FUE stands for follicular unit extraction (or excision). The follicular unit is the fundamental unit of hair growth, and this unit is extracted in an FUE. FUE describes a technique in how the hair is removed. Removal of the hair occurs during the first phase of the hair transplant and is termed the harvest phase.

During an FUE hair transplant, hair follicles are harvested from the donor site as individual structures with a micro-punch. It is easiest to the think about the follicle like the seed of hair growth. The hair follicle contains the cellular components needed to grow hair as well as the sebaceous gland that lubricates the hair shaft and a special muscle, called the arrector pili. All of this is contained in the follicle unit cylinder extracted with the micro-punch. By transferring the smallest unit of hair growth, the results from our hair transplants look natural and do look “pluggy”.

A major advantage of an FUE hair transplant is that there are no scalpels or sutures used. This means the procedure can be performed on patients with a tight scalp and this also means there is no linear scar. The procedure is also easier to recover from with minimal discomfort.

• Expertise – 20 years of experience and dedication have helped our patients get superlative results.
• Artistry – we are committed to creating natural results that will last a life time
• Individual focus – no two hair transplants are the same. We will carefully consider your goals and optimize each variable to provide you a stunning result.
• Planning for now and for the future – our results are focused on helping you look your best now while understanding that aging and hair loss are progressive. We will discuss all options to help keep your existing hair healthy and layer in the new transplant hairs in a way that they will age well.

An FUE, follicular unit extraction, is a procedure that harvests the single follicle with a punch. Originally, the punch was handheld and static. Now we exclusive used motorized technology. The first motorized punches were rotary. We still use these punches but now also use oscillo-rotary punches. This advancement in motion reduces trauma to the hair follicle, which improves viability. There is even a hair robot, called the ARTAS, which we own. This is a rotary device that assists in punching the hair follicle. The robot has limited applications as it is limited by head shape, hair shape, and hair strength.

To perform FUE, the hair must cut short. For larger hair transplants, this means that the back and sides of the scalp are trimmed to 1.2mm length, which is the length of an unguarded razor. There are times that for more limited work, a window (or windows) of hair can be cut and the long hair above can cover the donor shave. This form of long hair FUE has been performed successfully in our practice since 2016 and has helped countless men and women.

Though some are trying to perform long-hair FUE without any shave, the technology requires a larger diameter punch which leaves bigger and more noticeable scars, has a lower success rate, is substantially slower, and does not allow as many hairs to be transferred. For these reasons, we are not currently offering unshaven long-hair FUE. Our philosophy is to produce an amazing results that are consistent to reliable enhance your density.

Once the hair is trimmed, local anesthetic is injected to numb the scalp. The harvest then begins with the patient in the face-down position on a plush table, similar to a massage table.

We are focused on using the smallest punch possible to extract the full content of the hair follicle. This will ensure optimal viability with minimized evidence of harvest and a more rapid heal. The physician will determine and calibrate your punch diameter. The harvest can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 or more hours depending on the amount of harvest being performed. We will discuss the specifics of your harvest during the consultation.

The best method of FUE will extract the hair follicles intact with the smallest punch possible. The type of drill and the size of the punch matter a lot. We routinely use sub-milimeter punches when possible (over 97% of cases) as this will produce a substantially smaller scar dot, that is sometimes nearly invisible. Larger punches may be necessary for very curly hair. The best technology available is an oscillorotary punch. It is superior to the Artas robot in that the robot only rotates. Oscillation is less traumatic to the hair follicle and optimizes viability.

Once the hair is extracted, the hair is implanted into the scalp in two phases. The first phase is called site making, where pockets are made in the recipient site to receive the hair follicles. To do this, the physician delivers numbing medicine and uses special, proprietary depth gauge needles to make the “sites”. This phase takes 1-2 hours. Patients are on their back for this phase.

The hair is then inserted with special hair forceps under magnification. For placement, it is customary to have two vetted, highly trained team members working simultaneously. This will improve the efficiency and reduce the amount of time your hair spends outside of your head, which improves viability. Each team member has an average of 15-20 years of experience, and we are proud to have the most experienced hair team in NYC.

Absolutely, an FUE hair transplant is a permanent change. During FUE, the hair with the best growth potential is harvested from donor zone. Upon transfer, these donor hair follicles will keep their genetics and grow in the new site with these better growth prosperities. The original term for this is “donor dominance”. We are careful during your consultation to review the projected progression of your hair loss to ensure your hair transplant blends into your current hair and will also age well. The result from an FUE hair transplant is permanent, but at the same time, moving hair during a transplant does not stop the progression of hair loss. Happily, there are ways to complement a hair transplant that can help preserve your original hair and this too will be discussed during your consultation.

FUE and FUT are different in how the hair follicle is extracted from the donor site. In both FUE and FUT, the hair follicle is harvested from the donor site. In FUE, follicular unit extraction, hair is removed with a micro-punch. In FUE, there are no linear scars, scalpels, or stitches. In FUT, a surgical strip of skin is removed and sewn closed from the donor site. There is a fine line scar. The strip is hand-divided under magnification into the individual hair follicles. Both FUE and FUT are excellent forms of hair transplant that are performed today.

Hair plugs are an old form of hair transplant where many groups of follicles are transferred together. This may be anywhere from 10-100 hairs. This old technique taught us that hair can be transferred but left us hoping for better aesthetic possibilities as the results do not look natural. Happily, modern hair transplant does not look pluggy at all.

Hair transplant with follicular unit extraction (FUE) is a permanent form of hair restoration in that the donor hairs keep their better inherent growth potential upon transfer. A back hair placed into a recipient site, let’s say the front of the scalp, will not become a front hair. All forms of hair transplant are permanent.

Non-surgical hair restoration has tremendous value in someone dealing with hair thinning as hair transplants do not stop the progression of hair loss. Non-surgical options such as medicines, PRP, vitamins, light treatment, and mesotherapy enrich the microenvironment around the hair follicles and signal the follicle to grow better. Like a fertilizer in a garden, any improvement from non-surgical hair restoration is lost when the treatment is stopped. At this time, there is NO permanent, non-invasive treatment for hair loss because the genetic core of the hair follicle has not been altered.

• If you are a candidate for an FUE hair transplant, we will provide you with thorough paperwork to get you prepared for your FUE hair transplant. For most patients, the instructions are simple, and patients are asked to pick up all medicines before the day of the procedure.
• For most patients, no medical clearance is required as the procedure is performed under local anesthesia. For patients with medical complexities, we ay require that you obtain a medical clearance. If a clearance is needed, we will let you know in advance and support you with this process.

• The morning of the procedure, you will meet with the physician and discuss your plan for the day. The hairline will be drawn.
• For FUE, the hair in the donor site will be shaved. We do not routinely shave the recipient site. There are times for the donor site that we can shave small windows to allow the long hair to hide the donor harvest, making the recovery even more invisible that work was done.
• You will lie face-down for the harvest. Local anesthesia is gently injected. There are patients who ask for a deeper level of anesthesia, and we are happy to be able to provide this upon advanced request. The harvest takes 30 mins to 3+ hours depending on the amount of hair needed.
• For the rest of the day, you will be on your back.
• The second major portion of the transplant is the site making. In this step, “sites” or pockets are made by the physician. This sets the artistry of the result and is a key reason to choose our office. Artistry varies significantly between clinicians and offices. The sites do not just determine the distribution and spread of the hair follicles, but also sets the exit angulation, which is very critical to creating a natural result that you will love for years to come.
• The final step of a hair transplant is placement. For this step, hair is placed into the sites. This process will be performed with two skilled team members working simultaneously. Your physician will be guiding the team and adjusting the aesthetic as needed.
• At the conclusion of the hair transplant, most patients have a wrap placed on their head.
• The instructions for after care will be reviewed prior to discharge.

• Patients have minimal discomfort and are able to work from home the next day.
• The wrap on the head is removed at home the next day. If you feel uneasy removing your wrap, you will be given an option to have a skilled team member visit your home or hotel to remove the wrap.
• Most patients can wear a baseball cap the next day.
• Patients are encouraged to gently wash the hair two days after the procedure using a modified cup and pour technique that we will teach you.
• Activity that produces sweating or rubbing on the grafts is limited for two weeks.
• Most can return to workplace after once week.

• Patients return to the office 7-14 days after the procedure for a check in
• We next see patients 6-12 months after the procedure, or sooner if any questions or concerns arise.

• The hairs that are moved in an FUE will grow for 3 weeks to 3 months then shed. At 3-6 months, the follicle has “taken” and is resting under the skin. At 6-18 months, the hairs grow in and then grow for life. Classically, patients see 80% of the result at 8 months.

The main advantage to FUE is the absence of a linear scar. The procedure has no scalpels or sutures. The recovery is efficient and leaves little evidence of the harvest itself for most patients.

FUE is excellent in primary hair transplant for those with straight, pigmented hair. It can be performed in some cases of wavy or curly hair, though is more challenging. FUE can be performed on grey or thin hair, though this is also more challenging. FUE is excellent if someone has a tight scalp either congenitally (from birth) or from prior FUT or other scalp surgery. FUE allows for the choosing of individual hair follicles so for smaller projects, such as side burn restoration, FUE is excellent as we can select the best matching follicles for the project.

Robotic hair transplant uses a machine called the Artas iX to assist in the harvest of FUE. The robot is used instead of a manual drill to assist in extraction. To learn more about ARTAS iX, please visit our robotics page.