Why FUE? Learn About the Best Option for Hair Restoration
Looking in the mirror and seeing thinning hair or an expanding bald patch can be truly painful and disorienting. There’s no shame in feeling sad when you notice hair loss or are insecure about not growing hair where you would like to have hair, whether that’s on your head or face. As humans, we’re much more than our appearances, and yet that doesn’t change the fact that how we look is often deeply intertwined with how we feel about ourselves and how we are perceived by others.
Only decades ago, hair loss seemed permanent. The solutions available worked for half of us at best and often delivered unnatural, noticeable – in the worst way – results.
Not anymore.
Hair loss procedures have evolved dramatically as technology and healthcare advance rapidly, with innovative new techniques and medical devices bringing new hope to millions of people.
From hair tattoos and platelet-rich plasma infusions to robotic hair transplants, hair restoration options in the 2020s are more than promising – they’re working for men and women all over the country and the world. Among the most successful, long-lasting methods for hair restoration today is Follicular Unit Extraction.
FUE hair transplants repurpose your own healthy hair follicles, providing a minimally invasive solution for hair loss that is more natural-looking than old-school hair plugs – not to mention more permanent!
Keep reading and find answers to the most common questions about FUE hair restoration:
- What are FUE hair transplants?
- What donor areas are typically used in FUE?
- How does micro punch extraction work?
- How does local anesthesia aid in the FUE procedure?
- What is the typical healing time for FUE transplants?
FUE Hair Transplants: What Is Follicular Unit Extraction?
The procedure involves meticulously extracting individual hair follicles from a donor area and transplanting them to thinning or balding areas.
FDA-approved, automated technology is utilized to perform this procedure, which also involves a certified technician and a doctor. Unlike traditional hair transplant methods, FUE is less invasive, leaving no linear scars and enabling a quicker recovery.
FUE hair transplants can help you reclaim not only your hair but also your self-assurance. Run your fingers through your own hair and get it cut at the barber or salon in the style you’ve always wanted to wear, knowing you can change it up again when it grows back.
It’s your hair, taken from one place on your scalp and transplanted to the area that you want to be filled in.
What to Know About FUE Donor Areas
Using your own hair follicles not only allows for immediate transplantation after extraction but also ensures a seamless blend with your natural hair. Donor areas are determined long ahead of time. Typically, hair follicles from your lower scalp are selected.
During an initial consultation, your hair restoration specialist will ask about your vision and thoroughly assess your scalp health and all hair follicles. We’ll draw in the outline of your future hairline, carefully considering your facial features and your hair’s natural recession.
The donor site is chosen based on the density of the hair growth and other factors in order to match the patient’s natural hair growth as closely as possible.
You’ll have time to ask questions about NeoGraft and our other hair loss solutions. We will provide personalized guidance based on an evaluation of your scalp, desired results, and expectations.
How It Works: Micro Punch Extraction
After much research, training, and vetting technicians, Hair Centers of America has chosen to offer the FUE method utilizing the NeoGraft Automated Hair Transplantation system.
NeoGraft is a handheld device operated by an experienced technician. You’ll be awake under local anesthesia, comfortably relaxing in a reclined position, while the certified technician works behind you to extract healthy hair follicles from the donor region and implant them in the treatment areas.
Here’s how micro punch extraction works:
The automated technology ensures every incision is exact, offering precise placement of your hair grafts. The procedure typically takes between four to eight hours, depending on the number of grafts required.
Throughout the FUE procedure, patient comfort is a top priority. The surgical team continuously monitors the patient's comfort levels and can administer additional anesthesia if needed to ensure they remain relaxed and pain-free from start to finish.
Anesthesia & FUE Hair Transplants
Many FUE candidates are interested to know how anesthesia aids in the FUE procedure. As we mentioned, local anesthesia is utilized; this means that only the areas being treated – both the donor and recipient sites – are numbed.
Local anesthesia is administered through small injections, ensuring you remain comfortable and pain-free throughout the procedure.
- Awake & Aware: Patients remain conscious and can communicate with the surgical team during the procedure.
- Reduced Risks: Unlike general anesthesia, local anesthesia poses fewer risks and side effects, making it a safer option for most individuals.
- Quick Recovery: With local anesthesia, there is no grogginess or extended recovery time associated with waking up from general anesthesia.
The process begins with the application of a numbing cream to the treatment area, which helps minimize the discomfort of the initial injections. Once the area is prepped, the surgeon carefully administers the local anesthetic, ensuring the entire treatment area is adequately numbed.
Patients might feel a slight pinching sensation during the injections, but this discomfort is brief and quickly subsides as the anesthetic takes effect. The use of local anesthesia in FUE hair transplants not only makes the procedure more tolerable but also helps to minimize recovery time and potential complications.
By choosing a skilled and experienced surgical team, you can rest assured that your comfort and safety are prioritized, allowing you to focus on the exciting journey toward restoring your hair and confidence.
Healing After FUE Hair Transplants
Getting FUE hair transplants will no doubt feel like a big deal for your life, your confidence, and your outlook on the future. But the procedure itself is really not that big of a deal!
The effects of the local anesthesia will gradually wear off after the procedure. Patients might experience some mild soreness or discomfort at the treatment sites, which can typically be managed with over-the-counter pain medication and proper aftercare. Your surgical team will provide detailed instructions on how to care for your hair transplants to promote healing and ensure optimal results.
Overall, you’ll feel little to no discomfort and typically can go back to work the next day with few restrictions on your normal activities.
That said, you will need about 10 days of healing to reduce the small red marks associated with the procedure. Opt to work from home if that is possible. If you want to cover your head during recovery, wear a soft, loose-fitting hat in a breathable fabric.
As the least invasive hair transplant procedure, NeoGraft does not require stitches and won’t leave an unsightly linear scar. In fact, hair restoration with the NeoGraft procedure is almost completely unnoticeable in both men and women, making it your secret to tell.
In 12 to 16 weeks after your procedure, newly transplanted hair begins growing. Best of all, your results will be permanent.
Hair Centers of America: Compassionate & Effective Solutions
After launching a business centered around her passion for scalp micropigmentation, our founder experienced firsthand the overwhelmingly positive impact of providing hair loss procedures. We’re happy to introduce Hair Centers of America, a clinic dedicated to hair restoration.
Hair Centers of America was founded by Layla Salim , a born-and-raised Minnesotan who graduated from Mayo Clinic’s School of Health Sciences Surgical First program. With foundational career experiences in cosmetic surgery and dermatology, Salim first founded Medical Tattoo & Cosmetic Centers of America, the first center of its kind in Minnesota with a medically focused approach to hair loss and other cosmetic procedures.
Seeing a need in the industry, Salim has expanded services with Hair Centers of America. Get solutions for all types of hair loss or to enhance facial hair, including eyebrows, beards, and mustaches. Schedule your free consultation today!