FUE Method- Taking Hair Transplantation Treatment to the Next Level!

1. FUE Method- Taking Hair Transplantation Treatment to the Next Level! Alopecia is ruining life of individuals worldwide. As the hair loss plays a significant role in reducing the self-image and self-esteem, people are looking for different ways of hair restoration. The best hair restoration treatment till date is FUE hair transplant technique. It is in practice throughout the world for giving satisfactory results without any scar or side effect. What is FUE Method? Several advancements have been made in the field of hair restoration treatment for last 10 years, resulting in the development of FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) technique. This technique has its basics from the FUT technique, in which hair follicular units are removed from a larger portion of the scalp tissue. The FUE method is better than the previous ones, since it leaves little scar, and thus create a real, aesthetically pleasing result without much downtime. What is the procedure of this treatment? The hair in the donor area is shaved to 1-2 mm in length so as to allow appropriate visualization of the direction of the hair entry into the scalp and direction of the hair bulb. The donor site can be fully shaved, or ‘micro-shaved’ into 3-5mm strips for patients who have the desire of a less evident donor area. Hair grafts are taken from the back of the scalp as these hairs experience less androgenic loss. The patient is supposed to sit erect for the treatment. The donor site is anesthetized with a lidocaine or bupivicaine solution diluted with saline, with or without epinephrine. This hair restoration procedure is performed under 2.5X to 6X magnification. As it needs good lighting, use of a headlamp can be a great idea! Punch size is selected on the basis hair follicular unit density. Closer the alignation, smaller the punch required. The punch device is aligned over the scalp in the direction of the hair bulb and advanced towards the lower dermis. Extract the follicular units (FU) with the help of a needle or forceps after the removal of the punch. Do not place the forceps too close to the head. Instead, walk the forceps down the FU to maintain adequate depth. After the surgeon had punched the donor area, as assistant doctor may remove the hair follicles while the surgeon passes to the other area to facilitate the process. The recipient area is prepared with knives, needles, or punches. Then, the hair grafts are transplanted in the desired pattern through one of the following methods: Making a single transplant area with immediate graft insertion, Creating all transplant areas and then inserting of all the hair grafts, and Using an Implanter. Grafts are placed 35/sq. cm to 55/ sq. cm thick. But, you can also arrange them upto 70/sq. cm so as to give more dense hair growth. This procedure is repeated over multiple sessions to make the operation successful. What are the Pre- and Post- Operative conditions? Before this hair restoration treatment, a patient should avoid alcohol, smoking and intake or minoxidil as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for nearly a week. Post-operative care involves placements of compression or a simple sterile bandage on the donor site. Antibiotics and ice compression might be given to the recipient area to minimize the swelling, if any. Recovery begins by secondary intention and re- epithelialization of the donor site, and is completed by 2-3 days after the procedure. New hairs begin to grow in about the second month post-operatively and can result in the formation of sterile pustules.

2. What are the different challenges experienced? Blind extraction: Unlike strip surgery, the hair bulb can not be visualized during the punch in FUE method. Also, the transaction occurs at a higher rate. The hair transplant surgeons in Delhi or other regions of the world have to carefully view the visual cues as to assure the lowest transaction rate possible. Inadequate Donor Supply: If the follicular units are scarce in the donor site, the recipient area might not appear completely filled after the hair transplant. In this case, the hairs tend to be thinner and not cover the head as they are supposed to. Grafts growth: FUE develop smaller hair grafts with less hydrating fat than those in FUT method. Thus, increasing the risk of dessication. After harvest, grafts should be placed instantly in a holding solution to preserve moisture. The filter can be removed from the collection device to promote the transfer of grafts to saline, and avoid unnecessary drying. Cooling of the saline solution with external ice packs can also be used to enhance the growth of the hair grafts. Implantation: If the distal end of the hair graft becomes folded in the transplant spot, the hair may grow in a curly pattern, or might now grow even. This best method to avoid this is to hold the hair graft at the distal end and implant it in one motion, instead of feeding it down in several steps. Donor Site: Even though FUE leaves a minimal scar in the donor area, harvesting hair grafts in a regular or blocked fashion may leave a noticeable pattern of hair removal or hyperpigmentation under short hair styles. A random pattern of hair extraction is better in this case. What are the advantages of FUE Method? FUE is less invasive and more effective when compared to other options of hair restoration. It combines the excision and harvest steps, and restrict the appearance of a linear scar as observed in the Strip surgery. Not just the hair transplant at the scalp, it is a highly-practical method for transplantation of the beard, eyelashes, eyebrows and even for whole body hair transplantation. FUE method is preferred throughout the world for surgical hair restoration. It has been studied that it comes up with maximum successful hair restoration treatments that gives a natural appearance. Nowadays, the manual and automated systems are used for FUE treatment, but sooner the hands-free robotic systems and such advanced techniques would be used for this hair restoration treatment. Source: http://www.hairtransplantasia.com/