What is the Procedure for an FUE Hair Transplant?

Hair loss can happen due to various factors, and it can be autoimmune or due to stress, genetics or hormonal issues like DHT or Dihydrotestosterone. If your balding patches have started to become visible, it is time to opt for a hair transplant procedure. How to get started? You have decided to go for a permanent solution: a hair transplant.

As a first step, visit your nearest dermatologist to get your scalp analysis and understand the cause of the hair loss. The dermatologist, after the examination, will be able to help you choose the right procedure. They can inform you about the grade of your baldness and can help you make an informed decision. The degree of your baldness can give an idea of how many grafts are required for the transplant. There are two types of hair transplant procedures: FUT-follicular unit transplant and FUE-follicular unit extraction.

FUE hair transplant is the latest and most effective procedure that surgeons and patients opt for. FUE hair transplant surgery is minimally invasive and almost a painless hair transplant procedure.

It is always recommended to ask queries regarding the FUE hair transplant procedure and what will be the outcome, and how the cost of the procedure will be defined. The cost of the procedure depends on the skill and experience of the FUE hair transplant team and the advanced infrastructure of the reputed clinic, along with the size and area of the transplant and the number of grafts.

Table Of Contents

What is the FUE technique for hair transplant?

Is FUE hair transplant Safe?

What is the FUE hair transplant recovery period?

What is the FUE technique for hair transplant?

FUE hair transplant is a hair restoration technique where the hair from the donor is transferred to the affected or balding area. The donor area is generally the area behind the scalp, the area between the ears because these areas are unaffected by DHT hormones. But in the FUE technique for hair transplant, the donor area can be anywhere on the body, like the beard, armpits, chest or pubic area. Grafts from these areas are extracted when the permanent hair zone area behind the scalp does not have enough healthy hair follicles for the graft extraction. The hair from the donor areas is implanted in the recipient area. As the hair is often extracted from the scalp, the outcome is natural-looking hair that blends with your existing hair within a few months of the procedure.

In this technique, individual hair follicles are extracted using small punches. These punches are 0.8mm to 1mm. In FUE hair transplant, about 2500 to 3500 grafts are extracted, and due to the use of sharp, high-quality punches, the damage to the donor area is minimal. This procedure is very effective for those who want to get a hair transplant done in a one-day session. FUE hair transplant surgery is a meticulous procedure and can take from 4 to 8 hours. The duration also depends on the size and complexity of the procedure, like the crown or angular hair transplant. FUE hair transplant can also be performed on the eyebrows and beard area. 

Is FUE hair transplant Safe?

LIKE EVERY SURGICAL PROCEDURE, the FUE hair transplant is considered safe with minor side effects. Some common side effects can be tiny white scars or scabs where follicles were extracted, which fall off on their own, and one should not scratch them. Patients may experience temporary side effects like swelling, bruising, and sensitivity which go away within a few days. In the FUE hair transplant procedure, the healing period is faster, the scars are hardly visible, and the procedure is less painful compared to FUT. With hair transplant procedures being performed by experienced and skilful doctors and a highly experienced clinical team, the side effects like bleeding, itching and infection are negligible. The hygienic OT setup with modern infrastructure also ensures the safety of FUE hair transplants.

Let’s understand the step-by-step process of the FUE hair transplant procedure.

Step 1 is the consultation part of the entire FUE process. In this part, the FUE hair transplant doctor examines the patient’s donor area and takes images of the scalp to analyse the before and after the procedure condition. This examination also helps the doctor determine the density of good-quality hair in the donor area. If there is not enough hair at the back of the scalp, then follicular grafts can be extracted from the beard area as well. If the scalp has an infection, then first, these conditions are treated before moving towards the next procedure.

Step 2 involves tests before the surgery. The patient undergoes blood tests and allergy tests to determine that the patient is healthy and is not allergic to any anaesthetic agent to avoid any reaction during the procedure.

Step 3 involves one of the most crucial parts of a FUE hair transplant. It is marking the donor area and recipient area. The two areas are divided into per-square area quadrants. In this process, the age, baldness, available grafts and hairline are shaped according to the facial structure and age of the patient. This also helps in deciding how many grafts are needed in the recipient area. The map of the donor area is marked out to help the FUE hair transplant doctor to identify the density and how many grafts can be extracted from the donor area. A trichoscope is used to determine this so that post-surgery the donor area should not look thinned out. 

Step 4 is the sterilization process where the surgical area is sterilized to avoid any kind of infection. The process includes scrubbing the scalp with betadine to disinfect the area. This also reduces the future chances of infection. 

Step 5 involves numbing the scalp with anaesthesia. This step can be a little painful as the process starts with injecting local anaesthesia all over the scalp with the help of anaesthetic agents like Xylocaine and Bupivacaine.

To minimize this pain, a nerve block is used. This helps in reducing the pain that is caused by anaesthesia pricks.

Step 6 is designing the hairline which is an important step to receiving natural-looking hair. The FUE hair transplant procedure is not just science but also art. If this step goes wrong then the hairline may look distorted and the outcome of the transplant may look unnatural. 

Step 7 involves making slits or small circular punches on the scalp at the correct angle of the hair growth. This angle is pre-decided while examining the donor area. If the slits are not made correctly in the direction of the hair growth then, the transplant may look unnatural and can also fall out later. 

Step 8 involves the extraction of hair from the donor area using an extractor or punches. The precision punches help in extracting the hair follicles without touching the roots. This ensures minimal damage to existing hair follicles and reduces scarring. The extracted grafts are then kept in a specialized solution to save the follicles from damage. These grafts are used later during the implantation stage. The survival rate of these delicate grafts starts to reduce once they are extracted from the body and therefore the preservation needs to be done with utmost care. 

Step 9 includes the microscopic examination of the extracted hair follicles. This step determines the quality and health of the hair follicles. The examination is done under highly advanced microscopes to determine the life quality and the number of follicles in each graft. The number of follicles in each graft can vary from 1 to 4.

Step 10 is the final step of implantation where the grafts are implanted in the recipient area with the help of advanced and patented implanters. The implants are done with the highest precision by skilled and experienced surgeons. In the advanced FUE procedure, which is also known as the direct hair transplant procedure, the process of extraction, examination and implantation of the grafts are done simultaneously to deliver a maximum graft survival rate. 

What is the FUE hair transplant recovery period?

In FUE hair transplant small incisions are made in the donor area to extract follicles and is done under local anaesthesia, which makes the extraction process painless. But just like any surgery, recovery from a hair transplant takes time to heal the wounds caused due to punctures on the scalp recipient area and donor area. The recovery period also depends upon the complexity of the surgery. Time and stages of recovery can vary between patients as the size and number of grafts implanted are not the same for all patients.

After the surgery, the donor area is covered with a bandage which is taken off the next day of FUE hair transplant surgery. These tiny wounds heal within 48 hours of the FUE hair transplant surgery. The tiny scars fade away as the wounds start to heal and only redness and white scabs can be seen on the scalp. The recovery time in the recipient area can be a bit different from the donor area as small incisions are made on the scalp to implant the grafts. These incisions can cause swelling on the scalp, to avoid this swelling from spreading on the face, an elastic sticking is attached to the forehead. After the surgery, the patients are advised to take complete bed rest for 2 days as due to gravity, the swelling can spread over the face while in long sitting and standing positions. After the surgery, the survival of implanted grafts and the natural blood circulation of the grafts can take at least 1 week to start. During this period, it is advisable to not touch the grafts and follow the post-operative instructions given by the surgeon. After a few days, patients will get scabbing on the scalp which is normal and patients are advised to wash their hair after 5 days of the surgery. The scabs fall off within 7 to 8 days.  The transplanted hair begins to grow within a week and then the shedding period starts. This is just a temporary phase and only the shafts fall off. Despite the shedding, the follicle remains healthy and returns to the growth phase within a few weeks. After a few days, the patients will experience new hair growth from these follicles and hair starts to grow within 5 to 6 weeks. To stimulate the hair growth the surgeons may suggest PRP treatment. After the surgery, dermatologists may prescribe medicines like Minoxidil and finasteride and an antibiotic or an anti-inflammatory drug. These medicines will also help in maintaining the health of your already existing hair and avoid surgery shock loss of the existing hair. Keeping the scalp clean and protecting the scalp is an important phase of the healing process. 

Take a healthy and balanced diet for a better and quick recovery from a hair transplant procedure.

After 3 days after surgery, patients can start their normal routine like going for a walk or to work. As there are visible scaps therefore to hide them patients can wear a cap. If facing any discomfort post-surgery always seek the advice of a doctor and avoid taking any medication off the counter. These can damage the grafts and fail the FUE hair transplant surgery.  

If you are planning to get an FUE hair transplant done, then book your consultation with HairMD Pune. Here the FUE transplant surgeons are highly qualified and experienced in performing hair transplants. The OT set-up is fully equipped with the latest and globally approved instruments to provide the best natural-looking outcome. The relaxed atmosphere and utmost care will help the patients to enjoy the procedure and get their self-confidence back with the growth of their new transplanted hair.