FUE Hair Transplant

Last clinically reviewed: August 2026

FUE removes follicular units one at a time using a punch under a micron of a millimetre in diameter, leaving no linear scar and no stitches.

Follicular Unit Extraction replaced strip surgery as the standard approach because it avoids the long horizontal scar across the back of the head. Instead it leaves hundreds of tiny circular healing points that fade to near-invisibility within a few months, even at short hair lengths.

How FUE is performed

1. Donor preparationThe donor zone is trimmed short so follicles can be seen clearly and harvested accurately.
2. Punch extractionA fine cylindrical punch scores around each follicular unit, which is then lifted free with forceps.
3. Grading and storageGrafts are sorted by hair count under magnification and held in a chilled holding solution.
4. Channel creationRecipient sites are made at the correct angle, depth and density for the zone being treated.
5. PlacementGrafts are placed by hair count: singles at the front edge, threes and fours behind for density.

Graft survival depends heavily on how long follicles spend outside the body and how gently they are handled. This is why team size and experience matter more than the brand of equipment.

Scarring and donor appearance

FUE punch sites heal as small white dots roughly one millimetre across. Spread across a wide donor area they are extremely difficult to see once hair regrows to even a few millimetres.

The risk is over-harvesting. Taking too many grafts from too small an area produces visible thinning or a moth-eaten look in the donor zone, which is very difficult to correct. We harvest across a wide area and keep extraction density conservative. Our guide to scarring covers this in more detail.

Who FUE suits best

• Men wanting larger sessions of 2,500 grafts or more in a single day
• Anyone who wears their hair very short at the back and sides
• Patients who want to avoid stitches and a linear scar
• Men with good donor density across a wide occipital area
• Cases where body or beard hair may supplement scalp donor supply

If you specifically want to avoid shaving your head, ask about DHI, which can often be performed with limited or no shaving for smaller cases.

Recovery after FUE

You will be seen the day after your procedure for a check and your first wash is usually performed at the clinic so you can see the technique done correctly. Detailed instructions are in our aftercare guide.

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ducu Botoaca Aesthetic & Hair Transplant Surgeon and founder of The Men Clinics, Soho, London. This page is general information and is not a substitute for a personal medical assessment.