What Is An FUE Hair Transplant? How Much Does It Cost? And Is It Right For You?
Follicular unit extraction – more commonly known as “FUE” – is the most popular method of hair transplantation in the world. When you read about a Hollywood actor or a Premier League footballer undergoing a hair transplant, you can bet that they went the FUE route. But how does follicular unit extraction work? And how much does an FUE hair transplant cost? Read on to find out.
How Does An FUE Hair Transplant Work?
When preparing for an FUE hair transplant, the surgeon will establish a donor site on the patient’s scalp. Follicles are then extracted from this donor site one by one using a specialized tool that can best be described as a combination of a needle and a pen. Once the follicles have been taken from the donor site, a number of small incisions are made in the receiver site. The amount of incisions will depend on the number of follicles taken, which itself depends on the severity of the patient’s balding. Once the appropriate amount of incisions has been made, the follicles from the donor site are implanted in the receiver site. The whole process is pretty painless and doesn’t take a whole lot of time to recover from. In fact, most people who undergo an FUE hair transplant resume normal activity just a couple of days after the procedure. You can find a more detailed breakdown of the FUE recovery process by clicking this link.
How Much Does An FUE Hair Transplant Cost?
One of the primary factors influencing FUE hair transplantation costs is the country in which you undergo the treatment. In most Western countries, FUE is still very much a luxury of the upper-class. In the United States, for example, it is not uncommon for follicular unit extraction to exceed $10,000 in price. Those considering FUE treatment in the United Kingdom should be prepared to spend a similar amount.
If you’re considering an FUE hair transplant but have a tight budget, we suggest traveling to Turkey for the procedure. There are hundreds of hair restoration clinics operating in Turkey. Because they have so much competition, Turkish hair restoration clinics offer drastically reduced rates in order to attract customers. Even somewhere like Istanbul’s Vera Clinic – one of the world’s most renowned hair restoration clinics – must offer FUE treatment for as low as $4000 in order to compete with rivals.
FUE Alternatives
While FUE is the most popular method of hair restoration, it certainly isn’t the only procedure available. If you’re not convinced FUE is right for you, you should consider FUT. FUT – or “follicular unit transplantation” – involves the removal of actual hair-bearing skin from the donor site. It is then transplanted to the receiver site, which is why you may have also heard it referred to as “strip harvesting”.
PRP therapy is a non-surgical alternative to both FUE and FUT treatment. Short for “platelet-rich plasma”, PRP therapy is generally performed over a couple of sessions. During these sessions, platelet-rich plasma is injected into the patient’s scalp, which is believed to stimulate hair growth. Additional information on FUT, PRP therapy, and other FUE alternatives can be found at www.veraclinic.net/en.