Hair transplant procedures have been around since 1950s and back then it was a very basic technique. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) or Follicular Transfer was introduced in the 1990s which was a naturally occurring hair transplantation technique.
What Is Hair Transplantation?
If you have a bald or receding head and you want your hair back then the surgery that involves this therapy is called hair transplant. It involves the transplantation of follicles on one part of your head to the part where the hair are receding or balding. Although the doctors claim that it has no side effects, they still prefer to use medicines and non-surgical methods. If they don’t work then they use the surgical methods. It requires patience because the hair may take 6 to 7 months to regrow fully or maybe even take more time.
What Is FUE Hair Transplant?
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is one of the two common hair transplant procedures, the other one is called strip harvesting. FUE hair transplants have minimal discomfort after the operation and offers more quick recovery than strip harvesting. This procedure also guarantees a success rate of 96% when your hair grows back to normal. This technique requires great precision and skill.
Difference Between Normal Hair Transplants and FUE Hair Transplants
There are many ways that makes FUE hair transplants different from the normal hair transplantation procedures.
- FUE hair transplantation has a quick recovery time of less than 7 days whereas normal techniques have your part of scalp removed which takes weeks and months to recover.
- FUE hair transplantation doesn’t leave any major scars whereas strip hair transplants require a strip of your scalp covered in hair to be removed for the follicles to be transplanted onto the required area of your head.
- There is also a difference in result of the two transplantation procedures. FUE transplantation have more success rate than the others.
Expectations of Recovery
FUE hair transplantation may be the best type of transplantation but it still has some post-surgery discomforts. It leaves some minor bleeding but is typically recovered within 7 days. Your scalp maybe a little soft and tender. You may need wear a bandage around your head for a few days (3 days maximum). The doctor may prescribe you with painkillers, antibiotics and some other medications for your pain. People were mostly able to join back to work in 4-5 days after the surgery.
How It Works?
FUE hair transplantation has a very simple way of transplanting hair. Your back of the head is shaved, and doctors take the follicles and this area is healed and covered with the existing hair. The area where follicles are to be planted is numbed and holes are created with scalpel or needle. Then the grafts are very carefully and skillfully placed in the holes. The time the surgery takes may vary according to the size of the transplant you are getting like getting thicker hair. You may even want to see your doctor again if the hair fall persists.
Risks and Side Effects
Like a normal surgery, there are little risks and side effects in this too. Scarring and unnatural looking hair are a big gamble you are taking but that’s in rare cases.
There are a few side effects like bleeding, infection, swelling of the scalp, itching, bruising round the eyes, concussion, numbness around the treated areas or forming of a crust that may occur round the treated areas.
Cost of the Treatment
FUE hair transplantation requires an extremely skillful team of doctors and thus is not very cheap surgery. It depends on the amount of hair you are transplanting. Generally ranging from $4000 to $15000.
Results of FUE Hair Transplants
If successful, FUE is a permanent solution to your hair loss problems, provided you don’t have any disease of some sort. Your hair can grow back to normal and feel the way they used to, and you can see the results within 4-5 months. This surgery is all about the precision that’s why it’s the highest-quality transplant available today.
There are many hair transplant procedures and they may suit your budget but the FUE hair transplantation is the best available procedure today.