FUE Hair Transplants: Do they look natural? Understand the key steps

Hair loss is dis-heartening but thanks to modern medicine, that provides us with some revolutionary treatment options such as hair transplant, to restore our natural looks. Follicular Unite Extraction (FUE) is an advanced hair transplant surgery that has changed the lives of countless individuals by providing a permanent solution to their hair loss.

If you are considering to get a FUE hair transplant, an understanding of the What are the steps involved? and how does it work, will help you make the right decision for your hair loss treatment.

What is FUE hair transplant?

FUE is a minimally invasive hair restoration procedure in which individual hair follicles are extracted from the donor area (typically on the back & sides of the scalp) and transplanted to the areas with severe hair thinning or baldness. Unlike, FUT or other traditional methods, micro-punch tools are used to extract the hair follicles resulting in minimal scarring and a shorter recovery period. It also helps to gain natural-looking results.

What is the Step-by-Step procedure of a FUE hair transplant?

1.  Consultation

Your hair transplant journey starts with an initial consultation. Once, you visit our clinic, the surgeon will:

·   Check for your hair loss pattern.

·   Analyse the severity of the hair loss.

·   Assess the hair density in the donor area.

·   Determine the recipient site.

·   Design your new hair line.

·   Estimate the number of grafts required for the treatment.

·   Discuss your understanding and expectations or desired goals from the treatment.

Doctors will design a customized treatment plan based on your hair condition and the treatment goals.

2.  Preparation

Once you are reaching the clinic for the surgery, the preparatory phase begins:

·   Trimming of your hair in the donor and the recipient site; full shave of your head is performed only if there is a necessity.

·   The scalp is cleaned and a local anesthesia is administered.

·   You are placed comfortably in a reclining position.

3.  Extraction of the hair follicles

Once you are all prepared for the procedure, the doctor starts to:

·   Extract the hair follicles from the donor area with the micro-punch tools.

·   Placement of hair grafts in a specialized solution to ensure their survival for a longer period of time.

Each individual hair follicle contains 1-4 hairs grouped together naturally. Expertise & skill of the surgeon is highly important during this step, as higher precision is required for careful extraction of the hair follicles and to ensure minimal damage to the surrounding hair.

4.  Graft preparation

Graft preparation before transplantation involves:

·   Careful sorting of the extracted hair follicles based on the size and count.

·   Placement of the grafts in a specially prepared saline solution, enriched with nutrients; to prevent drying of hair and to protect your it’s vitality.

·   The hair grafts are placed under the microscope to assess and separate them and to ensure their integrity & viability, before being transplanted to the recipient site.

·   Dissection of the grafts, usually performed when more hairs are contained in a single graft.

Ensuring appropriate graft preparation is crucial before the transplantation of the hair follicles to the recipient site.

5.  Creation of the recipient sites:

Once the grafts are ready your doctors will prepare the recipient site as follows:

·   Marking of small, tiny incisions in the hair thinning or bald areas; as planned before surgery.

·   Properly designed to ensure the direction of hair growth as per the natural hair.

It is highly important to ensure clear blending of the newly grown hair with the surrounding one’s; to ensure natural look.

6.  Placement of grafts:

It is the final phase in which the extracted hair follicles are to be transplanted carefully into the recipient site. Your surgeon will ensure for:

·   The proper placement of the hair follicles according to your natural hair line

·   Gaining a natural looking distribution of your hair follicles

·   Minimal trauma to the surrounding healthy tissues during transplantation

·   Maximal survival rate for the transplanted hair follicles.

Every follicle matters when it comes to hair transplant, so utmost precision is required by the surgeon during the procedure, to help you regain your natural looks.

Post-Procedure care:

Once the surgery is done and the grafts are placed appropriately, your surgeon will provide for the proper after care instructions to ensure proper healing and best possible treatment outcomes. These include:

·   Avoid exposure to direct sunlight, post-procedure.

·   Avoid strenuous activity or doing gym for the initial few weeks, post-transplant.

·   Do not touch or scratch the transplanted area to avoid any sort of wounds.

·   Apply the sterile saline solution as prescribed by your doctor to keep the wound area clean.

·   Sleeping with the head in an elevated position for the initial few days.

·   Do not wash your hair immediately after the transplant, wash it after a few days gently with lukewarm water.

·   Avoid using harsh chemical sprays, hair dyes or heating products on the hair in the initial 1-2 weeks.

Surgeons instructions are to be carefully followed and it is also important to monitor for the signs of infection such as redness, swelling, fever or any other complications immediately after the FUE procedure.

What to Expect from a FUE hair transplant?

After a FUE hair transplant, the following phases are involved during the new hair growth:

·       Immediate recovery (In the first few days):

-          Redness & swelling in the donor and recipient sites.

-          Mild discomfort and slight pain

-          Formation of tiny scabs in the transplanted region.

·       Shedding phase (In the first 2-12 weeks):

-          Newly transplanted hair starts to fall off; a natural phenomenon for everyone.

-          Patchy areas in the transplanted region.

-          Preparation for new hair growth.

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