There are three main types of FUE hair transplants: shaved, partial, and no-shave.
1. Shaving (full shaving) and harvesting grafts
While shaving the entire head is advantageous for the surgical team and allows for more accurate hair density assessment.
patients must maintain a closely cropped hairstyle, which can be inconvenient for daily life and may cause some discomfort as the transplanted hair is visible until it grows out.
2. Partial Hair Transplant
Partial haircut involves cutting only a specific area of the hair, typically at the back, and then pushing it out before covering it.
Two common methods of partial haircut are the box-cut and two-block techniques.
2.1. Box-cut
The box-cut hairstyle is primarily favored by women, but it does have the drawback of requiring more shaving if a large amount of hair needs to be removed.
My preferred method in this situation is a line cut, which involves leaving some hair in the middle and pushing the surrounding hair down to create better coverage.
2.2. Two-block
The two-block haircut, which involves shaving the back of the head, is most commonly used by men to achieve a specific hairstyle.
3. No-Cut
The no-cut method is the most discreet way to transplant hair, and there are three main methods of harvesting.
3.1. Pre-cutting only the hair to be harvested
The most commonly used method among doctors who perform non-scalpel incisions is selectively pre-cutting only the hair to be harvested.
This method has the advantage of allowing for clean collection of the tissue around the hair follicle without interference from the blade of the punch.
Although a partial incision is made, the hair surrounding the collection site remains untouched, making it challenging to detect any evidence of the collection in the occipital region even immediately after the procedure.
3.2. Cutting at the time of harvesting
The second method for collecting hair follicles is to use a punch blade to cut the hair directly during collection without prior trimming.
By pinning the hair to be harvested and cutting it off with the skin tissue, the process is expedited and all desired hair is collected.
However, aiming the blade at the center of longer hair is more difficult and can potentially damage the follicle.
Additionally, the blade dulls quickly when cutting through tougher hair, requiring mid-cut sharpening.
3.3. Collecting hair without cutting (long hair FUE)
The third and final option is to use a specialized blade to trim the hair without removing it completely.
This is also commonly known as hair sculpting.
3.3.1 Advantages of Long Hair FUE
It is advantageous for hair transplant procedures such as eyebrows and sideburns to be able to easily determine the direction of the hair follicles' curl.
Additionally, the ability to immediately cover the transplant post-surgery is another benefit.
3.3.2. Long Hair FUE Disadvantages
One drawback is the relatively high likelihood of grafts falling out, with most falling out approximately three weeks post-surgery, making it less practical to plant long hair initially.
Therefore, we do not recommend harvesting long hair as it can cause unnecessary stress to the hair follicle, even if the hair is cut, and the curl of the hair follicle can still be seen under a high magnification loupe.
During the process of harvesting long hair, the lower portion of the hair follicle is secured to the skin tissue, while the upper portion is entwined within the hair shaft and rotated from side to side.
A fragile follicle or excessive torsion can lead to damage.
However, there is potential for hair transplants to look more natural, so I am closely monitoring any advancements in equipment or technology.
I look forward to sharing these developments with you in the future.
Writer: Dr. Ko
· Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles
· Regular Member, the Korean Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (KSHRS)
· Regular Member, Korean Association For Laser, Dermatology And Trichology (KALDAT)
· Consultant, Portal Site NAVER-Hidoc Medical Consultation
· Former Director of Motion clinic
· Director of New hair institue, Seoul.