What Is the Difference Between FUT and FUE Transplants and Is One Better Than the Other?

Though doctors have been doing hair transplants since the 1950s, it wasn't until fairly recently that the procedure became a popular option for those who struggle with hair loss. Today, surgeons generally perform FUT, or Follicular Unit Transplantation, or FUE, or Follicular Unit Extraction, procedures. Either procedure can successfully restore hair to bald spots.

The major difference between the two types of procedures is how much hair is transplanted at a time. FUT removes hair in strips taken from the donor area. These strips are very thin so that their removal does not affect the appearance of the hair in the donor area. With FUE, individual follicles are removed from the donor area and transplanted into the bald spots, usually where a follicle used to be. Moving one hair at a time gives the surgeon the ability to place hairs more precisely.

Both options can result in follicle dissection, which can cause the follicle to fail to produce hair after the transplant has been completed. With an FUT procedure, the follicles around the outside of the strip will often be dissected, but those in the center will remain intact. With FUE, there is a likelihood that each follicle harvested will be dissected, though the likelihood of dissection decreases if a good surgeon is doing the work.

Both options can also result in scarring. FUT scars are usually linear and can develop around where the graft was taken or where it was placed. If you have a FUE procedure done, you may have scars around individual removed follicles. Either type of scar will be less noticeable when hair has grown to a decent length again.

The hair transplant prices varies from patient to patient. Pricing is usually determined by adding up the cost of each individual graft, so the more you need, the more expensive the procedure will be. You may need a few thousand grafts, or tens of thousands of grafts, depending on the area you want filled in. Most surgeons set a specific price for each graft regardless of how many are needed, though some may offer a lower price if you have many grafts done. Price does not always correspond to quality, so don't pay more per graft unless you have good reason to want to work with that surgeon. If the prices of domestic surgeons are too high, you might want to consider having your procedure done overseas. You should also ask about financing options if paying full price up front is more than you can afford.

Choosing the right doctor and understanding the costs and benefits of surgery are important to ensure the best possible outcome. Going abroad for hair transplant, like any surgery, can result in infections or bleeding, though these are not usually life threatening. Make sure you do some research on your surgeon before you have any surgery done to make sure that they have a good track record of successful and safe operations.

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