Hair transplants have come a long way in the world of medicine. As restoration has progressed throughout the years, so have the techniques. Some new techniques available are now considered minimally invasive, such as the follicular unit extraction, also known as FUE. But what does minimally invasive mean to a patient?
When hair transplants first started out with the strip technique, aka FUT, it often had a considerably long recovery time, which could last up to several weeks and could leave a large scar on the scalp. FUT uses a scalpel to remove the hair and transplant it elsewhere but with FUE, there is no longer a need for a lengthy recovery time, line scars or scalpel use.
With FUE, some patients are able to return to work as soon as the next day or two. Recovery time may range up until seven to ten days depending on the size and type of work being done patients can still expect a shorter recovery time compared to the FUT technique due to there being no large wounds. Since the FUE procedure is almost usually painless, those few days after your procedure won’t include a painful recovery either.
FUT can also require minimal exercise and physical activity for months after the procedure which could limit a lot of what you can and can’t do on a day to day basis. On the other hand FUE patients are able to jump right back into training after only seven days. So for those who are marathon runners or are weight lifters, FUE will allow you to continue with your daily workouts in no time.
Since there is no scalpel use, only local anesthesia is also used and the procedure is considered a minor one. So now, after just a few days, the patient can return to work and his regular daily routine in no time. With FUE, you don’t have to worry about calling multiple weeks off of work, line scars, or a painful recovery, which is what we mean by minimally invasive.
