FUT-vs-FUE

[baldymcgee]

You know what I like? I like that we are discussing something we never used to discuss before without a huge volume of negative information about FUE. In 2002 a handful of doctors began to do FUE on a regular basis. These included Rob Jones, Alan Feller, and John Cole. Now, i'm not going to mention Ray Woods only because he was the originator of the FUE movement and he'd been at it for a long time prior to 2002. In 2003 only Ray Woods and John Cole focused primarily on FUE. That pretty much left Ray Woods and John Cole to promote the FUE movement. Today, FUE prevails over FUT only because these two guys along with their converts refused to back down to all of the pressure to proved strip surgery. Now let us not forget the help out of Asia and Europe. The help is the USA was scant. They were the last to figure it out.

Anyway, how to you promote FUT? Strip scar! Unknown strip scar width! Limitations on hair style due to the strip scar. Similar yield to FUE Worse potential donor area. Fewer potential grafts over time due to the strip scar.

And with FUE? Better aesthetic result with FUE. A larger number of potential grafts because we don't need to conceal the strip scar. Equivalent yield if not better because time out of body is less. More hair per graft since you can cherry pick them. No strip scar, HAH! The doctor cuts the graft rather than the assistant.

I think the *biggest* advantage of strip is the price. Strip tends to cost about half as much as FUE and, for all strip's disadvantages, it will be the "default" choice people make for some time to come.

Speaking for myself, needing something like 4,000 grafts, I would probably have had 2 HTs by now if I could find a trustworthy (that is ISHRS approved) physician who could do FUE for something close to the cost of FUT.