Is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and the Neograft System The Best Way To Do Hair Transplantation?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in undergoing hair transplantation but do not want the scar across the back of my head. I have read about the ‘follicular unit extraction’ technique that can be done without having the scar. How does this work and does it produce good results?

A: Follicular unit extraction, known as FUE, is a minimally invasive technique for hair transplantation. It enables the surgeon to extract single follicular units which contains the hair follicles, sebaceous glands, muscle and very small pieces of skin and fat. Within each follicular unit, there may be 3 to 4 hair follicles. These units are extracted individually from the donor scalp areas without a scalpel. This also means there will be no stitches or a linear scar. The FUE extractions sites will heal quickly within a few days, leaving no visible scars and with the donor area looking normal again after a week from the procedure.  One of the most exciting things about FUE is what it offers for men with very short hair in which a linear scar may create another aesthetic scalp concern.

The FUE technique has become more efficient with a breakthrough mechanical device introduced in 2008 called NeoGraft. NeoGraft is a powered suction device that works like an extension of the human hand to help harvest hair follicles efficiently from the scalp at a rate of speed that is significantly faster than manual extraction. The Neograft hair restoration system is the state-of-thepart approach to FUE today.

In skilled hands, the FUE technique yields hair graft survival rates that are similar to that of the linear strip harvest methods. Both techniques yield follicular unit grafts that have similar survival after being transplanted.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana