Is Follicular Unit Hair Transplant Superior to Strip Harvesting?

Is newer always better? FUE (follicular unit extraction) hair transplant has grabbed enough share from traditional strip harvesting hair transplant. The question is whether FUE is superior to strip harvesting method or it is just a hype to charge more money from the clients. The answer lies somewhere in between!

Actually, both methods have their own pros and cons, and it is the matter of unique circumstances and personal preference. The surgeon and patient should discuss it in the context of unique circumstances of the patient and decide accordingly. In the following lines, we will compare both methods to facilitate hair transplant seeker to reach the best decision about their hair transplant.

Scar Comparison

Strip removal method produces a long linear scar that is often cited as a disadvantage. However, if you consider the area of the scar, FUE has a considerably larger area. But the scars produced by follicular unit hair transplant are tiny pinhole scars. So you and your surgeon should discuss which is more desirable in your case. You must consider the future. After some years, you may lose more hair from the donor are. Your surgeon should have a vision about how will you manage the visibility of donor scars in the future.

Downtime Comparison

When it comes to downtime, FUE is certainly a better choice. It has less downtime than strip harvesting method.

Donor Site Options

FUE has the ability to harvest donor hair from virtually any site that contains some healthy hair. On the other hand, strip removal is most suitable to harvest donor hair from the back of the head. It may be suitable to harvest hair follicles from the side of head in less numbers.

Number of hairs

Strip removal method can easily harvest large number of hair follicles for mega session. However, FUE requires more time and effort to harvest hair follicles. That’s why, large sessions must be spread on two days for optimal results.

Cost Comparison

When it comes to the cost, FUE always costs more for the same number of hair. If all other things are equal (which rarely are), you may choose strip removal method to save cost. However, if you need a small number of hair, you may notice that the cost of both procedures is same, or FUE may cost even less.

From this brief discussion, it is evident that no method is superior in absolute terms. Keep these points in mind when discussing about most suitable method for your most important hair transplant.