Hair transplant procedures guide: find out all you need to know about any surgical hair transplant procedure

Follicular unit transplantation involves moving the small naturally occurring hair bundles (aka follicular units) usually from the scalp's permanent donor area to the area of hair loss. This procedure can be performed to treat a variety of hair loss conditions in appropriately selected and diagnosed men and women. Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), is one of two donor harvesting methods used to harvest the small follicular units. With the FUE technique follicular units are individually extracted from the patient's donor area using a small round micro punch. It has gained popularity in recent years, and is often described as a  “minimally invasive” procedure because it does not involve stitches, and the tiny round excisions are left open to heal without sutures. However, it must be noted that when thousands of small cuts are made in the skin, it is an invasive procedure and does constitute surgery. The actual transplantation occurs the same for both donor harvesting techniques, as the grafts are inserted using various tools and needles or micro blades into recipient sites( small incisions) in the areas where the patient has experienced hair loss.

The other method of donor harvesting involves taking a full thickness ellipse of skin and hair, and is referred to as a linear excision, or linear ellipse strip harvesting, and the small grafts are individually dissected using a microscope. The wound is closed usually with stitches, and this leaves a linear scar, confined to one area rather then diffusely distributed like the FUE. This technique has been successfully used by hair transplant surgeons for decades. 

While the FUE harvesting technique has gained popularity in recent years because it does not produce a linear scar, patients must be knowledgeable about potential risks too. Despite false advertising claims of 'a no scar technique', FUE almost always leaves small round scars which, when performed correctly, can be hidden with short hairstyles. When performed improperly, FUE can result in diffuse donor thinning and leave visible scarring.

The ISHRS urges consumers to do their research before choosing a hair restoration surgeon—and be sure your doctor is actually going to be performing your surgery, and not delegating it to an unlicensed technician.