Why Patients Love Follicular Unit Extraction

[Posted on December 18th, 2013 by Dr. Carlos Puig]

Follicular unit extraction is just one of the techniques physicians use in hair restoration.  Since it’s growing in popularity, if you’re considering hair loss replacement, your surgeon will probably discuss it as an option.

About Hair Loss

Most of the time, around 90 percent of scalp hair grows continually in both men and women.  The remainder is in a kind of resting phase lasting up to three months, after which it falls out.  Shedding between 50 and 100 hairs every day is considered normal.  If you lose more than that, you’re probably experiencing hair loss.

Most healthcare providers believe hair loss occurs due to a combination of aging, trauma, hormonal changes, burns, illnesses or a family history of balding.  Around two of every three men experience hair loss by age 60, most often due to heredity.  Women experience thinning and loss as the result of events such as hormonal shifts.

Americans are seeking hair replacement in soaring numbers.  They spend around $800 million each year on hair restoration procedures, a jump of almost 15 percent from 2004 to 2010.

What is Follicular Unit Extraction?

Many people confuse two terms related to hair restoration that sound similar.  Follicular extraction refers to a procedure for collecting follicular graft units from sites on your scalp designed as donor areas.  Follicular transplantation is a term that refers to the surgical steps used to implant these units into your scalp.

Most doctors extract follicular units one by one.  Once the surgeon places a unit in the area of your hair loss, it should start to grow.  The restoration procedure requires a bit of artistic judgment for best placement, but usually does not involve stitches.

Why Patients Love It

Transplantation with follicular unit extraction uses whole follicles. This boosts the probability of natural hair growth after your surgery.

Most patients enjoy a shorter recovery period than they would with other hair restoration techniques.  The extraction method means a faster healing for the donor area.  Surgery is normally a same-day procedure, which provides minimal disruption to work and other commitments.  You can expect, on average, a recovery period of three days, partly because of no need for stitches.

Surgeons skilled in hair restoration take the time to generate a long-term treatment plan for each patient. This is the best way to make sure your appearance remains at its best, as well as its most natural, over the years.

Patients love the fact that surgical techniques have advanced from the punch transplant techniques of the 1950s to current options.  Transplantation using this extraction technique is ideal for those with very short hairstyles.  It’s also a great choice for small balding patches in areas such as widow’s peaks or mustaches.

The Physicians’ Hair Restoration Center specializes in personalized and private options for hair replacement in Houston, including follicular unit extraction.  Take a moment today to make an appointment for a free consultation.