Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) in Harrisburg, PA
Follicular unit extraction (FUT) is long considered to be the gold standard of hair transplantation, and was the first method developed that utilized individual hair grafts over multi-bundled grafts. This technique was developed in response to the early days of hair restoration that involved procedures such as scalp reduction or the infamous hair plugs of the 70s and 80s. Instead of transplanting multiple hair bundles into a single site (i.e. “plug”) the FUT method pioneered the use of naturally occurring bundles and arranging them in a way that approximated natural hair growth patterns. This makes sure that the transplanted hair moves and flows just as natural hair would.
Known colloquially as the “strip method,” this technique gained that moniker from how the donor hair is harvested for the transplantation process. A “strip” of hair is removed from the occipital ridge along the back of the scalp, and the skin edges are sutured together with multilayer closure technique to ensure minimal scarring. This transplantation method is often chosen by patients who do not wish to shave the back of their head for the follicular unit extraction (FUE) method. All of the surrounding hair that is not extracted will remain its same length, and it is because of this post-operative concealment that FUT is often chosen by female patients who wish to keep their hair long.
How is an FUT performed?
The FUT procedure is performed with the patient either sitting upright or facedown in a surgical chair. A small section of hair will be shaved along the back of the scalp in order to be prepared for the extraction process.
Local anesthesia is used to numb the donor section, and no intravenous or general anesthesia will be required: the patient is awake and alert for the entire duration of the procedure. Once the small donor area is completely numb, the surgeon will extract the “strip” of tissue using sterilized surgical equipment and subsequently join the skin edges with a multilayer closure technique.
The sutures used are dissolvable and will be absorbed by the surrounding skin over the next 2-3 weeks. The hair above and below the suture will remain its original length, meaning that as long as the patient’s hair is at least 2 inches long, the suture will be completely covered by the surrounding hair.
The extraction process normally takes no longer than 10-20 minutes, and for the remaining duration of the procedure the patient will sit upright in the surgical chair. From there, a hairline will be designed according to the patient’s desires and the scalp will be numbed in preparation for the actual transplantation of hair bundles.
If a beard or eyebrow transplant is being performed, the areas selected for transplantation will be outlined and anesthetized according to their need. A television with streaming services will be available for the patient to watch as the surgical team transplant the hairs into the necessary areas, and breaks will be provided at the patient’s discretion. All in all, most of the day will be spent watching television and/or relaxing in the chair as each hair is carefully transplanted into the desired location.