Dr. Elliott ensures by FUT or FUE that the proper donor harvesting techniques are employed to safeguard viability of the transplanted hair.

Once the local anesthesia is administered using vibratory muting, the first surgical portion of the procedure is donor harvesting. A strip of hair-bearing scalp about 1 cm in width is removed from the sides and back of the head. The area is then sutured, which will result in a very fine scar hidden under the remaining donor hair. The scar is nearly undetectable. Because of the elasticity of the scalp, this process may be repeated in subsequent procedures, up to three times with just one 1-2mm scar. Each time a procedure is done, the scar from the previous procedure is removed so that at the end of a treatment course, there is only one fine scar in the donor area. The scar is completely hidden under the remaining hair. Final procedure uses the trichophytic technique in closure.

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) Donor

Up to 3000 grafts can be harvested three times at one-year intervals, with a single
resulting scar of 3mm x 35mm or larger for 9,000 graphs. Total scar area 105mm2

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Donor

9000 grafts will yield 9000 1mm diameter circular scars, or total area of 7065mm2 (1/2 x 1/2 x 3.14 x 9000)

Obviously, the FUT donor is better for large or whole head baldness, and the FUE is best for smaller areas where the donor has been previously compromised.