Un-shaven or U-FUE

[vraphair]

Hello,
I am a male in my early 30's who is considering an FUE hair transplant (I'll need ~2,000 grafts). Due to the fact that I work a full-time job that requires a lot of interaction with people, I am considering going for a U-FUE procedure.
I've done several consultations with clinics in both the U.S. and Asia, and I am getting conflicting information.
Some clinics have claimed that U-FUE is not as effective as the normal (shaven) FUE because it is harder to extract the grafts. So their claim is that the results would not be as good if I pursue the U-FUE method and recommended against it.
Other clinics have stated that with recent advances in U-FUE and their skilled staff, the U-FUE results will be just as good as with a normal (shaven) FUE procedure.
Can anyone shed some light on the truth here? Has anyone had personal experience with the U-FUE procedure?
I am trying the make the most educated decision possible.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Bigmac]

U-FUE can mean a few things. No shaving at all, lifting hair up to shave strips underneath. 2000 Fue will take 2 days at least IMO.
What type of unshaven Fue are you thinking of?
Here is a link to a topic explaining the methods.

Long Hair FUE Tequniques

Long hair FUE or unshaven FUE has been available for several years within the Hair Transplant Industry. It`s an intricate procedure which takes time and skill on the part of your surgeon to select the most healthy hairs, ensuring they are extracted and implanted correctly. This treatment gives...

www.hairlossexperiences.com

 

[vraphair]

Hi Bigmac,

Thanks for your prompt reply to my thread. I am considering the completely non-shaven FUE (no shaving at all).

Due to the "skill" required and the fact that you have to be a suitable candidate, this limits the possible clinics to choose from. I had a several consultations, and the surgeons assured me that I am a good candidate for no shaving at all -- and that the results would be just as good as with any other FUE procedure.

I just want to see if anyone on here has any knowledge to share and/or personal experience.

Thanks so much.

 

[Westcoaster]

Shapiro Medical group offer unshaven Fue in the US, I believe True & Dorin do too. Asmed in Turkey offer long hair no shave Fue which looks awesome.
Here's Smg doing it.

Shapiro Medical FUE Procedure w/Unshaved Donor & Recipient

Here is a quick video of Shapiro Medical Group's FUE procedure with unshaved donor & recipient. The video is very short but you get an idea of the process involved. It certainly makes for a more tedious procedure to work with the long hairs surrounding each graft to be extracted. However...

www.hairlossexperiences.com

If you search unshaven on here, quite a lot of information comes up.

 

[Dr. Josephitis]

vraphair,

The unshaven FUE is very similar to the shaven FUE except for the fact that we trim only the hairs short that we are planning on extracting. The net effect is the same as the regular FUE. The grafts are placed into the same holding solution and they are handled in the same careful manner.

The difference with the unshaven is that it takes a very long time and the costs for the patient are much higher. For a 2000 graft case at Shapiro Medical Group it will take at least 2 days. Not many clinics do offer it because it is not as popular of a procedure. I believe this is not because of the results, but rather because most patients who undergo the FUE typically wear their hair short anyway. The extra cost and time spent in the office is usually not worth it. With the shaven FUE the donor area heals very rapidly and there is usually little down time.

Hope this helps.