Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a procedure where hair is transplanted from the permanent zone, the area in the back and sides of the scalp where hair is more resistant to balding, to the bald or balding areas of the scalp. This is accomplished using naturally-occurring groups of 1, 2, 3, or 4 hairs, called follicular units. After the patient’s scalp is anesthetized, the doctor removes a strip of tissue from the donor area, an area within the permanent zone, and, once extracted, the donor strip is cut into many individual follicular units using microscopic dissection techniques. As these follicular unit grafts are being prepared, the doctor makes tiny holes in the scalp, called recipient sites, where the grafts are placed.
The arrangement and positioning of these follicular unit grafts determines the aesthetic qualities of a hair transplant, and so this arrangement must be decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on the patients’ history of hair loss and likelihood of future hair loss. Since follicular unit transplants mimic the way hair grows in nature, the results, in expert hands, will look completely natural and be indistinguishable from one’s original hair.

Follicular Isolation Technique (FIT)

FIT produces many tiny dot scars instead of the line scar that is produced by traditional strip removal. The main advantage of FIT is that you are able to wear your hair shorter in the donor area without evidence that a procedure has been done, as the dots are less visible than a line when wearing short haircuts. FIT is a very slow, tedious procedure, and unfortunately, in some hair transplant clinics, this surgical procedure is delegated to non-licensed personnel, such as medical assistants.

Advantages of FIT

• A line scar is not created.
• The patient will be able to wear his hair shorter than with a strip harvest.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for Hair Transplant

PRP is prepared by drawing a small amount of the patient’s own blood at the time of the transplant procedure. It concentrates your own growth and healing factors for use to enhance healing and growth in the hair transplant procedure. PRP has been shown to decrease redness and crusting following transplantation (Reese) and improves the percentage of growth of transplanted follicles.

Before	After