The tables below outline the advantages and drawbacks of FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) micrografting:
Advantages of FUE
- No scarring in the extraction area Important for patients who wear very short hairstyles
- More rapid healing in the donor area
- No need to limit intense exercise after the procedure
- Greater comfort in the donor area after extraction
- Useful for patients at greater risk of scarring in the extraction area Younger patients Very muscular, very athletic patients Patients with very tight or very loose scalp skin
- Provides an alternative solution when the scalp is too tight for linear strip harvesting
- The finest hairs from the nape of the neck can be harvested For use along the hairline or in eyebrows
- Allows for the theoretical possibility of harvesting hairs from areas other than the scalp Beard or body hairs
FUE drawbacks
- FUE follicular units are harvested from a much vaster donor area than in traditional micrografting.
- Graft quality is lower than in traditional micrografting High follicular transection rate (damaged grafts) Grafts are weaker and subject to trauma during insertion, since extracted grafts often lack protection from the dermis and fat after being dissected under a microscope. It is more difficult to grasp the entire follicular unit, resulting in lower density.
- Maximum yield is lower than in traditional micrografting. Grafts of lower quality do not grow as well.
- At each transplant session, new scarring occurs. For example, if the first FUE session is for 2,000 grafts, there will be 2,000 tiny round scars. With a second 2,000-graft session, there will be a total of 4000 scars.
- The number of grafts in a single session is limited. Since the extraction process is slower than strip harvesting, transplants involving a high number of grafts require several days of work. With the FUE method, grafts generally spend more time outside the body, which can lead to sub-optimal growth.
- FUE is generally more expensive than traditional micrografting.
