Surgical Solution

Strip Harvesting Technique

The Strip Harvesting method involves removing the follicular units to be transplanted as one group. These follicular units are dissected under stereo microscopes and then placed in to the bald or thinning areas of the scalp, called the recipient area.

With this technique a long band of skin (typically 28cm x 3cm) is removed from the back of the head using surgical scalpels. Each follicular unit contains one to five hairs, the average being 2.2 hairs per follicular unit.

These follicular units are then dissected with great care under microscopes and preserved in a special solution at the right temperature (4 to 8 degree centigrade).They are then placed with great care in to the bald or thinning areas of the scalp, called the recipient area.

A lengthy healing time is required and scarring is obvious. Strip surgery can result in long 6-8 inch scars, and can also cause nerve damage and numbness of the scalp.

Follicular Unit Extraction

In Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) a specialized punch with less than 1mm diameter is used to extract the hair from the donor area. This means that the follicular units are extracted directly from the scalp rather than in larger groups, which obviates the utilization of scalpel and stitching and doesn’t create any linear scarring.

The method is minimally invasive with no scalpels or stitching.

The graft extraction is very simple, painless and heals within 2-4 days. Most patients head back to work the day following the procedure and can go back to sport 7 days post operatively. On the other hand in Strip Method the post-operative recovery time around 30 days, during which time the patient must completely avoid physical exercise and must follow careful post-operative instructions.

In strip method is that it is possible to damage up to25% of the donor strip follicles during the extraction procedure, due to the scalpel transecting a large number of grafts. With expert hands and the use of third generation FUE instruments not even one follicular unit is damaged during procedure..

The Strip method leaves a linear scar in the donor area, no matter how expert the doctor/surgeon is. In FUE method there is no linear scarring at all which is particularly important for patients who want to shave their heads or wear their hair short.

Strip method is not suitable for small sessions, unlike the FUE method which is Ideal for small sessions (for moustache or eyebrow replacement) and for patients in early stages.