Hair Transplant Guy

Hair transplants have come a long way since the first attempts in the ‘50s and ‘60s. These days hair transplants are much more successful, less invasive, look more natural, and more people can access them. But which hair transplant is best?

There are several techniques a hair transplant specialist can use to treat baldness. The hair transplant you might choose depends on several factors such as:

• The quality and location of your remaining hair growth
• How big the area is that you want to be treated
• The time you’re willing to spend having the procedure
• Your budget

So which is the best hair transplant technique?

Currently, FUE is the most popular option in the UK. This is because it is minimally invasive and the risk of complications is low. FUE transplants also have a high success rate.

However, it’s important to choose a reputable doctor and hair transplant clinic. Good doctors will carry out a detailed consultation to assess your hair and advise the best hair transplant for your individual situation.

Hair transplant technology is becoming more advanced all the time and there are some new techniques currently in development that should be more accessible over the next couple of years.

To help you compare the different types of hair transplant, we’ve compiled some important factors to consider the table below so you can see the differences between the methods at a glance.

	FUT	FUE	DHI	ARTAS
Typical cost	£1,500 – £8000	£2,000 – £10,000	£5,000 – £15,000	£5,000 – £10,00
Time per session	4-8 hours	2-12 hours	2-8 hours	4-8 hours
Number of sessions needed	1	1-2	1-2	1
Number of grafts that can be harvested/implanted per day	Around 2,000	4,000+	Up to 1,500	Up to 2,500
Invasiveness/pain of procedure	More painful, requires stitches	Less painful and scars heal within a few days	Less painful and scars heal within a few days	Less painful and scars heal within a few days
Type and size of scar	Usually one linear scar. The strip removed may be 10mm – 15mm wide and up to 30cm long. The skin edges are stitched together so the resulting scar is usually only around 1mm wide.	Hundreds of tiny puncture scars	Hundreds of tiny puncture scars	Hundreds of tiny puncture scars
Recovery	Must avoid exercise and stretching the skin around the incision and be careful combing and washing your hair for around 3 weeks.	Minimal swelling for around 3 days. Can resume normal activities immediately.	Minimal swelling for around 3 days. Can resume normal activities immediately.	Minimal swelling for around 3 days. Can resume normal activities immediately.
Transection (failure to grow) rate	10-60%	5-10%	1-5%	8-10%
Most suitable for	Large hair transplants	Scalps that have existing scars or difficulty healing	Dense hair transplants and small areas	Patients with straight, dark hair. The automatic technology is not suitable for blonde hair. Hair can be harvested from chest, arms, legs etc.

For more information about how each of these methods work, keep reading for the full details.

Follicular Unit Transplantation & Grafting (FUT/FUG)

FUT is the traditional type of hair transplant and has been available for the longest time.

In this procedure, the surgeon will excise a strip of skin containing follicles from a “donor site”. This donor area of hair is typically at the back of your head where hair loss is less likely and the scars left from the procedure are less visible.

These strips are split up into small groups of “follicular units” under a microscope and these follicular units are then transplanted into the recipient area.

The incision is usually about 1mm to 1cm wide. The length will depend on how many incisions are taken and how many follicular units are needed for the transplant. This incision is then closed with stitches.

There will be a white scar left at the site of the incision for the donor hair. If the remaining hair at the donor site is relatively thick and healthy, it should eventually disguise the hair.

However, in some cases the scar can be more visible. This might be due to a wider strip being harvested. This is also the case when multiple strips have been removed from one area, so it’s important to choose a good doctor who will choose the incision sites carefully.

FUT is usually more painful than FUE. While you’ll be given a local anaesthetic to numb the area before the procedure, the donor area might be sore while it’s healing.

The main benefit of strip incision harvesting for an FUT transplant is that it’s much quicker than FUE. This can make it a better option for large hair transplants.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

FUE is currently one of the most popular types of hair transplants in the UK as it’s less invasive than other types of transplants and leaves a smaller scar.

In the FUE process, the surgeon extracts hair one follicle at a time or in a small group of follicles from a donor area. This will usually be done with a small circular punch.

These follicles are then transplanted to the balding area, one at a time.

The cost of FUE depends on how many follicles are transplanted, i.e. How large the area of the transplant is. Because FUE is performed one follicle at a time, it takes longer than FUT.

Most FUE sessions last 5-10 hours and in that time the surgeon can transplant a few thousand follicular unit graphs.

You may need several sessions if you have a large balding area.

FUE transplants typically take well on the crown and at the hairline and the hair should continue to grow as it did in the original donor location.

It takes around one year to see the full effect of the transplant. The transplanted hairs will usually fall out completely a month or two after the transplant and will then regrow.

Robotic FUE (ARTAS)

Most FUE transplants are performed by hand but there is also now robotic technology available to assist the surgeon with the procedure.

The main technology used in robotic FUE procedures today is called ARTAS.

ARTAS uses digital image guidance to analyse the hair and target grafts that have the healthiest hair follicles. The robot then harvests the hairs in a uniform area using a precise dissection technique with set spacing between incisions. This method leaves minimal scarring and does not need stitches.
Direct Hair Implantation (DHI)

DHI is a type of FUE transplant that follows a similar procedure. In DHI, individual follicles are harvested from a donor area using a micro punch tool in the same way that they are for FUE.

The main difference in the procedures is the way the grafts are then transplanted into the recipient area.

In FUE, the surgeon will make tiny slits in the recipient area in which to implant the grafts. In DHI, the follicles are loaded into a transplanter tool, which looks similar to a pen. The doctor uses this tool to directly implant the follicles, with more control over the depth and angle of the hair.

Because transplanting the follicles is a one-step procedure with DHI, the process is usually a little faster than FUE. But the results and success rate are very similar.

However, DHI allows the doctor to be more precise with placement, and existing hair in the recipient area doesn’t need to be shaved beforehand. DHI can also achieve a denser result.

This means that DHI is a more popular option for eyebrow transplants and other small areas where the patient wants denser regrowth and doesn’t want to cut existing hair.

Stem Cell Hair Transplants

Stem cell treatment for hair transplants has been undergoing clinical trials for the last few years.

There are a few clinics in the UK offering stem cell therapy for hair loss but studies on its effectiveness are still taking place. One study measured a 29% increase in hair density 23 weeks after the treatment.

In the stem cell hair transplant procedure, tissue with healthy hair follicles is taken from a donor site as with the other procedures. The specialist will then extract the best cells from the tissue. These cells are multiplied in a lab and then injected back into the patient in the areas needing the transplant. New hair growth should start within 3-12 months of having the procedure.

As with any new technology, there are currently few doctors and clinics that are skilled in the technique and prices are currently much higher than other hair transplant methods.

Which is the Best Hair Transplant? Final Thoughts

When comparing FUE and FUT, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that FUE is the better option, but this is not always the case. While FUE is a newer and more precise technique, FUT may be a better option for you. It’s vital to get expert advice from your doctor.

The sub-types of FUE – robotic-assisted ARTAS and DHI, which is often described as more “advanced”, can reduce the risk of human error so that you get better results. This can reduce trauma to hair follicles during the procedure and improve the chances of success. However, no technology can take the place of a skilled doctor.

It’s essential to choose the best hair transplant doctor you can afford and have your treatment at a respected clinic. This is more important than the type of transplant you choose.