Specialist in FUE Hair Transplantation - Dr. Muhammad Mazhar Hussain
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) compared to Strip surgery
The main difference between FUE hair transplantation and strip-surgery is in the way donor-hair is obtained.
FUE generally leads to higher patient satisfaction, quicker recovery, and less scarring of the donor area.
FUE respects natural hair growth
In FUE hair transplantation individual hair follicles are extracted without causing damage to the scalp. This is done by very small punches that hardly leaves visible scars. As every single follicle is extracted individually this is a timeconsuming procedure. The benefit is that controlled and careful extraction of donor hair is very lenient to the skin and scalp. Complications are very rare, and scars are hard to detect even after only a few weeks.
Some strip-surgeons claim the donor-area after FUE will present a moth-eaten look. However, one year after the operation the donor-area can hardly be distinguished from an untreated scalp.
Strip surgery causes permanent scarring
With strip surgery a strip of skin containing hair-follicles is cut from the back of the head. The strip size can vary but is typically 1-1.5 cm wide, 8+10 mm deep, and up to 30 cm long going from ear to ear. Removal of the strip leaves a large opening in the back of the head. Even the most perfectly performed strip-surgery will leave a linear scar and patients may suffer from numbness, pain and problems hidding the scar.
Read about repairing strip surgery scars.
FUE and strip surgery compared
| Follicular Unit Extraction | Strip surgery | |
| Donor area | The whole body/greater | Back of the head/limited |
| Pain after procedure | No pain/little | Little to moderat pain |
| Risk of post-op bleeding | Little or no bleeding | Varies/usally little |
| Front look | Natural | Natural |
| Back look | Natural (see below) | Scarring (see below) |
| Patients' satisfaction | Great! (see patient rating) | Complaints about scarring/pain |
| Physician time | 60-70% | 15-20% |
| Technical Staff time | 30-40% | 80-85% |
| Price | Higher | Low |