Minimally-Invasive Hair Transplantation - “FUE” Procedure
Follicular Unit Extraction with NeoGraft leaves no strip scar, no linear scar

The most exciting thing about Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is what it enables us to do in the donor area with people who wear very short hair. For many people, having a linear scar is not desirable. So this surgical technique gives us another option for “extracting” the permanent donor follicles from the scalp.

With FUE, we are able to extract single Follicular units (that means groupings of 1, 2, 3, and sometimes, 4 hair follicles) individually from the donor area without a scalpel. This also means the patient will not require any stitches and there is no linear scar. FUE is a much more minimally-invasive procedure that heals more quickly and has less activity restrictions post-operatively.

That said, it is a tedious process for the surgeon and the surgical team because it requires significantly more time to get the same numbers of grafts as a traditional (linear or strip) harvest. For many years, we were only able to harvest between 500-700 grafts per day with FUE. Today, the NeoGraft device has enabled us to consistently harvest 1500+ grafts during a normal procedure day and often over 3,000 grafts with a two-day MEGA-FUE visit.

There are several benefits of Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE. Patients walk out of the procedure with the grafts implanted in the 'recipient area' just like they do with a traditional procedure, but there are no stitches in the donor and therefore less discomfort. The tiny circular incisions will heal and become nearly invisible within a matter of days. From a social distance, the donor area is considered to be 'back to normal' in about a week.

Even with available financing, an FUE procedure may be cost prohibitive for some patients. Linear harvesting still remains the most efficient way to harvest hair. However, a new breakthrough mechanical device, called NeoGraft, is making FUE procedures more efficient. NeoGraft works an extension of the human hand to help harvest hair follicles efficiently from the scalp at a rate of speed that is significantly faster than manual extraction.

Patients really need to understand how important choosing the right surgeon remains. Final hairline design results still are dependent upon the skill and artistic abilities of the surgeon performing the procedure. Often, people make the mistake of concentrating too much on how we extract the grafts and forget the basic rules that apply to artistic hairline design. So, it is critical that prospective patients evaluate a surgeon's proven expertise using the Follicular Unit Extraction technique AND artistry designing hairlines.

FUE is also useful for patients who have wide or very visible linear scars.  FUE can be used to 'fill in' or camouflage those old scars by transplanting new follicles into the area.  Dr. Bauman has presented at ISHRS conferences on FUE coverage of linear scars as a viable method of treatment of this concerning issue. Dr. Bauman was the first ISHRS surgeon to demonstrate the FUE procedure in a Live Surgery Workshop setting in Orlando Florida in 2003. Dr. Bauman also designed the first manual instrument that was made commercially-available to surgeons specifically to help perform FUE procedures (called "Bauman-MINDEX, available from A to Z Surgical/George Tiemann). Dr. Bauman was the first board-certified hair restoration physician to routinely use NeoGraft for FUE procedures.

The NeoGraft is the latest advancement in FUE procedures, allowing higher numbers of grafts to be harvested in less time.

Recently, the use of Trichophytic Donor Closures during linear harvesting has helped hide linear scars left over from traditional harvesting. Read more about Tricho closures below.

Are you a candidate for Follicular Unit Extraction?

We need to consider:

1. How many grafts will be needed to get the job done? (If you need too many grafts, the procedure may be time and cost prohibitive).
   
2. How long is the hair on the back of your scalp? Is it worth the investment in time and money if your hair length will easily cover a thin linear donor scar?
   
3. Are you on treatments (medications or other modalities) to stop the progression of your hair loss? If you are not, and your hair loss continues, you will need to continually fill in the areas where you are losing hair.