Fue candidate?

[Yangze]

I`m thinking of having a Fue procedure next year, what I`d like to know is.. how do you determin if you`re a bad candidate for FUE, I`ve read that physical characteristics such as mushy skin result in high transection rates.. therefor FUT is recommended. My skin is loose and mushy.

Would you say everyone can have FUE providing they have a healthy donor site? If not, what can I do physiologically to change this?

 

[sl]

Hi Yangze

Being a good FUE candidate can come down to so many factors, age, level of hair loss, potential loss in the future, goals, donor hair density is certainly one of them as FUE doesn't change the surface area of the skin but it does change the amount of hair that is left, so making it thinner. This obviously has a finite application as you can't just take and take without it being to the detriment of your head of hair and how natural it looks, and of course future need for more.

Skin types can vary in respect of how well the grafts can be removed, good/poor hair groupings, miniaturisation if any in the donor, hair type, straight, curly can also have an impact on the transection rates and so the results, the size of the punch diameter and type, mechanical or manual also will play a part, as will very obviously the skill of the doctor performing the procedure, their protocols for donor management and harvesting.

If you have doubts you should contact a few different doctors and get their opinion on you specifically, ideally if you have concerns meet in person for a consultation so they can properly measure density and hair characteristics.

best of luck

 

[Bigmac]

Hi and welcome,

May i ask how your skin is mushy, has a doctor told you this or have you formed this opinion as you feel your skin is quite loose.

Good valid points raised by Sl.

 

[Yangze]

BM .. SL, thankyou for replying.

I`ve not had any consultations as of yet.. I`ll make some soon and report back.

Thanks.

 

[topccat29]

I have been thinking about the question that was asked in this thread recently. I €™m not sure if this can be answered but I would like to know if bodyfat levels can be a concern specifically when harvesting beard and chest hairs. I would think that the tighter the skin rests against the muscle tissue of the face or chest the easier it would be to use the fue punch to harvest the FU. Does this factor in at all in any way and can a patient aid in the process by lowering bodyfat levels or is it negligible.

 

[Bigmac]

Yangze wrote:

BM .. SL, thankyou for replying.

I`ve not had any consultations as of yet.. I`ll make some soon and report back.

Thanks.

Ok, it will be good to hear what they say.

Thanks Bm.

 

[Bigmac]

Some doctors/clinics say everyone is an Fue candidate (donor allowing) yet others say some patients aren`t due to their skin.

I wonder which is correct.

 

[Prohairclinic]

The first question that should be answered :

are you a good HT candidate? This greatly depends on your goals and the reserves available for harvesting.

We strongly believe that everyone who is a HT candidate is also an FUE candidate, we have a record of consistant results over many years, treating patients with various skin types and hair characteristics.
Bart

 

[sl]

Does skin tissue make a difference, yes it does, although maybe in the smaller minority. I remember reading a while ago a doc saying someone wasn't suitable as they had "mushy skin", then about a year later he had FUE that went apparently well. Skin ability is not something that can be measured until the punch enters the skin, of course a doctor who knows FUE can see obvious signs if good or bad and advise. Frankly if it was that bad maybe you are not a good HT candidate in the first place, and I doubt that.

 

[Bigmac]

Thanks for the answers, still not too clear.

 

[sl]

Sorry BM,

It's just not an easy question to answer generally and not having met the person that is the only way it can be answered. FUE is a blind technique, skin and anatomy makes some cases harder than others, we have before and with the consent of the patient altered the graft count to lower on occasion if the doc feels the grafts are not coming out the way he wants, so protecting the donor area rather than just going for the numbers. Does it happen often, no it doesn't thankfully but it can happen. Maybe Yangze fears are totally unfounded and he is a "normal" candidate with no problems, maybe his fears are real; he needs to have a few consultations, allow the docs to assess and then take it from there, that is probably best.

 

[topccat29]

SL I have a question that I think might be relevant to this thread. Does subcutaneous fat become a factor when harvesting FUE. Probably not an issue with scalp hair but more in regards to body and beard hair.

 

[sl]

Fatty tissue surrounds the follicle and protects it, Strip for example will generally have more fatty around each FU, FUE less assuming something like a 0.8 punch is used. The fatty tissue "holds" together the FU and is an important part of the graft. For body hair we personally prefer a little more fatty tissue surrounding the FU, possibly containing vital genetic information to help gain the best growth and yield.

A surplus of "outer" fatty tissue will for sure make it harder to punch the graft as you cannot get the purchase on the skin to ensure a clean punch is made, so this is a valid point with regard to beard and chest grafts.

 

[Bigmac]

Thanks Sl for clarifying that.