A hair transplant is a surgical procedure in which hair is moved from the back and/or sides of the scalp, where it is permanent (donor area), to areas that are thinning or bald on the front, top, or crown of the scalp (recipient area). Once transplanted, the hair will continue to grow for a person’s lifetime. At C3 Health Care we perform the two most effective types of hair restoration procedures, Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). For the latter, we use new robotic technology.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a hair restoration procedure in which naturally-occurring groups of one to four hairs, called follicular units, are transplanted from the donor area to the recipient area.

In FUT, after the patient’s scalp is numbed, the doctor removes a thin strip of tissue from the back and/or sides of the scalp. The donor strip is then separated into hundreds to tho(USA)nds of individual follicular units using precise stereo-microscopic dissection techniques. As the follicular unit grafts are being prepared, the doctor makes tiny slits in the scalp (recipient sites), into which the grafts are placed.

If well executed, the use of follicular units ensures that the transplant results will look completely natural and be undetectable.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a method of extracting, or “harvesting,” follicular units one-by-one directly from the scalp. In FUE, an instrument is used to make small, circular incisions in the skin around follicular units, separating them from the surrounding tissue. The follicular unit is then extracted (pulled) directly from the scalp, leaving a small open hole that heals with a small white mark.

This method of donor harvesting is what differentiates the FUE procedure from Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), in which the donor hair is removed in a long strip that is dissected into individual follicular units under a stereo-microscope. The creation of recipient sites and the placing of follicular unit grafts are essentially the same in FUE and FUT procedures.

Am I a Candidate for a Hair Restoration Procedure?

The best way to find out is to be evaluated by a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon specializing in hair restoration. The answer will depend on the cause of your hair loss, your age, the stability of your donor supply, how extensive your hair loss is, your expectations and a number of other important factors that will be taken into account.

In general, FUT yields the most donor hair. Therefore, the procedure is best suited for more extensive hair loss and in patients where the main concern is the maximum use of one’s donor supply. The hair is maximized because of the precise nature of stereo-microscopic dissection and the fact that all the hair is harvested from the mid-portion of the permanent zone where the hair is most dense and stable. A limitation of FUT is that it leaves a line scar in the donor area. With normal styling, this is easily covered with hair, but it precludes someone from wearing their hair very short.

FUE is more appropriate for patients who would like to keep their hair very short or who can’t limit strenuous activities in the post-op period. In general, younger patients who need to keep their styling options flexible choose FUE, whereas those who desire the most coverage opt for FUT.

Neograft is a device that uses a sharp punch to isolate grafts and a suction mechanism to extract them from the scalp. Both the sharp punch and suction are felt by many doctors to cause more injury to the follicles than the blunt dissection technique. In addition, the Neograft is a hand-held device that, unlike the ARTAS, is not an image-guided robotic system and, therefore, lacks the precision of the latter technique.

The cost varies depending on the number of grafts transplanted and the type of procedure (FUT or FUE). To get a general sense of the number of grafts that you might need go to the Contact page.

There is some redness and crusting after the procedure. Some patients experience swelling during the first week after surgery. Hair transplants are usually undetectable after 10 days. Follicular unit grafts are permanent in the scalp after 10 days.