Hair transplant methods STRIP and FUE – the main difference between these two procedures lies in the way grafts are harvested from the donor area. In the STRIP method, a strip of hairy scalp is removed, whereas in the FUE method, individual follicular units are extracted directly from the donor area. However, the differences do not end there.
Hair transplant STRIP or FUE? – learn the differences
It should be emphasized that the FUE hair transplantation method is more modern and more precise. No wonder that in recent years it has gained increasing popularity. With the FUE method, the surgeon performing the hair transplant makes a professional, medically justified choice of the highest quality hair grafts.
Another important advantage – and at the same time an argument showing the superiority of the FUE method over the STRIP method – is the absence of a thick, unaesthetic linear scar that forms when a strip of scalp is cut out in the STRIP method.
Harvesting individual grafts in the FUE method is less invasive, does not require a scalpel, and leaves only microscopic scars invisible to the naked eye. As a result, recovery time is significantly shorter, discomfort is reduced, healing of the donor and recipient areas is faster, and the risk of infection is lower. Unlike the STRIP method, FUE also avoids the sensation of numbness and “tightness of the skin” caused by thick, painful stitches after the removal of the transplant strip.
What is the difference between STRIP and FUE hair transplant methods?
Another excellent advantage of the FUE method is the possibility of harvesting hair from other parts of the body, such as eyebrows, chest, beard, or pubic area.
A noteworthy benefit of the FUE method (follicular unit extraction) in terms of aesthetics is the ability to wear short hairstyles after the procedure. The micro-wounds created during FUE transplantation will remain invisible, unlike the thick scar (from the STRIP method), which is clearly visible on the back of the scalp and often becomes a lasting reminder of the previous complex.
It is extremely important to note that the success of a transplant and its final result depend on exceptional precision and specialist experience. Devices and surgical tools used in transplantation play only an auxiliary role.
Therefore, marketing efforts of various clinics that focus solely on the equipment used are a way of distracting patients from what truly matters – knowledge and experience. The quality of the transplant depends primarily on manual skills. Proper harvesting of the follicular unit, followed by efficient implantation, guarantees the highest quality and excellent results. That is why it is worth making a thoughtful decision and undergoing the procedure only in a professional clinic – emphasizes Dr. Piotr Turkowski.
