Tips For Successful Hair Transplants

Many people have heard or seen horror stories of hair transplants. Perhaps they've read them in magazines or even seen them on the faces of elderly friends or family members. Although hair transplant surgery is now a viable option for men with male pattern hair loss, many celebrities have been reported to have had hair grafting surgery in a hair transplant clinic in Manchester. The stigma attached to the procedure makes it difficult to see before and after photographs.

Types of Hair Transplant

Two major methods are used for Follicular unit hair transplant surgery. Follicular unit transplant is commonly called FUT (or 'strip surgery’) and Follicular units extraction, commonly known under the FUE acronym. The main difference lies in the way the transplanted hair was extracted. FUT is a complementary form of HT. FUE and SUT are not competing for methods.

FUT versus FUE

A very sophisticated surgical procedure, now known as "follicular units hair transplantation", or FUT, was gradually introduced in the 1990s. This labor-intensive, labor-intensive procedure transplants hairs into their naturally occurring one to four "follicular units groupings".

Robert Bernstein suggested the concept of creating an entire hair restoration by using the only follicular unit. Dr. Bobby Limmer, San Antonio Texas, introduced the binocular microscope in the late 1980s to aid the success of follicular unit hair-transplant procedures.

Dr. Limmer discovered that by using a microscope to examine the donor tissues, he and his team were able successfully to isolate and trim the naturally occurring follicular units into individual transplants. Dr. Limmer shared with colleagues his techniques and findings, as well as Drs. Bernstein, Rassman & Seager were strong advocates for follicular-unit hair.

Follicular hair transplants are the most efficient method of hair restoration. A follicular hair transplant is where the surgeon transplants hair from a permanent zone at the back to the affected areas.

FUT is the better option for large areas. This is because it costs less and requires fewer grafts. FUE is your only choice if you do not want to have strip surgery because you are concerned about scarring. Contrary to popular belief both methods leave scars. FUE will leave small, unpigmented lines across your back. FUT will leave a narrow strip across your back. FUE scars will not be visible if you have very short hair.

FUE is more difficult on grafts than FUT. FUE has lower growth rates than FUT. However, both methods are effective most of the time.

Hair Transplant Cost

While FUT is available by many reputable surgeons worldwide, most FUE procedures can be performed only in the United States and Canada. The current pricing for FUE is between $7-$11 US dollars per FUE graft. This can vary depending on how advanced the Norwood Scale is, which measures male pattern baldness. FUT pricing is usually in the $4-6 range, although prices in Asia or Eastern Europe may be lower.

Does cheaper mean better?

Many of the patients look for cheaper surgery, particularly in Eastern Europe, India, Pakistan, and Thailand. There have been some success stories, but in these countries, you don't have any recourse if something goes wrong. Although it was not a disaster story in terms of scarring and suffering, the FUT method didn't produce the same results as more experienced surgeons who had placed the same number (2,000) of grafts. This leaves patients with poor hair coverage and a huge, smiley-faced scar on the back of their heads.

Make sure you check

Consider hair transplant surgery only after you have exhausted all other options. If you're certain you want to have a hair transplant, experts recommend that you thoroughly research reputable doctors. Although price is important, it shouldn’t be the most important thing in the case. In reality, the cost of a hair transplant is negligible compared with the trauma of having to live without a healthy scalp for the rest of your life. Ask for photos of past work and contact details for patients if you are considering a budget surgeon.