicles were extracted. In extremely rare cases, there may be infection or tissue death.

What to Expect

Preoperation Procedure

• Avoid smoking at least two days prior to the procedure as smoking can cause hair discoloration of healthy hair follicles and prolong wound healing.
• Blood-thinning drugs like aspirin, as well as other vitamins, must be stopped as it may react with the drugs that will be administered during the procedure. 
• A few weeks before the procedure, make time for a scalp massage for at least 10 to 30 minutes every day to promote blood flow to your scalp and nourish the hair follicles. 
• Make arrangements for transportation since sedatives will be administered and operating vehicles right after the procedure is not recommended.

During the procedure

With an FUE procedure, the team of surgeons will shave the area where hair follicles will be extracted as well as the part where it will be transplanted. The nape region is usually the area of choice as hair follicles in this region are insensitive to testosterone.

A series of tiny incisions will be made by the surgeon in areas where the extracted follicles will be inserted, which is the most crucial part of the planting operation.

The separated hair follicles are inserted one by one in these incisions; a hair transplant expert will be able to achieve natural-looking results if done correctly. After the procedure, the area will be cleaned and bandaged for recovery.

Postoperation Expectations

When the new locks start to grow, some people may experience folliculitis or inflammation or an infection of the hair follicles. Antibiotics may be prescribed as well as compresses to relieve the problem. 

Due to the lifecycle of hair follicles, the patient may experience hair loss, which is considered a normal process of the transplant. It's also possible to suddenly lose some of the original hair in the area where you got the new strands, which is referred to as shock loss. But most of the time, this is not permanent, and after losing hair, there will be new hair growth within five months in the transplanted hair roots with permanent results. 

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