Combined Hair Transplant (FUE and FUT)
FUE and FUT both are popular techniques for hair transplant, having certain advantages and disadvantages.
FUE technique is chosen when the bald area is less in the scalp or hair grafts are to be harvested from the chest or beard or other parts of the body.
The FUT technique is chosen when the bald area is large and graft requirement is very high. If by mistake, the FUE technique is applied in the higher degree of baldness, then neither the bald area is covered, nor do grafts remain in the safe zone for revision hair transplant
Hair transplant is a cosmetic surgery. The main purpose of undergoing this procedure is to look good and transform aesthetically.
If through the transplant, the frontal area is densely covered and the back of the head turns bald, then the purpose of the transplant is defeated.
The beauty of the transplant can be seen in a head fully covered with hair and scalp hidden with dense growth, and finally new hair growth with a natural look.
Therefore, it is very important to choose the right technique for hair transplant. In one line, FUE technique can be used to cover a small bald area up to the stage –IV of male pattern baldness and FUT technique can be used for any grade of baldness subjected the hair transplant surgeon is qualified, trained and highly experienced.
Now let us understand when the combination method of FUT and FUE techniques is preferred. Generally, in three cases, the combination method is used.
Case-I
When the bald area is very big, where around 5000+ grafts are needed. In that condition, with FUT, around 4000 grafts are harvested from the back of the scalp and 1000 grafts are harvested from the beard and the chest of the patient.
Case-II
When the bald area is big, where around 4000 grafts are needed, but the donor area (back of the scalp) is poor. In that condition also, with FUT, maximum possible grafts are harvested from the donor area and the rest is covered with hair from beard and chest, with FUE technique.
Case-III
When there is a case of revision hair transplant. A patient who has already undergone a hair transplant surgery before and the transplanted hair angle, direction or placing is wrong. At the time of revision hair transplant or corrective hair transplant surgery, wrong hairs are extracted with the FUE technique and the area is recovered with the FUT technique. Wrong hairs extracted with FUE are replaced with proper angulation and direction.