Which grows better, FUE or strip?
This question comes from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums:
Which procedure has better growth, Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) or strip (Follicular Unit Strip Surgery)?
Altogether, this is a complicated question with many variables. On average, however, strip has higher and more consistent growth. Here’s why:
Long story short, FUE exposes the grafts to a greater level of stress and strain, and this affects growth and survival.
As to how much? The objective data — which is still lacking — tells us it’s anywhere between 10% – 30% less than strip. I personally think strip yield is 95%+ on average and FUE is probably 75-80% on average. The caveat with FUE is that it’s a lot more variable. You’ll get cases where it’s 90%; you’ll also get cases where the yield is clearly poor.
Now, does this mean it’s a bad procedure or patients shouldn’t chose FUE?
No, absolutely not. What it means is that patients need to know the above information and hair loss doctors need to recommend the right surgery to the right patient. If a patient is okay with variable yield and doesn’t want to hassle with the strip scar, then FUE is an appropriate choice. But, this info needs to be shared and discussed honestly so patients can make an informed decision.
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Blake Bloxham – formerly “Future_HT_Doc”
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning
Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
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