If you’re thinking about getting a hair transplant, you may be wondering which method to opt for as there are multiple methods available. Here, we’ll take a look at direct hair implantation (DHI) and follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplant methods. We will discuss DHI vs FUE hair transplants, the advantages and disadvantages of both, and compare the two.
Hair transplants
In the UK two-thirds of all men will be affected by male pattern baldness at some point in their lives. Therefore, at any one time, 7.4 million men are losing their hair in the UK.
The demand for hair transplants is growing. A major factor contributing to the growing demand of hair transplants is the increased publicity of successful celebrity procedures. For example David Beckham and John Travolta both had highly publicised, successful procedures, which inspired many men to undertake the surgery themselves. These successful cases demonstrate the reason why it is important to choose not only the correct hair transplant procedure for your particular case, but also a clinic with experienced surgeons, which exceeds the required healthcare standards.
What is Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)?
FUE is a method of hair transplant that involves removing individual hair follicles from a donor region. This region is often an area where the patient still has normal hair growth, such as the back or side of the head. The surgeon will then implant the follicles where the patient requires hair regrowth.
During the process, individual follicles, which contain typically between 1 and 4 hairs, are removed under local anaesthesia. They are removed using an instrument which cuts tiny holes (less than 1mm in diameter) in the scalp. Then, in the area where the patient’s hair is thinning/balding, the surgeon will create channels in the scalp. The extracted follicles are then carefully placed into the channels. At Harley St Healthcare, our experienced surgeons are precise to ensure the hair blends in properly by matching the angle of the original hair growth.
What is Direct Hair Implantation (DHI)?
DHI is a modification of FUE. The process is similar in the way that DHI also involves the same technique of removing individual hair follicles from a donor region, however, the implantation is slightly different. To implant the hairs into the balding areas with DHI, the surgeon uses a handheld tool which creates the channels and implants the follicles at the same time.
FUE vs DHI Hair Transplants
Now that you know the difference between the two procedures, you might be wondering which is best for your situation. However, If you are a good candidate for FUE, you are probably also a good candidate for DHI. As mentioned, they are both similar procedures.
FUE is a gentle method of extracting the hair follicles individually from the donor region, which means it leaves minimal scarring. DHI is a method used to then implant the hair follicles back into the balding area. It bypasses the part of FUE where channels are created in the scalp manually by the surgeon to implant the follicles.
Both techniques are commonly used together. The choice of which one to use is often a result of whichever the surgeon prefers because they both achieve the same results. There is currently no research to suggest one is better than the other.
An advantage of FUE vs DHI is that creating the channels separately, before implanting the hair, can be used as a way of mapping out the area where the follicles will be implanted. Whereas with DHI the surgeon will create the channel and implant the hair simultaneously.
An advantage of DHI vs FUE is that FUE uses an incredibly precise tool which negates the need for a surgeon to manually cut channels into the scalp. This tool makes it easy to create angles to match the direction of growth of the surrounding hair.
Advantages of FUE and DHI
Natural Looking Results
Both FUE and DHI produce natural looking results and are very safe procedures.
Minimal Scarring
Some other types of hair transplant procedures, such as Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT), can cause visible scarring. However, both FUE and DHI extract individual hair follicles from the extraction zone, as opposed to whole sections. This means they only cause minimal scarring which is often barely visible.
Quick Recovery
Due to minimal scarring being left behind when using the FUE extraction technique, the patient’s head is normally healed in around 3-7 days. However, this procedure requires the surgeon to shave the head so an inch of hair growth should be seen after around 6 months, and full results after 12 months.
Time of Surgery
It is often the case that a procedure can be finished in one session. This however does depend on the clinic and the scale of the particular procedure. Patients that require more hair follicle transplants could see their procedure stretched over 2 or 3 sessions.
Affordability
Although there is no fixed price for FUE or DHI, it is generally affordable. The price does increase with the amount of hair that needs transplanting, as does the time of the surgery. A price list for Harley St Healthcare clinic can be viewed here.
What Recovery Looks Like
Recovery of DHI and FUE hair transplants are basically the same due to the similarities of the procedure. Due to the precise nature of both DHI and FUE techniques, scabbing is minimal, however swelling and redness may be present for the first few days. This is completely normal.
Once the procedure is complete and the hair starts to grow, the newly implanted hair will fall out. The roots will then grow new hairs and these will grow normally. Therefore, increased density should be seen around 4 months after the procedure and as mentioned, full results will be seen around 12 months after the initial surgery.
Book A Free Consultation
Harley St Healthcare has an experienced team of surgeons who are leaders in the field of hair restoration. We have branches scattered across the UK in locations such as London, Birmingham and Manchester, to name a few.
If you’re worried about hair loss or balding and need professional advice, booking a consultation with one of our specialist surgeons is the best way to find out whether a hair transplant is right for you. We will advise you which procedure suits your situation best and make the process as smooth as possible.
