FUT Method: Strip Extraction
One of the first things that comes to mind when it comes to hair transplantation is scarring. The original technique of hair transplantation, the FUT method, also known as the strip method, involves cutting out a strip of tissue from the back of a patient's scalp. This strip of skin is dissected under a microscope into individual grafts, which are then implanted.
The main drawback of this method is the scar that is left on the donor area of a hair transplantation patient. These scars can be up to 30 cm wide. In most cases the resulting scar tissue has limited hair coverage, so the scar can be easily seen after the procedure, especially with shorter hair.
A number of surgeons, who still practice FUT hair transplantation, claim that this method is better suited to patients with a limited donor area. One of the potential solutions of this problem, one that would not involve a scar at the back of your head, is body hair transplantation: extraction of donor grafts from beard area and chest.
At getFUE, we do not practice FUT transplants.
FUE: Manual vs. Mechanical Extraction
The basis of the FUE method of hair transplantation is individual extraction of donor grafts, without the need to cut out strips of skin. Since grafts are extracted individually, there is no permanent elongated scar left on the donor area after the procedure. However, within FUE, there remains a debate regarding the use of manual and mechanical methods of graft extraction.
A large number of leading clinics worldwide use what is called a micro-motor tool for graft extraction. This electrically powered tool has been widely adopted, because it allows for a faster rate of extraction. Using a micro-motor, surgeons can extract up to about 3500-4000 grafts during a single day session. The quick rate of extraction also means that grafts spend less time on the petri dish before implantation, resuming in further improved survivability.
There remains a small, but committed group of hair transplantation surgeons in Turkey, who believe in continued use of the manual, non-mechanised extraction tool. The original justification for this, first introduced about 8 years ago, was that this tool achieved better precision and did not damage the donor grafts during extraction. The same claim is used to today to advocate for manual extraction.
In reality, the motorised method of extraction (using a micro-motor) is a definitively superior method of graft extraction for the absolute majority of cases. It is the only method capable of extracting up to 3500-4000 grafts a day. A similar graft number would take days to extract using the fully manual method. Quick extraction and consequent implantation with the Implanter Pen means higher graft survivability. And finally, the very latest generation of micro-motors used at getFUE Clinic in Turkey does not damage the extracted grafts.
