If you’re looking for a hair loss specialist, chances are that you are beginning to notice your hair is beginning to thin. Over 95% of the hair loss that is experienced by men results from Androgenetic Alopecia, or common male pattern baldness. By the time men are 35 years old, approximately 2/3 will experience some level of hair loss. When they are 50, however, 85% may be experiencing significant hair loss.

You may be aware of the more common methods to address hair loss: Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). FUSS is a surgical procedure, where a strip of scalp from a non-balding area is removed and then placed in the area that is balding. This involves making several incisions, which results in scars at the back of the head.

In addition to being invasive, FUSS also has higher complication rates than FUE. Future procedures may prove to be challenging due to the fact that this procedure does pull at the scalp. There is also a longer recovery period.

FUE may be the preferred choice to address hair loss for several reasons. In addition to being minimally invasive, this procedure does not result in large scars. Furthermore, there is a lower complication rate than with FUSS, and men are able to keep their hair short or shave it in the future if they so choose.

While the time it takes to heal after a FUE hair transplant depends on your skin type, the grafts will take in just a few days. In general, redness will dissipate in approximately 4 to 5 days.

On average, it will take approximately 8 hours to complete the FUE procedure. At this time, individual follicular unit grafts, which are hair groupings of 1 to 4 hairs, will be harvested 1 at a time. In some cases, however, there may be as many as 7 to 8 natural groupings. A tiny punch is used to remove this follicular units.

If you previously had a FUSS procedure, you may be interested in learning more about scar revision. When you consult with a hair loss specialist about scar revision, they will be able to evaluate your situation. Since every scar is unique, much will depend on how it previously healed. In some cases, minimizing the appearance of a scar may be a simple procedure.