“What is the best hair transplant method?” This is one of the most common questions we hear from people who consider having a hair transplant to restore their thinning hair.
And if you are also looking for an answer to this question, this article is for you!
Today in this guide, we will compare the best hair transplant methods to help you decide which type of hair transplant would suit your preference, needs, and budget. We will also answer some questions you need to know to further understand these procedures.
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The Best Hair Transplant Procedure: FUE
- Best Results: FUE method can guarantee 50 to 80 percent of transplanted hairs will grow with a natural-looking appearance.
- Minimal Scarring: Unlike others, FUE doesn’t involve stitching or linear scarring, leaving only almost unnoticeable scars.
- Fast Recovery: FUT is typically an outpatient surgery, so you can go home after the procedure and only need 3-4 days of recovery time.
FUE Hair Transplants
FUE hair transplant is one of the common types of this procedure that most cosmetic surgery clinics in the US offer to their patients.
What Is It?
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a method of hair transplant surgery done by extracting individual hair follicles from the donor area. After the extraction, the surgeon will relocate them one by one to other parts of your head where noticeable thinning occurs.
Surgeons typically use micro punches to pull a single hair follicle from the donor site and relocate them, leaving almost no indications of any extractions in the scalp.
The best donor area for the FUE procedures is usually found at the back of the head or on the side where most healthy hair follicles still exist.
Because this procedure does not leave a visible scar, an FUE transplant is ideal for patients who like to wear short hairstyles. And thus making it more popular than FUT transplants.
Advantages Of FUE Hair Transplants
If you think that FUE hair transplantation is the best choice for you, you may also want to know about its advantages compared to other hair transplant methods. Here are some of them:
- Unparalleled results: Extracted individual hair grafts are thoroughly inspected to ensure that only healthy transplanted follicles are used.
- Very minimal scarring: In the FUE technique, no strips of skin are removed from the scalp making scars almost unnoticeable.
- Fast recovery: Because FUE transplants don’t involve stitching of the skin, recovery from this procedure is much faster compared to others.
Disadvantages Of FUE Hair Transplants
FUE is the most preferred hair transplant method for surgeons and patients because of its promising results. But that does not exempt it from some disadvantages, which include the following:
- Much longer session time and may need several sessions to complete the procedure.
- Fees are higher than other hair transplant procedures.
Average Cost Of FUE Hair Transplants
Generally, follicular unit extraction can cost you more or less $9,000. Although this may vary, it also depends on the grafts that are needed to be extracted to restore the lost hair due to balding.
Candidates For FUE Hair Transplants
The ideal candidate for the FUE procedure are men with thinning hair because of male pattern hair loss.
The FUE method involves extracting follicles from the donor site and relocating this donor hair to thinning areas of your head. Therefore, a great candidate should also have enough donor hair for him to be eligible for this FUE hair transplant.
How Long Do FUE Hair Transplants Last?
Generally, hair transplantation could last a lifetime. These procedures are designed to be permanent, and only a few people need to repeat this hair restoration surgery.
After the recovery from the surgery, the transplanted hair will grow at its normal growth phase, just like any other hair on your scalp.
But we must know that all hair follicles have a certain lifespan. At some point, they may gradually stop regenerating as much as they do. But do not worry. With proper knowledge and care, transplanted hairs can remain strong and healthy for a very long time.
FUT Hair Transplants
FUT procedures is a well-established and highly practiced hair restoration method in the world. This is also one of the best hair transplant methods available today.
What Is It?
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is also called the strip method. In the FUT procedure, a surgeon will cut a strip of scalp skin from the donor area of the head where healthy hair follicles still remain.
The strip is split into sections and prepared for implantation into the recipient sites where thinning or balding occurs. After this, the surgeon will close the scalp with sutures leaving behind a very fine linear scar.
And because of this linear scar, the FUT procedure is sometimes preferred for patients with longer hair which can cover this small yet visible scar.
During this hair restoration procedure, your surgeon will give you local anesthesia to numb your scalp while remaining awake until the hair surgery is completed.
Advantages Of FUT Hair Transplants
Follicular unit transplantation is proven to encourage natural hair growth and a fuller head of hair a few months after the procedure. FUT transplants are even the most recommended method for men that suffer from male pattern baldness.
But to know more about the advantages of this hair restoration, here is a short list of advantages you can benefit from FUT procedures.
- High Survival Rate: In FUT, hair is extracted from the mid-donor area where most hair is permanent. Hair follicles are carefully gathered to keep the protective tissue undamaged. With healthy hair grafts, the success rate of follicle survival is higher than others.
- Natural Looking Results: With a FUT hair transplant, hair is transplanted in small, naturally occurring groups of 1-4 hairs. This permits you to enjoy fuller, natural-looking hair without revealing your scar or hair transplant procedure.
- More Grafts Can Be Harvested: In the FUT procedure, large graft numbers can be achieved, and you do not need to shave the back of your head to harvest donor hair.
Disadvantages Of FUT Hair Transplants
FUT is proven to be an effective way to regrow hair for patients with severe hair loss problems. But there are some downsides to this type of surgery. Disadvantages include the following:
- It can leave a visible linear scar or stitching on the scalp.
- Recovery time may take longer. 10 to 12 days are needed before the wounds from the surgery heal.
Average Cost Of FUT Hair Transplants
Like the FUE method, FUT hair transplantation costs may vary depending on the size of different hair loss cases. But to give you an insight, the average price of this procedure typically starts at around $7,000.
Candidates For FUT Hair Transplants
The best candidate for this method are patients who want to achieve a maximum fuller head of hair from transplant surgery. It is also best for women with thinning areas in their heads due to female pattern hair loss, as FUT can deliver better coverage and fullness.
How Long Do FUT Hair Transplants Last?
FUT hair restoration can give you a lifelong final outcome with proper care. Once you are fully recovered from this surgery, new follicles in the recipient area will start new hair regrowth to cover the balding spots on your head.
In most cases, hair growth after this procedure can last for a long time without the need for a second transplant.
DHI Hair Transplants
Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) is one of the newest hair transplant methods that was created and developed by the company DHI Global Medical Group.
What Is It?
DHI method is a modified version of the FUE technique and follows the same implantation procedure.
But the main difference between these two is that FUE hair transplant uses manually cut incisions. While on the other hand, DHI uses a particular penlike tool to implant the grafts harvested from the donor area.
On average, a DHI surgery may take 8 hours to complete. But this timeframe may change depending on the number of hair follicles that are needed to cover the balding part of your scalp. After the surgery, you can immediately return to your everyday normal activities.
Advantages Of DHI Hair Transplants
Clinical trials have provided enough evidence to confirm the effectiveness of the DHI method. It encourages hair regeneration in thinning and balding areas of the head after the procedure has been completed. But the main advantages of this method are:
- Full control over the angle, depth, and placement of the newly transplanted individual hairs.
- Faster recovery is seen after planting.
- Less invasive, and the risk of bleeding is very low.
- The survival rate of follicles implanted is also higher with this technique.
Disadvantages Of DHI Hair Transplants
DHI hair restoration method is regarded as a less invasive method compared to the FUT procedure. But just like other hair loss medications today, some of us may experience complications after the surgery. Potential complications of DHI hair transplant include:
- Bleeding Scalp
- Inflammation of Hair Follicles
- Pain
- Dizziness
Average Cost Of DHI Hair Transplants
Depending on the number of hair that is implanted, the clinic you visit, and your surgeon’s skills and expertise, the price of DHI surgery may be higher or lower.
But as for DHI, the estimated price of a DHI hair transplant is between $3,250 to $13,500 per session.
Candidates For DHI Hair Transplants
DHI transplants are suitable for men and women who suffer from different hair loss conditions, such as androgenetic alopecia.
But the ideal candidates for this type of hair transplant method are people with thick hair since they yield better results. Thick hair provides more coverage for the individual hair follicle than thinner hairs. A hair color similar to the skin tone can also make you an ideal candidate for this method.
How Long Do DHI Transplants Last?
Just like other hair restoration surgeries, DHI transplanted hairs in the scalp are believed to last almost a lifetime.
But after a few weeks of successful operation, you might notice some hair shedding again, specifically at the part of the recipient area where hair transplantation has been done. This is called shock loss and occurs naturally as part of the hair regrowth process after the procedure.
Do Hair Transplant Surgery Leave Behind A Scar?
Yes, all hair transplant procedures can leave a scar, as this treatment involves removing hair follicles beneath the scalp. However, scar visibility depends on the method you will choose.
If you want a less observed scar, DHI and FUE procedure is the best option available for you.
Do Hair Transplants Scars Go Away?
No, just like your hair transplant, the effects of scars are almost permanent. But there are ways to conceal these scars by using medications or just by growing your hair longer.
But note that some scars, such as keloid scars, are not easy to conceal. So, upon the first consultation with your surgeon, let them know if you are prone to keloid scarring.
How Long Do Scars Last After Hair Transplant Surgery?
Unfortunately, scars on the back of the head after surgery might last forever. But although it’s permanent, they can fade a little with time.
You can also use Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) or scalp hair tattooing to permanently hide the scars that you don’t want others to see.
Best Hair Transplant Procedure – Conclusion
And those are the 3 of the best hair transplant methods you can use if you are considering reversing the effect of hair loss and regrowing your hair again.
We hope that this guide has helped you to fully understand the difference between these 3 distinct methods and how these procedures can bring back the hairs that you used to love.
But if you are still undecided and considering other hair regrowth products for treating hair loss, you can also see our list of amazing DHT blocker supplements.
Fact Checked by our Director of Dermatology – We know that understanding how your skin and hair work can seem scary, so my team and I devote our time to thoroughly researching every single topic and product we write about. We hope you find our reviews helpful and informative.
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