FUT Hair Transplant

Follicular Unit Transplantation is the first hair transplant method people with hair loss could regain their lost hair with a natural look. Follicular Unit Transplantation cost is really affordable and it is preferred by both men and women. If you are considering getting hair transplant surgery with permanent results, you can continue reading our article about Follicular unit hair transplantation. FUT hair transplant in Turkey is more affordable compared to the UK. You can have hair transplant surgeries from highly experienced surgeons on hair transplantation methods in Turkey at low prices. The FUT hair transplant recovery timeline is really fast; however, FUT hair transplant scar remains after the healing process.

What Is FUT Hair Transplant?

Follicular Unit Transplantation, also known as Follicular unit strip surgery, can be considered as the oldest hair transplantation method that results in a natural look. Before Follicular Unit Transplantation, hair transplant surgeries that were performed did not end up with successful results, so scientists and surgeons came up with a new solution for hair loss, which is Follicular Unit transplantation. According to trusted sources, it was first performed in 1995. FUT hair transplantation method is basically extracting a donor area by cutting the patient’s skin including hair follicles, preparing them in small pieces, then transplanting them in the bald area after creating small incisions. Due to including incisions and a linear cut, this method is not preferred.

There are other modern methods with less risks and complications such as FUE, DHI, Sapphire hair transplantation. In the FUT hair transplantation procedure, a thin strip of skin with hair is removed from the patient’s scalp and it is divided into small pieces which contain hair grafts. The number and type of those hair grafts can change due to hair type, color, quality and the size of the area where hair transplant is needed. If you have thick and dark hair with steep texture, which is dark in color and has a steep texture, the patient needs more hair to be implanted than when the hair is thin, dark blond and curly. The area of the scalp where the skin was removed is stitched back. After grafts are prepared, doctor cuts tiny incisions on the patient’s scalp to put those hair grafts in.

In this procedure, it is not necessary to shave the hair off, only the area of where the skin is removed gets trimmed. However; in this procedure the patient will have visible skin unless he/she has got long hair to cover. Depending on the size of the transplant the patient gets, the duration of the process might change.

Microscopic Follicular Unit Transplantation (MFUT)

Microscopic follicular unit transplantation is the modern method of Follicular Unit Transplantation. The difference between them is that MFUT is operated under a microscope. In the procedure, microscopic follicular units are extracted from the donor area.

Advantages the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery

FUT hair transplant method is more permanent than other methods of hair transplant: According to the researches, FUT hair transplantation seems to have a higher rate of success about the permanency of hair follicles that are implanted in the bald areas of the scalp. It is related to the reason hair follicles are extracted with the skin surrounding the hair follicle. If the patient has got a certain number of hair follicles that can be the donor for covering the bald area, the surgeon might recommend the traditional method, FUT hair transplantation, not to waste any donor hair. In other methods, it is possible to loose healthy hair grafts after the operation, during the healing process.

FUT hair transplant can be completed in a shorter time: Many patients do not have enough time and they can only dedicate some hours to for their surgery. FUT hair transplant takes less time than other methods of hair transplant surgeries and it has to be completed in one session. If you are sort of time and you only want to have your surgery done in a couple of hours in one day, you can consider having FUT hair transplant surgery.

FUT hair transplant has got high graft quality: In the procedure of FUT hair transplant, the donor area which has been cut gets prepared to create hair grafts carefully using microscopes and they are examined to make sure all donor hair grafts are high quality.

During FUT hair transplant, more hair grafts can be transplanted: Every individual with hair loss needs different number of hair grafts to be implanted to have a fully natural look. Some people only need 1000 hair grafts while others might need 4000 hair grafts. FUT hair transplantation has got an advantage in transplanting more hair grafts in a shorter time. People who needs hair transplantation on wider areas can get FUT hair transplant surgery.

Who Can Have FUT Hair Transplant Surgery?

FUT hair transplantation surgery can be performed on people who are over 18 years old with permanent hair loss (It is mostly preferred when people are at least 25 years old as the younger people are, the less surgeons can determine hair loss pattern). If the hair is not permanently lost, there can be other treatments made and probably there will not be need for surgery. People who has got male pattern hair loss can have more successful results. Male pattern hair loss is also known as androgenic alopecia. Women commonly suffer from that kind of hair loss, too. It is generally caused by hereditary or aging.

To be able to get FUT hair transplantation, you should have enough number of healthy donor hair. If you do not have enough donor, you cannot get FUT hair transplant. You can consider having DHI or FUE hair transplant methods in which beard or chest hair can be used as donor hairs. If you suffer from Haemophilia or Alopecia Areata, you cannot get FUT hair transplantation. Haemophilia is a genetic condition which is inherited. Patients with Haemophilia have got high risk of getting blood clots. Alopecia Areata is the condition the patient has got bald spots on their scalp.

Risks of Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

FUT hair transplant surgery is a safe cosmetic surgery and it has got a high success rate. Complications during FUT hair transplant surgery are quite rare. However, you should still know each risk of complications that can happen during and after the FUT hair transplant surgery in order to prepare yourself mentally for unexpected situations. Your surgeon will ask your medical record and recommend treatments for you to reduce the risk of hair transplant. He/she will not over harvest your donor area not to irritate your skin. Complications that can happen during and after a FUT hair transplant surgery are:

• Extreme scarring.
• Bleeding.
• Infection.
• Pain.
• Swelling.
• Numbness or lose of skin sensation.
• Asymmetrical look or unnatural results.
• Cysts.
• Inflammation.
• Complications related to anesthesia.

Before the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery

If you are planning to get a FUT hair transplantation, you should follow those steps before your hair transplantation surgery.

Finding an experienced surgeon for the FUT hair transplantation: The FUT hair transplant surgery is more risky than other hair transplantation methods, besides, hair transplantation surgery can end up with asymmetry and the patient might not be pleased with the results. Owing to that reason, choosing your hair transplantation surgeon and the clinic or hospital is quite significant. There are many illegal clinics that perform surgeries like hair transplantation and they end up with complications that are rather hard to fix even by a highly experienced surgeon. It is recommended to find a clinic which is well known and legal.

Sharing your health record with the hair transplant surgeon: Follicular Unit Transplantation surgery is an older method of hair transplantation, which has got more risks than other hair transplantation methods due to including a big skin removal, stitches, and small incisions. Like every cosmetic surgery, there are expected risks and complications that can reduce the success rate of the surgery for FUT hair transplantation.

It is very important to follow what your surgeon wants you to stop or start doing before the surgery to decrease those possible risks before your FUT hair transplantation. In order to have a successful surgery with fewer possible complications, it is recommended for you to have certain medical tests related to your previous heath record including previous surgeries, previous and current medications that are being used both herbal and medical, conditions such as diabetes, allergies or any skin condition that might increase the risks and complications. Even if you think that you are completely healthy, it is important to get blood tests or allergy tests before your Follicular Unit Transplantation.

Discussing expected risks and complications of the FUT hair transplant surgery: Hair transplantation surgery is a safe procedure; however, it still has got risks and complications that can make the patient’s after surgery period unbearable. It is significant to discuss every possible risk and have a decision about getting the FUT surgery done to prevent any unexpected situations. You should ask your surgeon about a detailed information and discuss what possible risks wait you during and after the surgery according to your conditions and previous health records.

Discussing about your expectations from the FUT hair transplantation surgery: Even when we order a dress and like it a lot when we see it on the model’s body, we start not to like the same dress when we try it on because every person has got a different body and even a dress cannot look the same on each person. Cosmetic transplants are like that as well. Every person has got different hair and skin type and a different number of hairs remaining on their scalp. The full look you want to have might not be possible due to the number of hair grafts on your donor area. In situations like that, you can ask your surgeon to show you previous patient’s pictures that might be similar to your final results after the FUT hair transplantation surgery. In that, you should have a realistic expectation and decide on the perfect method that suits you with your surgeon.

During your consultation, your surgeon will examine your scalp and hair characteristics. After examining the donor and the area that needs hair transplantation, the number of hair grafts that can be extracted and implanted to achieve the best result without harming the skin will be decided. These numbers can change between 1500 to 4000 hair strips depending on how bald the patient is.

Treatments that can be done before the FUT hair transplantation: Hair loss is quite individual. Some people tend to lose more hair fast owing to medical conditions, while other people lose their hair slowly because of aging. We can say that the more you get older, the more hair you lose for the patients with hair loss. Some patients do not have enough donor hair to be used in the surgery to cover their baldness. In cases like that, low level laser therapy is recommended to cause the patient grow more hair or straighten their thinning hair.

If the hair starts to get thinner, it means that they will be lost in the future when nothing is done. For some patients, low laser therapy is enough to restore their hair while others need hair transplant. In addition to medical treatments like laser therapy, your surgeon might advise you to take medicines or herbal medicines to prepare your remaining hairs and scalp for the surgery. The reason why the patient is advised take those treatments are owing to the fact that the hair transplant surgeon wants to protect the remaining hair grafts or make their quality higher. This helps to increase the success rate of the hair transplantation surgery.

Stopping certain habits and medications before the FUT hair transplantation surgery: To reduce the risks of complications choosing an experienced hair transplant surgeon might seem like the most important factor; however, the patient has got responsibilities as well, to reduce the risks. The patient should:

• • Stop smoking at least 6 weeks before the surgery. Smoking and nicotine-based products should be stopped to getting used before the surgery due to the fact that they increase the risk of poor and slow wound healing and infections.
  • Stop taking drugs (even herbal ones) and drinking alcohol. These kinds of drugs might create complications in the surgery.
  • Stop taking medications that might cause bleeding such as aspirin.

Getting a haircut: FUT hair transplantation surgery is performed with almost completely bald hair due to the fact that the surgeon will create small incisions, and implant the area. When the hair is shaved, it is easier to perform the surgery and sterilization of the area for the surgery is safer. You might be advised to get a haircut before the surgery, mostly no 3, which is a bit longer than completely shaved hair.

During the FUT Hair Transplant

After you and your surgeon agree on how the transplantation will be done and how many hair grafts are decided to be extracted and implanted depending on the characteristics of your hair and scalp, the surgery procedure begins. The procedure takes 4-8 hours.

1) Signing a consent form:

Before your FUT hair transplant, you are going to sign a consent form for legally accepting the risks and complications that might occur during the procedure.

2) Trimming the donor area:

The donor area is generally the back of the scalp where the hairs are less prone to be lost because of aging or hereditary. Your hair will be trimmed very short during the procedure.

3) Drawing lines for hair transplantation pattern:

Your surgeon will draw lines on your scalp to determine the shape of your hair-line.

4) The appliance of anesthesia:

You will have local anesthesia to prevent pain during the surgery. It is going to be applied to your donor and transplant area. You will be awake and fully aware of the procedure.

5) Creating incisions and removing skin including hair follicles:

After your anesthesia is on effect, the surgeon will create an incision then a thin strip of skin with hair is removed from the patient’s scalp (6 to 10 inch).

6) Creating sutures:

The incision where the strip of skin will be stitched back.

7) Preparing hair strips for implantation:

The strip of skin removed from the patients’ scalp will be divided into small pieces (500 to 2000 tiny grafts, those grafts include 1-4 hair follicles). The preparation step is operated under a microscope. The surgeon or trained medical team examines those pieces and chooses healthy hair grafts for implantation. Those prepared hair follicles are stored in a high nutrient lotion to increase the survival rate.

8) Implanting hair grafts:

Before implanting hair grafts, your surgeon creates small incisions on the bald areas to implant hair grafts. Around 100 hair follicles are implanted in one cm² through the small incisions the surgeon created.

9) Applying antibiotics and bandages:

Antibiotics are applied to reduce the risk of infection on both the small incisions and the scarring. Bandages are applied to protect the scalp. After FUT hair transplantation surgery, you will book another appointment for suture removal.

Recovery and Aftercare

After the FUT hair transplant surgery, your surgeon or medical team will inform you about how to look after your scarring. You will use special lotions and shampoo during the recovery process of the FUT hair transplant. Those lotions and shampoos do not irritate your scalp and help hairs to grow healthier. After your surgery, you might wear bandages for a few days.

• It is important not to sleep on where the scar is at least for seven days.
• The patient should avoid brushing his/her hair if needed should be rather gentle because brushing or combing hair might irritate hair follicles that have been transplanted and can cause them to get an infection or reduce their survival rate.
• After your procedure, you should not drive back home or your hotel.
• You can return to your daily life or work routine the following day.
• Swimming, weight lifting, sports such as football, basketball, etc., should be avoided at least for 2 weeks.
• Your surgeon might recommend you to take some medicine for healthy hair growth or painkillers.
• Avoiding heat. You should protect your hair from extreme sun-light and hot water. Warm showers should be preferred.

It is significant to note that during the recovery of hair transplant surgeries, the hairs start to fall out after the procedure. This mostly scares patients as they think their surgery was not successful. However, it is quite normal for hairs to fall off after the procedure. They are going to grow back as permanent hairs in the upcoming months after the hair transplant surgery.

How Much Does the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery Costs?

FUT hair transplantation is cheaper than other transplantation methods and one of the reasons why FUT hair transplant is preferred is the pricing in the UK. The costs of hair transplantation can change depending on:

• The number of hair grafts.
• The experience of the surgeon.
• The location where it will be operated.

FUT hair transplant in Turkey has got lower costs than in the UK. Turkey is a famous country for cosmetic surgeries and they are quite affordable even with traveling expenses. If you consider having a hair transplant, you can have your hair transplant in 4-6 hours and spend the rest of your time in Turkey by traveling.

How Long Does the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery Last?

Follicular Unit Transplantation surgery is individual and how long the procedure depends on the patient’s needs. In one session 1500-4000 hair strips can be transplanted and it has to be done in a single session. A FUT hair transplantation session can take between 4-8 hours.

Does the Scar of FUT Hair Transplant Heal Completely?

No. Unfortunately, the scar of the FUT hair transplant does not heal completely. It leaves a linear scar on the donor area where the skin with donor hair follicles was removed. It is one of the disadvantages of FUT hair transplantation. The patient should wear long hair to cover the scar after hair transplantation. If you consider a transplant without scarring, you can check other types of hair transplant methods.

Is FUT Hair Transplant Surgery Painful?

No. FUT hair transplant surgery is not painful. During the procedure of FUT hair transplant, local anesthesia is applied to prevent pain. However, after the surgery, the patient might feel pain or irritation on the scalp because of the incisions. They can use painkillers or lotions that the cosmetic surgeon recommends reducing the irritation or pain.

Is It Necessary To Shave the Hair Completely in the FUT Procedure?

Yes. Before the surgery, the patients’ hair will be shaved or trimmed completely. The donor has to be shaved completely because the area will be cut and removed. There are alternatives to FUT hair transplant that you do not have to shave your hair such as DHI, Unshaven, and Sapphire. If you want to use your hair long, you can consider getting a DHI hair transplant.

When Do You Fully Recover From the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery?

Full recovery from FUT hair transplantation surgery can take 2 weeks. There will be a linear scar after healing. Hairs that have been implanted starts to grow naturally after the hair transplant. They can fall off in the following weeks and this is normal for the healing procedure. After a couple of months, in general, 3 months, they start to grow back naturally. Full hair growth after FUT hair transplant surgery takes between 9-12 months.

How Long Does the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery Last?

The patient can start doing exercises such as walking the following day. This will help the blood flow and the patient will have a better healing process. However, the patient should not do any exercise that can traumatize the scars or the hairs implanted at least for 14 days. Those exercises are swimming, heavy cardio, lifting, and ball games.

Does It Worth Having a FUT Hair Transplant Surgery?

FUT hair transplantation surgery is an older method than other hair transplantation methods. As there are other modern alternatives with less risk of complications, it might be a better decision to consider other hair transplantation methods instead of FUT hair transplantation. You should reconsider having FUT hair transplantation because:

• The FUT method leaves visible scarring.
• FUT hair transplant has got more risks of infection and bleeding.
• Follicular Unit Transplantation has got a longer healing process.

Are There Any Alternatives to the FUT Hair Transplant?

Yes. There are alternatives to Follicular unit hair transplantation. If the patient’s lost hair can be restored without surgical treatment, Low laser therapy, or medicine that will cause hair growth or hair strength can be chosen. If the patient has lost a lot of hair and it can only be treated by hair transplantation, you can consider having FUE, DHI, Sapphire, and Unshaven hair transplantation methods. Those hair transplantation methods have fewer risks and complications and their healing process is faster than FUT hair transplantation.

What Is the Success Rate of the FUT Hair Transplant Surgery?

The success rate of FUT hair transplantation surgery is between 95% and 98%. FUT hair transplant surgery has got a high success rate as it is the most secure method for hair grafts which are transplanted as they are removed and implanted with the skin of the patient. In FUT transplant surgery, it is less unlikely to lose hair grafts after the procedure. In other methods, patients can lose hair grafts as they might fail to grow back. However, the other methods are less risky and the healing procedure is faster.