Patient’s Question:
I would like to keep wearing my hair short after a hair transplant but I don’t want a noticeable scar. Is this possible?
Dr. Friedman’s Reply:
Absolutely! We offer two methods of hair transplantation: Follicular Unit Transplanting (FUT)—the so-called “strip method”—and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
With FUT, a strip of hair is excised. With better sutures and more meticulous suturing, most patients heal with a very narrow linear scar. Instead of having a long, wide scar that is visible when the hair is short, it is now barely detectable.
Using the other method, FUE, we would actually utilize the ARTAS Robot and extract a 1.0 mm round punch that would have 1 follicular unit containing 1, 2 or 3 hairs. Instead of the one long scar that you get with FUT, you have very tiny circular scars. No stitches are required and when healed, the scars are very fine and barely noticeable, even when the hair is cut extremely short.
The problem with FUE is that if you have a tremendous number of follicular unit extraction punches done, these circular markings can be more noticeable when the hair is cut really short because you have the markings only in the donor area but not where the hair actually comes out of the scalp. If you are only having a couple of thousand grafts performed and you want to wear your hair very, very short, then FUE is a viable choice. If, however, you are having a more extensive hair restoration procedure, FUT might be a better option.
Thank you for your inquiry. Please call us at 480.500.7443 or send us an EMAIL if you have any further questions.
— Dr. Shelly Friedman, DO
Board Certified Hair Restoration Surgeon
Arizona’s Most Trusted Hair Loss Doctor
Named Phoenix Magazine’s Top Doc – Hair Transplant Surgeon
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