FUE VS FUT RECOVERY TIME

[wolfsatplay]

I am interested in what the recovery time is like between FUE and FUT. If I have 20 days off, which of the two surgery techniques would less noticeable upon return to work, if any. Love to hear what experiences people have had and their thoughts on how they dealt with them.
cheers

 

[Hattingen Hair]

Hi wolfsatplay,

Well the obvious difference is hair length in the donor, FUT only requires the strip area to be shaved and removed so with a little hair length the suture line is hidden; whereas FUE requires the donor to be shaved, so if you normally keep your hair longer there will be a change in style, so the punch points will be visible. Then it is just a case of waiting for your hair in the donor to grow longer again.

The suture is removed generally around day 10 post op, the punch extraction points start to fade also over the first 2 weeks. If going for FUE and you normally wear your hair longer it maybe an idea to cut it shorter prior to the operation so the change for you and others is not so drastic, and being asked why you have shaved.

Recipient area, this greatly depends on the surface treated and the amount of native hair you still have. Possibly you could hide the area with a little clever styling. Dependent on the situation the clinic may have to shave your native hair in the recipient area to place a correct density or go over any miniaturisation.

Initially you will have scabbing, and maybe a little swelling in the first days, the scabbing will release itself with washing normally no more than 2 weeks. The area will remain reddish pink for a while but once clean if you cannot wear a hat or cover you could use a little foundation to mask it.

You will keep the grafted hair for about a month, normally close to 30 days it falls and then you are basically back to where you started.

Hope this helps a little, 20 days is a good amount of time though, no one can say you will totally back to normal but the worst of the healing is over.

 

[close]

I had 4 FUE, each time it took me 5-6 days to recover and in 10 days nobody could observe anything except more hairs, which however gradually falls out and starts to grow a month or 2 later.

 

[JohnnyDrama]

I returned to work 20 days post op from 2200 FUE. Nobody said a thing apart from all the comments on why I shaved my head. Your post op care will play a part - cleaning, rinsing, Aloe Vera application etc etc will all help the more you do.

 

[Prohairclinic]

I might be world record holder in terms of going back to work.

After my last FUE (i believe it was 2008) I want straight back into giving consultations after the treatment (I believe it was 1700 grafts).

 

[sl]

Twenty days off for most is a luxury and should not present a problem.

I've had many surgeries now and for my first ever took 3 weeks off, then 2 as I got more used to it and was fine for work and back into meetings and even court cases.

I had FUE only and there was some residual redness but nothing too obvious at two weeks to worry about.

Like Hattingen wisely says if you can shave your head prior if having FUE then it does limit how different you will look post op as hopefully people would be used to that cut. I have always worn my hair very short so it was really a walk in the park for me.

MSM tablets will help speed up hair growth and there are some tips to a speedy recovery also but as said 20 days should be fine and more than most will have.

 

[topccat29]

You can pick up much from viewing the recipient areas that have been posted by clinics and patients post op. Many look very clean and orderly in a day or so others look like a big blob of shit. This seems to be directly related to the skill of the doctor and clinic staff. Some patients are oozing blood and pus several days later, to me this is completely abnormal but once again who you choose does matter.

I opted for no hat at the airport 6 days later after my last procedure. The only looks I did get were due to the hair cut, shaved very high up on the sides, close to being a Mohawk. I was in winding lines of hundreds and hundreds of people coming into Chicago €™s O €™hare airport, it was not an issue I was healed up by then.

Most of those patients that are oozing blood and pus for days on end opted for super mega sessions in the range of 10,000 grafts. I guess eventually it heals up and some of the hair grows. All the medications I would assume make the oozing not so bad.

 

[wolfsatplay]

This is great info and perspective on post recovery. Thank you everyone.

 

[David 35]

Very helpful reading. A good insight into what to expect. Thanks for all the valuable information shared.

 

[Prohairclinic]

topccat29 wrote:

You can pick up much from viewing the recipient areas that have been posted by clinics and patients post op. Many look very clean and orderly in a day or so others look like a big blob of shit. This seems to be directly related to the skill of the doctor and clinic staff. Some patients are oozing blood and pus several days later, to me this is completely abnormal but once again who you choose does matter.

I opted for no hat at the airport 6 days later after my last procedure. The only looks I did get were due to the hair cut, shaved very high up on the sides, close to being a Mohawk. I was in winding lines of hundreds and hundreds of people coming into Chicago €™s O €™hare airport, it was not an issue I was healed up by then.

Most of those patients that are oozing blood and pus for days on end opted for super mega sessions in the range of 10,000 grafts. I guess eventually it heals up and some of the hair grows. All the medications I would assume make the oozing not so bad.

I would not entirely agree.Some patients are 'bleeders' and there are just so many things you can do about it.For example Red haired patients are a nightmare in terms of bleeding. Even our plastic surgeons are sometimes hesitating to perform surgery on a red hair person.
Some guys heal fast, and some very slow and poor. Some guys have major swelling, some have little although all have the same after care.
It is not a black and white answer.
B

 

[topccat29]

Didn't know that about guys with red hair guys being real bleeders..............always something new to learn...........thank you.
My comment was mostly meant in terms of generally speaking. I see some clinics that consistently show post op pics that are a bloody mess and with others it is just the opposite for the most part.
This would tell me that it is a direct result of something the clinic is doing at least that is my opinion. If I am wrong I am willing to listen to any logical explanation and correct myself if I am wrong.

 

[topccat29]

Okay so I looked it up and redheads do have a naturally lower level of vitamin K so maybe that is the issue. I don €™t take many supplements but I do use a vitamin D3 spray with K-2 starting at the end of summer. Dr. Bisanga did comment that I hardly had any bleeding when making recipient sites towards the crown thinking maybe there was just too much scar tissue. Now that you brought up the red head comment I €™m thinking that maybe my K-2 levels were just very high €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦.anyway just thinking and it €™s just guess.

Have you thought about having your red head patients supplement with vitamin K before surgery?

 

[Boberto]

10 days to 2 weeks off post FUE you should be grand.

 

[topccat29]

I think a good way to look at it would be something like this. If you are a NW5 let €™s say you lost approximately 40,000 hairs. If you go for fue and you can get 5000 that maybe brings back about 12,000 hairs or so. If you go for fut and you can get 8000 grafts that brings you back about 20,000 hairs or so. Keep in mind these are just rough estimates.

With the fue procedure you get back almost 30% of the original hair with fut you get back closer to 50%. As far as each procedure goes you are probably familiar with both the good and bad.

Personally I would go for fue but I €™m 50 years old and hair takes on very little importance as one gets older. Having a full thick head of hair is more of an issue for younger guys so of course your age is going to be a critical factor in choosing.

The absolute safest play for you in my opinion would be to have fue first establish a hairline and the frontal 1/3 so that it looks normal. You now have put yourself in a position if everything is done right to walk away from it all or choose strip now that you have actual experience. It will be your decision alone and not something that you feel like you are forced into.

As far as recovery times the actual question of the thread €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦forget about it. It does not and should not matter. You have to do what is right for you in the long run, thinking short term about healing is very foolish. You need to have a long term plan.


Walking through very busy airports with a shaved head and no hat for me was not the most comfortable thing to do but it's only one day out of my life. It means nothing as it is gone an forgotten. What matters is what happens long term.

 

[wolfsatplay]

topccat29 Thanks for this. This is extremely helpful. Really puts things in perspective for me. I will be going FUE w/ Dr Hakan Doganay: just can't get past the scar

 

[Bigmac]

You will also have the redness in your recipient area to deal with, if you're shaven down this will be more noticeable, some explain this away as sunburn or skin irritation.
Hopefully you don't experience too much redness and as others say, take good care of the area by applying Aloe Vera and keeping it clean.
All the best for your surgery.
Bm.

 

[bullitnut]

wolfsatplay wrote:

I will be going FUE w/ Dr Hakan Doganay:

Congratulations.....please keep us updated when the time comes buddy

 

[wolfsatplay]

I will definitely post my experiences, as I feel I should give back. This forum has been invaluable.

w

 

[Bigmac]

wolfsatplay wrote:

I will definitely post my experiences, as I feel I should give back. This forum has been invaluable.

w

Thanks, glad it's helped you in your research.