Balding is no longer the end of one’s self esteem. Modern medical advances in hair loss treatments have made it easier than ever to restore your full and healthy locks. The latest surgical techniques derive their effectiveness from a careful consideration of the patient’s individual needs, so whatever type of hair you have is going to determine the special course of treatment we prepare for you. Quite often, hair transplants are performed differently depending on one’s hair type. Treatments differ for those with straight hair and those with curly hair.
Let’s get to know the two most common methods for performing a hair transplant and how your hair type is an important factor in determining the nature of your treatment.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) – In FUE individual hair follicles are removed from a donor area of the scalp and are transplanted to the area in need. There are no stitches or sutures required for this minimally invasive procedure.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) – In FUT a strip of scalp tissue is removed from the donor area. The scalp tissue is then separated into individual grafts for the needed areas of the scalp.
Curly vs. Straight Hair
There is a general consensus that FUT is a better course of treatment for those with straight hair. Having straight hair makes the harvesting of individual follicles easier. While FUE can take a bit of time to perform it has the added benefit of being minimally invasive and sometimes more exact.
Remember though that we are speaking about generalizations. The thickness of the hair, the nature and laxity of the scalp skin, the donor area size and the extent of balding all have an effect on the selection of the optimal surgical technique for you. Many people with straight hair have had FUT without any issues and many people with curly hair have had good results with FUE. For this reason we invite you to come in for a personalized physical consultation as opposed to doing merely online research.
Dr. Yazdan, after examining the nature of your hair and the condition of your scalp, will be happy to draw up a treatment plan for your exact needs. We will help you to achieve the healthiest and most aesthetically pleasing results.
Dr. Amir Yazdan, MD, is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, expert guest on Dr. Phil and The Doctors, creator of the GroMD hair restoration product line, ISHRS member, accredited member of the IAHRS and a visceral advocate for patient care. Learn more about Dr. Yazdan or read rave reviews from his patients.