OUR PROCEDURES

Follicular Unit Excision

An FUE Hair transplant surgery allows you to wear your hair long or incredibly short without the fear of showing a linear scar.

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Actual Patients of Jae Pak, M.D.

Follicular Unit Excision Scarring Pros and Cons Anatomy Long Hair FUE Patient Stories Consultation

What is FUE?

Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) hair transplant surgery is a popular technique used to ensure only minimal scarring the size of tiny pin pricks occur.

During an FUE Hair Transplant procedure, the follicular units are harvested (removed) from the back of your scalp by your surgeon, using a surgical tool the diameter of .7 to .9 mm. The cylindrical surgical instrument is selected based on the size of the hair follicles.

FUE vs FUT diagram: Notice how FUE (left) makes use of small round donor sites compared to FUT’s method of one long strip (right).

Because the hairs are removed individually, an FUE hair transplant procedure will not leave a linear scar on the back of the scalp as with FUT surgery. Instead the scars are individual scars the size of a pin prick scattered throughout the back of the scalp, that are difficult to detect, even when looking from a close distance.

The FUE technique can be used for hair transplants, hairline lowering, eyebrow transplants, beard transplants, and scar revisions. If you prefer to wear your hair extremely short, you may consider the FUE harvesting method over the FUT harvesting method to avoid the noticeable linear scar.

This patient of Jae Pak, M.D. received over 2500 grafts. Patient Story

Once the hairs have been harvested, our highly trained medical technicians prepare the donor follicles under a high power stereo microscope. The use of a stereo microscope allows our surgical team to examine each follicle to ensure it is of the best quality for transplantation. At Jae Pak MD Medical, we use the most innovative technology to ensure our patients have the best results.

Why FUE?

If you want the option to wear your hair very short in the back of the scalp, FUE is the best hair transplant harvesting method. Two advantages for selecting the FUE harvesting method include the minimal after care and that the scarring consists of only small pin prick size marks.

Before and After Hair Transplant results for patient Frederic Marq (Interior Designer and Real Housewives of Miami Star)

Does the FUE procedure produce the best outcome?

This patient of Jae Pak M.D. had significant recession along the corners of the hairline. An FUE Hair Transplant surgery helped fill those areas.

The implantation of the hair follicle is the same for FUE, Long Hair FUE and FUT(STRIP) harvesting methods and all are reliable methods. The technical skill of the surgeon relates to how the hairs are removed from the donor area (harvested). The artistic skill of the surgeon relates to how the hairs are placed (implanted) in the recipient area. These two factors determine your final result.

FUE is a harvesting, or removal technique. Your final results will depend on how the hairs are placed or implanted more than how the hairs are taken out. The surgeon’s skill level and artistic ability will factor into how good and natural the results of the hair transplant will look. The placing or implantation of the hair follicle is the same for both FUE and FUT (STRIP) harvesting. The doctor will individually plan and create sites in which each hair follicle will be placed in the correct direction and angle, and the hair grafts are distributed properly. This is very meticulous work and why it is so important to choose an experienced doctor with both technical and artistic abilities.

Pictured is an actual FUE patient of Jae Pak, M.D. after 1 year. He had a drastic recession of his hairline, but FUE was able to help fill in his hairline while keeping his hair short.

If I choose to have a second procedure, does my hair transplant have to be the same type of procedure, whether it be FUT or FUE?

You do not have to choose the same type of procedure for your second surgery. Your doctor will help you determine which procedure will help you best meet your goals. Should you choose to have a second FUT procedure, Dr. Pak can remove your old scar while removing the strip of hair follicles, so you are left with only one new scar.

Actual Hair Transplant Patient of Jae Pak, M.D.

How do the surgeons’ techniques and experience impact the success of the procedure?

Experience, techniques, tools used, and quality control all affect the outcome of a procedure. Dr. Pak uses manual instruments for his FUE and FUT extractions, which produces minimal hair damage and good extraction rates. Less experienced doctors produce considerable hair damage in the grafts.

Dr. Pak’s extraction rates often vary in excess of 1000 grafts per hour. during an FUE procedure. However, many factors can affect the speed at which he is able to remove hair follicles. His focus is on quality, not speed, to ensure the least amount of transection occurs. Surgeons can range from a rate of 100 grafts-1000 grafts per hour. This is usually determined by their years of experience and technical abilities.

How do doctors become qualified in performing FUE?

There is no certification for FUE harvesting. Few doctors have been trained in performing FUE because training is not generally available. Jae Pak, M.D. is one of the pioneers of FUE, including being one of the inventors of the technology used for the ARTAS robot. He has found though that using his artistry and technical skills to manually extract the hair follicles creates better results than the use of the robot.

Dr. Pak has 15 years of full time experience performing FUE, Long Hair FUE and FUT hair transplant procedures.

Jae Pak, M.D. performing surgery with his Medical Staff assisting him.

Who will be performing my FUE surgery?

At Jae Pak MD Medical, your surgeon will be harvesting the FUE grafts and creating the sites for the grafts to be implanted. Experienced, well trained, full time medical technicians will prepare the grafts under special microscopes and implant the grafts based on the incision sites Dr. Pak creates.

You should always ask your surgeon about their experience and who will be performing which aspects of your surgery.