FUE transected follicles question?

Question

Hi, I have recently had an FUE procedure with 3800 grafts. So far so good. My question is, the hair follicles that are extracted but cut or transected by the fue instruments, do these particular follicles grow back in the donor area? Thank you

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

In general transected follicles do not grow back.  You have to assume the worst case when you prepare for surgery.

Anthony Bared, MD, FACS · Answer

The answer to your question depends on the degree to which the follicles may have been transected at the time of the procedure.  If sufficient and integral parts of the hair follicles were left in place then these follicles do regrow in the donor area.

Parsa Mohebi, MD, FISHRS · Answer

During an FUE procedure grafts may be transected.  Depending upon where along the graft the transection occurs plays a role in if the remaining graft beyond the transection is viable.  There have been some studies on FUT procedures in which the investigator has cut them half longitudinally and both pieces grow hair but the hairs were smaller and miniaturized. Dr. Jean Devroye in Belgium is doing a very interesting study that he intentionally transect some follicles and he follows the donor area with high resolution pictures to monitor  the growth rate. We can update you on our blog when the results of his study are out.

William Woessner, MD · Answer

In my opinion yes and no. There are many factors that play into this role. It depends on where the transection occurred. It also depends on if the punch strips or crushes the follicle bulb. If there is a high transection rate, then there are adittional factors that might cause this. If a punch is too small to encompass the natural follicle group in an individual, this can cause stripping and higher transections. If the follicle groups have whats called "splay", which is where the bulbs underneath the scalp fan out instead of lining up close to each other, this can cause increased transections, and especially with a sharp punch or inexperienced FUE extractors.However the difference between a transection in an FUT verses FUE is that when a technician transects a follicle while dissecting follicle groups in an FUT; those follicles are lost. In FUE when an FUE occurs there is a chance that it will come back. There are a few FUE clinics that believe and actually attempt to transect grafts in hopes that at least one follicle will grow back in the FUE extracted spot.

Brian Goertz, MD (retired) · Answer

Hair Follicles transected follicles during an FUE procedure do not grow. There is a greater transection rate with FUE compared to FUT.

FUE transected follicles question?

Answers (6)