FUE Hair Transplant (Follicular Unit Extraction): How It Works, Explained Simply

Video Transcript

F U E, or follicular unit extraction, is one of the two main ways hair is transplanted. Hair is taken from the donor area at the back and sides of the scalp, where follicles are not sensitive to D H T and keep growing. A small circular punch, typically under a millimetre across, frees one follicular unit at a time from the surrounding skin. Each unit is a natural grouping of one to four hairs, and it is lifted out individually as a graft. Because units are taken one by one rather than as a strip, there is no linear scar. The donor area is left with tiny dot-shaped marks instead. The grafts are kept in a preservation solution and sorted by how many hairs each one contains. Tiny recipient sites are then made in the thinning area, angled and directed to match the way hair naturally grows there. Single-hair grafts go along the hairline for a soft, natural edge, and the multi-hair units are placed behind them to build density. F U E usually requires the donor area to be shaved and takes longer than the strip method, but it avoids a linear scar. This video is for general education only. It is not medical advice. Ask your doctor what's right for you.