The FUE capillary graft is undoubtedly one of the best-known hair transplants of all and for this reason most demanded by those suffering from hair loss. When you think about capillary micrografts, it is usualy to be the technique that first come to people’s minds.
The capillary graft with FUE method: what is it?
FUE, according to his initials in English for the name Follicular Unit Extraction, is how the transplant is made by means of the extraction of follicular units for his next graft in a bald area. The hair follicles are extracted from the donor area of the patient, which is usually one in which there is a greater capillary density. The follicles are chosen by the hair specialist based on specific factors of thickness, strength and length, ensuring that they are not harmed by the hormonal action of dihydrotestosterone, which causes premature hair loss in most cases.
How is the FUE capillary graft performed?
This hair surgery against baldness must be carried out always and at all times and in all circumstances and at all times by a hair specialist, because it does not stop being a surgery that requires a specialist hand and recommended facilities for the minor surgery to get a perfect capillary graft.
First step: the previous analysis of the patient’s situation
The initial step to perform a hair transplant or capillary graft type like this is to assist the specialist in a previous session in which he will be prepared to examine both the area to be populated and the donor area. The surgeon must properly identify the causes of hair loss and the chances of successful hair transplantation (which tend to be high) and before taking any resolution. Once accepted these premises and seen that the hair transplant would be viable and triumphant, it is time to decide how to proceed.
For the specialist eye it is partially simple to identify the faults and the benefits of a technique such as the capillary implant FUE conforme each case in particular. You know how to want what number of hair follicles will be needed in order to make the intervention as effective as possible, how to find the best area to extract them from and where and how to put them once ready for capillary grafting. The angle and depth of the graft are of vital relevance to achieve a natural effect.
In this step, the capillary surgeon makes a preliminary design, according to the patient’s indications, of the final placement of the new hair. It is an essential step, as everything must be clear to ensure that the patient is happy with the new aspect that he will have.
Step two: shave the donor area
After carrying out the relevant tests on the patient (blood tests, allergies, intolerances, etc.) and at the time of the intervention, the scalp in the donor area is shaved. Why is it necessary to shave the hair? Fundamentally due to the fact that it is simpler to extract the capillary bulb with simplicity and minimizing the danger of section. The shorter it is, the more likely it is to include it in the extraction instruments.
It is necessary, remember, that the hair follicle is extracted whole and in perfect conditions to be useful for a next graft. The tiny capillary system that forms each follicle (with the capillary, the sebaceous gland, the dermal papilla, the erector muscle …) must be fully supported so that the hair can later grow and survive.
Third step: anesthesia
As with any surgical procedure, the capillary graft requires a powerful local anesthetic in order to make both the extraction and grafting of the hair painless for the patient. A simple sedative injection in the areas to be treated is sufficient. The patient is conscious at all times and can be attentive to the course of the operation, perceive indications from the surgeon and ask the questions that he considers appropriate.
Fourth step: Phase one of the operation – the extraction
Once the patient is ready and the donor area is ready, surgery can begin. With the help of a micro-scalpel, the hair specialist begins to extract one by one the hair follicles that will then be transplanted in the receiving area. Each hair follicle can have between 1 and 4 hairs, with what they habituate to be chosen those with more hairs so that the density is greater. The micro-needle punctures the skin around the follicle only one or two millimeters from the surface and then, with very fine forceps, the bulb is extracted with the hair inside.
Each follicle is extracted individually with the help of a powerful magnifying glass and is deposited in small glass trays in which they will be kept in a solution that keeps them in perfect conditions of humidity, hydration and temperature for a short period of time, until the moment when the complete extraction has finished. At the moment of extraction and then the follicles are counted to ensure that a precise and sufficient number is achieved.
For this process, micro-surgical tools with very small diameters are used, up to one millimeter maximum. According to each specialist, the extraction can be done in different ways. The most usual is to proceed manually with a punch or punch, for which an exceptional precision and pulse is required. You can also proceed with a fine gauge gun or with the help and assistance of a robot, the robotized ARTAS system.
Step five: the selection of extracted follicular units
Finalizada la extracción, el paciente puede descansar y comer algo mientras que se restituye de la anestesia. En este paso el cuero cabelludo de la zona donante es curado por las enfermeras asistentes a la operación para eludir que se produzca una infección.
En este tiempo también el cirujano se dispone a examinar los folículos extraídos. El estudio de los injertos busca revisar cuáles son viables y cuales, por cualquier motivo, no lo son. Aparte de esto, se separan por grosor, cantidad de cabellos por folículo, tamaño del bulbo, etcétera, para que su recolocación sea equilibrada en toda la zona receptora y el resultado final sea lo más natural posible.
Sexto paso: Fase dos de la operación – la implantación del pelo
This step is the weakest and most strict of the intervention. It is the moment in which the hairs will be implanted in the scalp once treated and chosen by the surgeon. For this, each follicle is held from above by micro-surgery instruments known as implanters or implanters, which have a shape similar to that of a pen with the tip very, very thin. The implanter penetrates the skin making a minimal incision in the area without hair and releases the bulb one millimeter below the surface, in the intradermal layer.
This process can last approximately the same as that of extraction, insofar as it is equally puny and the number of grafts to be implanted is necessarily equal to that of extractions. In this phase of the implantation, a dose of local anesthesia will naturally be applied, which will make the process painless for the patient.
Seventh step: the post-operative
As in any operation that requires a minimum of invasion – keeping in mind that this is one of the capillary invasive techniques – a specific post-operative time and care is necessary. The following days are of vital importance to ensure the survival of the follicles and the future of the transplanted hair. The surgeon and the medical team will give the patient precise instructions on the treatment and care of the 2 zones, the donor and the recipient, and surely they will also establish review appointments in a short period of time to inspect the good condition of the patient. the same.
We leave you with a video so you can see the extraction of the follicles and the graft of the hair
Advantages and results of the capillary graft with FUE method
In almost 100% of cases, the donor area includes the occipital and parietal parts of the head, that is, the back and lateral parts. This is where the hair grows stronger and has greater resistance to falling. While, the receiving area is usually the crown and the top of the head as the forehead.
As we have said, it is a very light surgery, painless thanks to anesthesia and does not leave a scar, because it does not require the use of scalpels or seams because the incisions are millimetric. The post-operative period is short and the patient can make a normal life after two or three days.
To finalize, we will add that the results of the capillary graft are permanent, a subject that is usually unsettling to patients. The implanted hair grafts have a long life and are resistant to the hormonal effect that causes the fall of the hair thanks to which they have been singularly chosen to fulfill that requirement.
We hope this post has solved the doubts of our readers and we remind you that if you need more information you can call us at 0044-770-793-16-31 or make an appointment using our form.
Until next time!