Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is an advanced surgical hair restoration technique. The procedure involves extracting one hair follicle at a time and is less invasive than more traditional hair restoration surgeries.

THE FUE PROCEDURE

1. First, your physician will review the steps of the FUE procedure with you.
2. Next, your hair in the donor area is shaved and local anesthesia is administered to numb the scalp.
3. With a small surgical instrument, tiny circular incisions are made (usually at the back and sides of your scalp) to remove individual follicular units that contain 1-4 hairs each.
4. The circular incisions are designed to isolate each graft, which is extracted using a tweezer-like tool.
5. Working with a high-powered stereo microscope, specially trained technicians prepare the follicular grafts and ensure they remain in optimal condition.
6. Next, your physician will make small recipient incisions in your thinning areas that follow the direction and angle of your hair growth. The creation of recipient sites is the most artistic part of the procedure.
7. The harvested follicular units are then carefully placed into the recipient incisions.
8. Typically, the 1-2 hair follicular units are placed toward the front, while the 3-4 hair follicular units are placed towards the back and on the top of the head for more density. This helps to create a natural look.
9. The circular incisions from the extraction process will heal over the next few days, becoming undetectable to the naked eye—even when hair is cut very short.