When you start to bald, your hairline isn’t a lost cause and it’s not something to be ashamed of. In fact, two thirds of 35 year olds have some degree of hair loss, 85% of men have thinning hair by the time they turn 50, and in the United States there are over 30 million men in some stage of balding. This is most often caused by Androgenetic Alopecia, more commonly referred to as male pattern baldness. But did you know that up to half of a man’s head of hair will be gone before it becomes visible? In the meantime, there’s plenty that you can do to halt this process in its tracks.

Getting a FUE hair transplant is one effective way to restore your hairline and your confidence in your looks. FUE stands for Follicular Unit Extraction and is one of the best ways to obtain what we call “follicular units,” which are naturally occuring groups of one to four hairs. Sometimes, a follicular unit can even have natural groupings of up to 7 or 8 hairs. After these hairs have been obtained, they can be used for a transplant.

A FUE hair transplant is a safer alternative to the more widely popularized FUSS surgery. FUSS stands for Follicular Unit Strip Surgery and involves the removal of a strip of scalp from a non-balding area to be placed at the hairline. A FUSS hair transplant surgery has a much higher risk of complications because of its invasive nature and often leaves a visible scar on the back of the head. This means that in the future, if a repeat of the procedure is needed, there is viable tissue to harvest from. It also creates a cosmetic deficit and prevents many patients from wearing their hair short after the surgery.

A FUE hair transplant, on the other hand, is considerably less invasive. Healing time is much reduced, taking only about a week (though it depends on skin type). A FUE hair transplant procedure takes about eight hours. During the procedure, follicular units are harvested with a tiny punch and transplanted, creating a natural hairline with no scarring, unlike a FUSS procedure.