Why Medical Hair Restoration is Effective

[Posted on April 16th, 2014 by Dr. Carlos Puig]

In the last couple of decades, advancements have been made in the field of hair loss for both men and women. While researchers and scientists continue to develop new, more innovative techniques such as the papilla cells method, these are new and have not been in practice long enough to know if the process is truly effective. As such, one of the most currently popular medical hair restoration procedures is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). At the Puig Hair Restoration Center, our staff of professionals can help men and women who suffer from hair loss to regain the self-confidence and healthy head of hair they once knew using this exact procedure.

FUE Process

Once the thinning area is pinpointed, follicular units are individually removed from the donor area, which is often the back of the head, and then transplanted to the thinning (recipient) area. FUE is a minimally invasive medical hair restoration technique that does not leave a linear scar and does not require stitches. The grafts that are removed and placed in the recipient area are done using an automated extraction tool. This makes the process safe and successful each time.

By extracting follicular units that contain between one and four hair follicles and then transplanting them to the areas of the scalp that need more hair, FUE is similar to the traditional Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) method. We use the process of natural graft placement in order to individually place follicular units so that the recreated hairline matches the patient’s hair growth pattern, ensuring a successful, natural look and feel.

FUE versus FUT

With FUT, follicular units are meticulously extracted from tissue that was previously removed from the donor area. The difference is that with FUE, working directly with the scalp, follicular units are individually removed.

FUE Procedure

Using a tiny 1 millimeter in diameter instrument, we extract follicular unit grafts one at a time. To isolate the graft, the instrument makes a circular incision in the skin surrounding the follicular unit. This makes it much easier to excise the graft directly from the scalp and then prepare it from transplantation.

For our staff to be able to spot the exact donor area need for graft extraction, the section is typically shaved, cut short, or clipped. Even after the extraction takes place, the tiny incisions we make heal in a matter of days and because the apertures contract during this healing process, they are hardly detectable after the procedure is complete.

Benefits of FUE Medical Hair Restoration

There is no linear scar left behind because there is no scalpel incision. The donor area remains barely unchanged and does not require stitches. For the most part, patients are able to return to work immediately through this minimally invasive hair restoration technique.