STRIP METHOD
Follicular Unit Hair Transplant (Strip Method)
Hair Transplantation
Hair is transplanted in the direction of existing hair to give a natural look.
Transplanted hair can be cut, coloured, shampooed, shaved or styled. The transplanted roots are resistant to fall. Density can be reasonably good to cover the bald area. Some bald areas may require more than one procedure.
On an average fifteen hundred to 2500 grafts are implanted. It can be done by two methods.
- Strip method
- FUE
STRIP FUT STEP-BY-STEP :
Having discussed your hair loss and the treatment options available to you at your consultation with our expert, if you decide on Strip FUT and book an appointment for your treatment.
Depending on the extent of the area to be treated and the number of grafts that need to be transferred, the procedure can take from 4 to 12 hours.
Currently, we are able to transfer from as few as 500 to as many as 5,000 grafts (up to 12,500 hairs) in one day.
You will be given a mild sedative and local anaesthetic in both the donor and recipient areas.
The discomfort you feel for a few minutes when being given the anaesthetic (similar to what you feel when undergoing dental work) is the only sensation you feel throughout your treatment.
Once the anaesthetic has had its effect, the procedure begins with a thin strip of scalp containing healthy hair roots genetically programmed to grow throughout your life being removed with the aid of high magnification.
With the aid of the stereoscopic dissecting microscopes, the strip is then divided into individual follicular unit grafts (each measuring approximately 1mm in width) – the use of microscopes means that about 30% more hair is harvested than through the use of older techniques.
While this is happening, micro slits are made in the receiving area of your scalp using a variety of needles or tiny blades and, when ready, the follicular unit grafts are individually inserted.
The grafts are blended in amongst the thinning or balding areas in such a way as to match all the natural growing characteristics of your original hair.
We prefer to densely pack at a rate of 35-50 grafts, or 80-110 hairs, per square centimetre per operation – in our experience, this represents the optimum number for a maximum hair survival rate of 85-90%.
This means that one operation adds on average 25-30% of the original hair density.
We refer to all of the above in operations of 3,000 grafts or more as Ultra-Refined Follicular Unit Transplantation.
The site from where the donor strip was sourced is closed using small surgical staples (or sometimes stitches) that are immediately covered by your surrounding hair. This normally heals to form a thin, vague and hard to detect scar amongst your permanent hair.
With a few exceptions, we usually use what is known as trichophytic closure – this involves trimming one edge of the cut prior to closure, so that when the opposing edge of the cut is joined to the trimmed edge, hairs from the trimmed edge grow through the resulting scar, effectively camouflaging its appearance further.
The entire procedure is very clean and, when complete, no bandages or dressings are required.
Within half an hour of the treatment ending, you can be on your way home – although we strongly recommend you do not drive, so we advise that you make arrangements to get home by taxi or public transport or get picked up by a friend or family member.
With the expertise we can offer at every stage of the procedure, we can produce results that are virtually undetectable – even under the closest scrutiny.
