Follicular Unit Transplantation concerns the receiving of the follicular units through strip excision (single strip harvesting and stereo-microscopic dissection).
Follicular Unit Transplantation reproduces natural hair growth, as transplanted hair regrows in its natural occurring groups of 1-4 hairs.
FUT can accomplish refined & undetectable aesthetic results. This is when is implemented by physicians with high surgical skills & highly developed aesthetic perception,
Basic Information about FUT
- Painless procedure: The hair transplant procedure is painless and accompanied by a smooth post-operative course.
In former years patients might have experienced slight pain during a hair transplant surgery. Nowadays all hair transplant procedures are virtually painless.
Practically, the post-operative course is also painless and any possible annoyance can be treated with common painkillers. - Invisible scar: The refined suture technique Trichophytic Closure minimizes scarring and it is one of the most advanced suture techniques in plastic surgery.
It allows hair to grow onto the scar. In such a way it camouflages its linear appearance and renders it less visible and detectable only by experts. - Absence of post-operative forehead swelling. In previous years hair transplant patients had experienced post-operative forehead swelling. Nowadays we rarely observe forehead swelling and most of the times it appears due to non accurate observance of the post-operative instructions.
Steps of FUT Method
Preparation –Local Anesthesia
FUT is a virtually painless procedure and it is performed through local anaesthesia, which is firstly administered in the Donor Area and then in the recipient area.
Marking of the Donor Area
The boundaries are being set off and the donor area is being shaved.
Single FUT Harvesting
The hair transplant doctor extracts a strip of skin tissue from the Donor Area (back & sides of the scalp). The whole process is performed with care and precision in order not to harm the adjacent follicular units.
The doctor΄s experience and skills are of great importance in order to achieve the smallest possible incision to the donor area.
The dimensions of the extracted strip vary, depending on the amount of the follicular units needed and the potential of the donor area (density, laxity etc.).
With the end of the single strip harvesting, the doctor implements the appropriate suturing technique (Trichophytic Closure or others). The stitches will be removed in approximately 2 weeks.
Follicular Units΄ Harvesting
The follicular units are then harvested from the strip through stereo-microscopic dissection.
With the use of microscopes, the strip is further cut into slices which, in turn, are dissected into follicular units (groups of 1-4 hairs).
The success of the dissecting process depends on the know-how, experience, accuracy & attention of the medical team.
Follicular units are sensitive biological structures and particular attention is needed in order to preserve them intact and ensure their viability.
It is therefore necessary to have microscopic dissection accomplished by highly skilled, trained and experienced technicians.
Microscopes also allow the optimized exploitation of the strip, thus technicians are able to receive the maximum possible number of follicular units.
The extracted follicular units are then classified according to the number of hairs (1, 2, 3 or more) they are consisted of. Until the time they will be processed, follicular units are preserved in a solution at specific temperature.
Follicular Units΄ Preservation
The extracted follicular units are kept in physiological saline solution until the time they will be reimplanted.
Marking of the Recipient Area
The doctor designs the area of implantation and especially of the hairline.
Recipient Sites΄ Creation
By using needles, the doctor creates the recipient sites at the balding area of the scalp.
Specific standards should be followed, regarding their distribution, size & direction and further attention is needed in order not to disturb the elasticity and microcirculation of the Recipient Area and thus ensure the proper preconditions of growth and nourishment for the implanted follicular units.
In order to mimic the natural hair growth and provide maximum density, the recipient sites should be as small as possible & closely situated.
During the recipient sites΄ creation, the extracted follicular units are being processed in order to be appropriate for implanting.
Follicular Units’ Placement
The doctor starts placing the follicular units into the incisions with great attention. During this process, the doctor observes all the basic principles of flawless placement:
- He places the follicular units at the proper angle & direction, taking into consideration the growth conditions of the recipient area.
- He aims at a natural & refined hairline by using single follicular units.
- 2-hair follicular units are placed exactly behind the single follicular units and 3-hair & 4-hair follicular units are placed at the central area of the scalp (and the crown if needed).
Hairline Design & Creation
Age, facial characteristics, facial symmetry & style are parameters that are carefully assessed during the hairline design.
Single follicular units are placed at the recipients sites of the hairline, in order to mimic natural hair growth.
The hairline doesn΄t follow any linear model but gives the sense of being asymmetrical and incidental.
Specific skills and aesthetic perception are therefore required by the doctor for the design and creation of the hairline, in order to be as suitable as possible to the patient΄s profile.
Frontal Area of the Scalp
The frontal area of the scalp contributes to achieving a refined hair transplant result and the doctor strives to achieve the highest possible level of hair density.
Crown
Crown balding is quite usual in men, with its coverage being a demanding process that requires not only adequate donor supply but also further skills by the physician.
Postoperative Examination | 24h Medical Care
With the end of the procedure, the doctor examines the donor and the recipient area and provides you with all the necessary postoperative instructions before you return home.
The next day you should have your first hair wash at our clinic.
The following days you can either visit Bergmann Kord for your daily hair wash or wash your hair at home according to the instructions.
Please note that in the days following your procedure, Bergmann Kord will be by your side, providing you with round-the-clock medical care.
Checking of the Recipient Area
After the end of the placement, the doctor ensures the proper placement.