Greetings,
Today I will discuss the grafts from FUE and how they can differ. Firstly there is the size of the tool used to extract the grafts. Even though many tools claim to be a certain size some are measured from the internal diameter and some from the outside diameter. This may not see like that much difference but an extra .1mm of punch size can leave significantly more pinpoint scarring in the donor region. Many of the automated systems including the ARTAS robotic system tend to use larger punch sizes (1mm and even larger) which can leave significantly more scarring in the donor region. I use a sharp tip that measures .9mm from the outer diameter. For very course curly hair types I also have sizes that go up to 1.05mm when necessary and when extraction body or beard hair I also have tips as small as .8mm. The .9mm is an excellent “work horse” tip that allows for beautiful graft extractions in experienced hands. I have a photo of the grafts from my FUE patient yesterday and as you can see they are all intact and most are multi hair follicular units which is another advantage of FUE in that it allows you to choose the larger follicular units and leave the smaller ones behind.
Not all FUE hair transplant surgeons are created equal and it is of utmost importance that you see good examples of your surgeons FUE results and grafts prior to proceeding with this type of procedure.
All the best,
Marc Dauer, M.D.
FUE grafts extracted with a 0.9mm punch tool.