Ok, first let’s establish our terminology. FUE refers to follicular unit extraction which is the individual surgical extraction of follicular units. FUT refers to the removal of a hair bearing strip of scalp that is then dissected into follicular units.
For the past twenty plus years the stated “Gold Standard” in hair transplantation has been microscopic follicular unit transplantation (FUT) where an experienced hair surgeon removes a “strip” of hair bearing tissue from the back “donor” area and then sutures the donor area back together leaving a narrow linear scar. The hair bearing strip is then carefully dissected under binocular microscopes by a team of highly trained technicians separating the naturally occurring follicular unit bundles of 1-4 hairs.
While the microscopic dissection process is being performed the surgeon begins making tiny slit incisions on the top of the patients scalp where there is hair loss, replicating the natural flow of the hair pattern. By the time the “recipient” sites are made and follicular units have been created and sorted the physician and technicians begin inserting the newly harvested hair grafts into the recipient sites, establishing healthy blood flow back to the grafts as soon as possible to assure full and healthy hair growth.
FUE hair transplantation is actually based on the old “plug” technique performed in the 1970’s and 80’s where a surgeon would use a manual or mechanized tool to extract a cylinder of skin with hair follicles. The difference is that today FUE’s are very tiny .7mm to 1.2mm in diameter and contain a single follicular bundle rather than the large 4mm plugs which contained multiple follicular units and created the dolls hair “pluggy” look.
Because FUE grafts are so small they leave a virtually invisible scar once the scalp heals in a few days. This has led to the marketing of FUE’s as a scarless procedure which is not entirely accurate.
All surgical procedures leave a scar, it is how visible the scar is that can create a problem. FUE scars are so small that they are virtually undetectable with the human eye. They are still there and with proper technique and spacing will never be detected. But, because FUE’s require proper spacing to be undetectable the number of grafts that can be safely removed during a hair transplant procedure is greatly limited. The procedure is also more time consuming as each follicle is individually extracted. If too many grafts are taken in an area scarring and hair thinning in the donor area can occur.
With the NeoGraft Automated Hair Transplant System, the FUE procedure is efficient and produces consistently natural results! A FUE hair transplant with NeoGraft can be done in the same amount of time as a “strip” hair transplant, reducing the cost of an FUE transplant. In addition to reducing the time required for the transplant, NeoGraft uses pneumatic pressure to extract the follicles and implant them, which means no risk of damage to the hair follicles.
The NeoGraft FUE Hair Transplant System has been developed to assist the doctor with the FUE procedure in order to make the procedure simpler, faster and more efficacious. The grafts extracted with the NeoGraft contra-angled tool are of excellent quality and remained moist and robust because of the collection canister frequently misting the grafts compared to being exposed to open air under hot lamp microscopes with the “strip” method.
If the grafts are excised by an experienced surgeon with a anatomical understanding of hair follicle angles and hair density NeoGraft can be a very effective and efficient method of extracting FUE’s.
Artas Robotic Hair Transplant system is a very sophisticated and expensive device that performs a 3-D mapping and analysis of hair follicles in the donor area. Both Artas and NeoGraft have been FDA cleared to be used to perform FUE hair transplantation. Both the Artas and NeoGraft devices have not demonstrated improved graft quality or hair growth than other manual or electrically powered FUE devices. Artas is also more limited in number of grafts extracted and time to perform the procedure. Currently there are no demonstrated improvement in transplant results when FUE is performed by a properly trained hair transplant surgeon.
When properly performed there is no measurable difference in hair growth and naturalness. FUE provides a patient who wants to keep their hair very short in the back the peace-of-mind that no linear donor scar will be visible. FUT on the other hand is a more time and volume efficient procedure that harvests more grafts, more efficiently in a single hair transplant session. When the donor is closed properly the linear scar is so thin that it is not visible unless the scalp is shaved.
The only way to determine which surgical technique is best for you is to consult with an experienced hair surgeon who offers various surgical options. During your consultation your doctor will evaluate the quality of your donor area, your degree of hair loss, age and cosmetic goals and will discuss the benefits and options available to you.
