Hair Transplant: Getting the Best With FUE Technique

Losing hair can be a nightmare for any man or woman. Once upon a time, hair loss was restricted to elderly people, but today, men and women as young as 30 find themselves going bald as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, exposure to pollutants etc. Thankfully, modern medicine has found ways of correcting hair loss through hair transplant surgeries. A follicular unit extraction (FUE) is one such type of hair transplant procedure.

This is a minimally invasive procedure that involves the extraction of hair follicles from the back of the head with a special micro punch. To do this, the hair at the back of your head is first shaved down to 1 to 2 mm in length. Local anesthesia is then applied and the scalp is scored to loosen the hair follicles. Each follicle is then extracted carefully and preserved in saline until it can be implanted into the bald part of your head.

Since each follicle is being individually extracted, it is crucial to work with an experienced surgeon. It doesn't hurt to ask to see a doctor's certificates. Before committing to surgery, ask to see before and after photographs of their earlier clients and ensure that both of you have the same aesthetic sense.

Along with the surgeon's expertise, the size of the micro punch needles also play an important role in getting the best results for a follicular unit extraction. The smaller the needle used, the less damage caused to the scalp. This also minimizes the visibility of the extraction. Ideally, a needle should be no wider than 0.95mm.

Grafts extracted via FUE are much more sensitive than those extracted via strip extraction. This is because the extraction technique leaves hair follicles without a lot of protective tissue. How the follicles are handled after extraction influences their survival rate. As these are very vulnerable to dehydration, they must always be kept damp and handled with care.

The incisions made to implant the hair follicles also play a role in determining their lifespan. The best incisions are those made by blades that have been customized to match the length, width, depth and angle of incision to be made. By matching the dimensions and angle of the incision to the direction of a patient's natural hair growth, the grafts have a higher chance of connecting to blood vessels and nerves. This also ensures that the transplant looks as close to natural as possible.