FUT Hair Transplant

Understanding FUT Hair Transplant

For those on a quest to regain a full head of hair and renew their self-confidence, FUT hair transplant is a term that often surfaces in discussions about hair restoration. But what exactly is FUT Hair Transplant, and how does it work?

FUT, or Follicular Unit Transplantation, is a surgical hair restoration procedure designed to combat hair loss and restore natural-looking hair. At the heart of this hair transplant procedure lies the concept of utilizing the patient’s own hair to fill in areas affected by baldness or thinning hair. The FUT hair transplant process begins by selecting a donor area, typically the back or sides of the head, where hair follicles are resistant to the balding process. A strip of hair-bearing skin is carefully removed from this donor area. The skilled surgical team, like those at Civas Hair Transplant Clinic in Turkey, then dissects this strip into individual follicular units under powerful microscopes. These follicular units, also called FUs contain one to four hair follicles and they are the building blocks of the new hairline.

The FUT hair transplantation method is no longer preferred in the hair restoration community. This is mainly due to the large linear scar created at the back of the head. FUE hair transplant procedures, which are less invasive and cause minimal scarring, are preferred over FUT hair transplants.

What Are Follicular Units (FUs) in FUT Hair Transplants?

For years, the science of hair growth has been thought to involve individual strands emerging from the scalp. However, a closer examination reveals a fascinating truth: scalp hair actually grows in tiny little groups of 1 to 4 hairs each, known as “follicular units” or FUs. Surprisingly, even after doctors learned about the existence of these groups, they didn’t initially consider their potential in hair transplants.

To observe FUs, one can take a closer look by clipping the hair short, to approximately 1 millimeter, and examining the scalp under 30X magnification using an instrument called a densitometer. Under these conditions, the follicular units become readily visible. What makes FUs particularly intriguing is that they are complete anatomic and physiologic structures. Preserving them intact during a hair transplant procedure is crucial for ensuring their maximum survival and optimal growth.

Despite their significance, it’s important to note that FUs are very small structures, requiring precise handling. Only a skilled and experienced surgical team, like our team at Civas Hair Transplant Clinic in Turkey, can guarantee their preservation and protection from damage during the various phases of the hair restoration process.

Advantages of Follicular Units during FUT Hair Transplant

A major advantage of utilizing follicular units (FUs) in hair transplant surgery lies in the ability to keep recipient sites as small as possible. This small size enables the safe placement of recipient sites in close proximity on the scalp, enhancing both the natural appearance and overall hair density. Additionally, it allows for the transplantation of larger numbers of grafts in a single hair restoration session without causing harm to the scalp or jeopardizing its blood supply.

The number of hairs contained within each graft is also important. FUs, with their closely packed hairs, facilitate the transplantation of the maximum number of hairs into the smallest possible recipient sites, resulting in optimal fullness. The use of these compact units maximizes the density of grafts that can be transplanted in a single session and the number that can be employed simultaneously, contributing to successful and densely packed results.

Another advantage of FUs is that they replicate the natural growth pattern of hair, they ensure that transplanted grafts do not appear pluggy, contributing to a seamless and genuine look. However, it’s essential to emphasize that while FUs prevent a pluggy appearance, their proper placement in terms of direction and distribution is crucial for achieving a completely natural and harmonious outcome in hair restoration. Using grafts larger or smaller than follicular units can compromise the desired naturalness and density, respectively.

The FUT Hair Transplant Procedure: Step by Step

Step I: Administering Anesthesia Before FUT Hair Transplant

The first step in a FUT hair transplant is the administration of anesthesia. The patient is given local anesthesia to numb both the donor and the recipient areas. This is to make the hair transplant process as painless as possible for the patient.

A significant breakthrough in FUT hair transplant involves the application of tumescent anesthesia. Tumescent anesthesia refers to the expansion of tissues through the injection of fluids. In this method, highly diluted anesthetic fluid is injected into the fat layer of the donor area on the scalp. This innovation enhances the comfort and effectiveness of FUT hair transplant procedures.

This serves a number of purposes. Firstly, it helps reduce bleeding by exerting pressure on small blood vessels (capillaries). Secondly, it firms the skin, making it easier to control incisions. Lastly, it increases the distance between the follicles and the deeper scalp tissues, optimizing the surgical process for FUT hair transplants.

Additionally, this technique aids the surgeon in maintaining a superficial incision, thereby avoiding damage to the larger nerves and blood vessels within the scalp and preventing the cutting of the fascia. The fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue located just beneath the fat layer, providing essential support to the scalp. Avoiding damage to the fascia during FUT hair transplant is crucial, as it significantly reduces the risk of developing stretched scars after the procedure.

Step II: Prepping The Donor Area for FUT Hair Transplant

Before embarking on a follicular unit transplantation (FUT) hair transplant procedure, meticulous preparation of the donor area is essential. The donor area, typically located on the back or sides of the scalp, where hair follicles are genetically resistant to balding, plays a pivotal role in achieving a successful FUT hair transplant.

To ensure the success of the hair transplant surgery and minimize the scar from the donor incision, a narrow strip of hair from the donor region is first shaved. This strip is carefully selected to ensure minimal impact on the patient’s appearance post-surgery, allowing them to keep their hair relatively short after the procedure if desired. Moreover, a fine donor scar enhances the potential for harvesting (removing) a greater number of grafts in subsequent procedures. Once the strip is removed, the remaining hair conceals the incision, making it discreet and virtually undetectable.

Step III: Stereo-Microscopic Graft Dissection for FUT Hair Transplant

The most critical step in the FUT hair transplant procedure is the stereo-microscopic graft dissection. During this phase, the donor strip harvested from the back of the hair transplant patient is carefully examined and dissected under a stereo-microscope. In a successful dissection, the follicular units should be removed from the donor strip without being damaged. It is essential to maintain the vitality and integrity of the follicular units during this process as this will maximize hair growth.

Intact FUs not only ensure maximum growth but also contribute significantly to achieving hair fullness. Each intact unit contains the natural complement of 1 to 4 hairs, enhancing the overall volume and density of the transplanted hair. The donor strip, typically measuring approximately 1 centimeter in width and varying in length depending on the required number of grafts for the hair transplant, holds the key to these remarkable transformations.

On average, a patient’s scalp has approximately 90-100 follicular units per cm2 of donor tissue. Therefore, a 2000-graft hair transplant would require an incision of approximately 1cm (width) x 20cm (length).

Step IV: Creating Recipient Sites During FUT Hair Transplant

At Civas Hair Transplant Clinic, we prioritize precision and technique to ensure the best outcomes for our patients. The recipient sites in all of our hair transplantation procedures are meticulously crafted using lateral slits, also known as coronal or horizontal slits. This approach offers a distinct advantage by aligning the transplanted hair follicle within the follicular unit to mimic its natural growth pattern. This careful orientation provides our surgeons with the highest degree of control over the direction and angle at which the transplanted hairs will ultimately grow, resulting in a remarkably natural appearance after a hair transplant.

In addition to the strategic use of lateral slits, controlling the depth of incision is of paramount importance during the creation of recipient sites. By making incisions of limited depth, we minimize the risk of injury to the deeper blood vessels in the scalp. This not only ensures the safety of the hair transplant procedure but also allows us to place grafts more closely together, thereby maximizing the density of transplanted hair. Reduced tissue swelling after the hair transplant surgery and enhanced healing are additional benefits of this careful approach.

To achieve these precise recipient sites, we employ fine hypodermic needles or a series of custom-made, ultra-fine blades. These chisel-shaped blades are available in various sizes, differing by increments of one-tenth of a millimeter. This comprehensive range accommodates the diversity of grafts, from single-hair grafts to 4-hair follicular units, with blade sizes ranging from 0.6mm to 1.2mm. Our commitment to utilizing the most advanced tools and techniques ensures that each patient receives a tailored and exceptional FUT hair transplant experience, resulting in natural, long-lasting results.

STEP V: Implantation During FUT Hair Transplant

Implantation is a crucial phase in the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) hair transplant procedure, where the harvested hair grafts are delicately placed into the recipient sites created earlier. At Civas Hair Transplant Clinic in Turkey, our commitment to precision and expertise ensures that this step is executed with the utmost care to achieve the most natural and satisfying results for our hair transplant patients.

The recipient sites, crafted with lateral slits during the initial phase, serve as the precise map for graft placement. These lateral slits are meticulously designed to match the natural direction and angle of hair growth. This level of precision is paramount as it enables the transplanted hairs to seamlessly blend with existing hair, creating a remarkably natural appearance.

The meticulous placement of grafts not only guarantees a natural appearance but also maximizes the density of transplanted hair, ensuring that the final result of the hair transplant meets the patient’s expectations. This careful attention to detail, from the creation of recipient sites to the implantation of grafts, is a testament to our commitment to excellence in FUT hair transplant procedures. Using our expertise and advanced techniques, surgeons at Civas Hair Transplant Clinic aim to provide our patients with the confidence and satisfaction that comes from a successful and natural-looking hair transplant.