Why FUE is a Preferred Method for Hair Transplant?

FUE is frequently used for hair transplant throughout the world. It is preferred for being minimally invasive, minimally painful and linear scar free procedure.

Modern techniques for hair transplant date back to 1930s, when Japanese surgeons used small grafts to restore damaged parts of eyebrows and lashes. But these efforts did not come forward due to the aftermaths of World War II and it took two more decades for the spread of the advancements through the rest of the world.

Procedures used for hair transplant

Strip removal and follicular unit extraction are two methods that are frequently used in hair restoration surgeries.

Strip removal: it takes out a strip of donor tissues from back of the scalp and extracts hair follicles from the strip. These hair follicles are then planted into the bald patch of scalp. Strip removal is an old procedure for hair transplant and produces a linear scar on the area that gives strip for hair follicles. The procedure causes some pain and gives a relatively long recovery period.

Follicular unit extraction: it is modern technique for hair transplant and lacks many drawbacks that strip removal method entails. In FUE surgeon extracts individual hair follicles and plants them in a bald or balding site.

Advantages of FUE technique

Being a modern method for hair transplant, FUE hair transplant offers some benefits that make it preferable over other methods for hair restoration.

· It is minimally invasive technique.

· FUE produces natural patterns of hair.

· Patients feel minimal pain during surgery.

· The procedure has no significant downtime. Many patients go to work right after the surgery.

· Only highly skilled and experienced surgeons perform FUE hair transplant.

· Some surgeons are using automated machines that assist them in FUE procedure and increase the efficiency.

Automated FUE hair transplantation

It uses a machine that assists surgeon throughout the surgical procedure. It is sometimes used to extract more grafts in lesser time. However, the machine is only a helping hand and the success of the hair transplant is determined by the expertise and skills of hair transplant surgeon not by the machine.

ARTAS and NeoGraft have introduced their machines to aid surgeons. These machines use pneumatic pressure to take out hair follicles and plant them the bald site. Automated FUE hair transplant means the procedure will be quick, the surgeon would not have to touch the hair grafts, and a minimized rate of accidental destruction of hair grafts.

Risks that are associated with automated hair transplant include a possibility of graft damage due to greater pulling and twisting. Machines make the task of the surgeon easier and increase the overall efficiency but the skills and expertise of the surgeon are still the key factors determining success of the procedure.