The Battle begins: Is strip surgery really necessary?

Area of Science:

• Hair Restoration Surgery
• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a common hair restoration technique.
• Previous FUT procedures can affect donor areas, potentially impacting subsequent surgeries.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for optimizing hair transplant outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the residual effects of prior Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) on the donor area.
• To quantify changes in hair density, angle, and transection rates after FUT.
• To assess the impact of these changes on subsequent Follicular Unit Excision/Extraction (FUE) procedures.

Main Methods:

• Study included patients with prior FUT who underwent FUE.
• Measurements included scar width, hair density, and hair angles above and below the scar.
• Hair counts and transection rates were assessed during FUE using a 0.9 mm punch.

Main Results:

• The average scar width was 2.47 mm.
• Hair density was lower below the scar (130.8 hairs/cm²) compared to above (155.4 hairs/cm²).
• Hair angles differed significantly above (28.21°) and below (39.19°) the scar, leading to doubled hair transection rates below the scar.

Conclusions:

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) causes significant changes in the donor area beyond the linear scar.
• Altered hair angles post-FUT contribute to increased hair transection during FUE.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering previous FUT when planning FUE procedures.