We’ve had a number of questions about Hair Transplant Surgery and in particular, Follecular Unit Extraction (FUE) is all about, so I thought I’d take a moment and write about that today.
Hair transplantation, simply defined, is just the transferring of hair from a “permanent” area of the scalp to another area of the scalp where hair has fallen out due to hereditary hair loss or balding. Statistically, by the time most men have reached their 40’s and 50’s, approximately half of all men have developed some degree of hereditary male pattern baldness.
For most men and women who lose the hair on the top of their head, the hair on the back and sides of their head is relatively thick and will remain so for the rest of their lives. This “permanent” hair is harvested in the form of narrow “strips” of hair, which are then meticulously disected and separated under the microscope to produce hundreds of tiny follicular unit grafts of 1-3 hairs each. This is sometimes referred to Follecular Unit Extraction, or FUE.
In hair transplantation, these newly created tiny grafts of “permanent” hair are skillfully distributed by a doctor or surgeon specializing in hair transplantation over the balding scalp according to a carefully planned pattern. They quickly take root and, after a short resting period (typically four to six months), grow and keep on growing for the rest of your life.
Hair transplantation is considered a “minor” outpatient surgery that takes from 3–8 hours per session. Depending upon the patient’s desires and degree of hair loss, more than one session may be needed. We encourage you to contact us directly with any questions you may have.