When considering surgical hair restoration, there are two primary methods used: FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). In both methods, the follicular units are placed in the recipient area in the same way. Both methods are effective in restoring thicker, natural-looking hair, but it is important to understand how they are different to determine which hair replacement technique is best for you.
What Is Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)?
Considered to be the more traditional form of hair replacement, multiple hair bundles are taken as a strip from the donor site and transplanted to the area experiencing hair loss.
What Is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)?
Developed by the DiStefano team, individual hair bundles are transplanted from the donor site to the balding sections of the scalp in this minimally invasive procedure.
Who Are the Best Candidates?
FUT
- Patients who need more than 2,000 grafts and are looking to cover larger sections of their head in one session
FUE
- Patients who need up to 2,000 grafts in one session. FUE also does not leave a linear scar in the back of the head, making it a great option for patients who want to keep their hair very short.
What Is the Cost?
FUT
- The cost for FUT can range from $6,000-$10,000 depending on the size of the procedure. However, FUT is like buying in bulk; you get more grafts for the money since the grafts are removed in a strip rather than individually.
FUE
- The cost for FUE can range from $6,000-$12,000 depending on the size of the procedure. Grafts are individually harvested one by one as opposed to in bulk per the FUT procedure. Because of this, more time is required to harvest the grafts from the donor area. This is why the cost for FUE is typically more than for FUT.
What Are the Side Effects?
FUT
- There are no side effects of an FUT hair transplant. You may experience some soreness for the first few days where the linear incision was made, but your doctor will provide you with pain medication to assist with that.
FUE
- There are no side effects of an FUE hair transplant. The back of your head where the grafts were harvested may feel like a minor sunburn for a couple of days after your procedure, but over the counter pain medication can assist with this.
What Is the Recovery Time?
FUT
- Full physical activity can resume once the staples are removed from the linear incision in the back of the head after 2 weeks. Light activity can be resumed about 4-5 days after the procedure. We recommend not bending down for about 5 days to prevent blood from rushing to the head.
FUE
- Light activity can be resumed 4-5 days after the procedure. Since there is no linear incision in the back of the head, it is typically safe to resume full physical activity around the 10-day mark. Just as with FUT, we recommend not bending down for about 5 days to prevent blood from rushing to the head.
Is the Procedure Permanent?
FUT
- Yes. We use hair from the donor area (back of the head) that is not affected by DHT or male pattern baldness.
FUE
- Yes. Just like the FUT procedure, we use hair from the donor area (back of the head) that is not affected by DHT or male pattern baldness.
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Additional Services
Everyone’s situation is different. For some, surgical procedures are the best option for reaching your personal goals, for others, there are some great non surgical alternatives.
Why DiStefano
Successful transplants depend on seamless teamwork, and you can rely on the DiStefano Hair Restoration Center team. Our surgeons and support team have a combined 60+ years of experience with over 10,000 procedures performed.
