In a usual "strip method" follicles are separated after strip is harvested from your donor site (from the back of your head). The donor area is closed by an absorbable stitch and the follicles are individually transplanted in the area of hair loss. It takes a week to 10 days for the stitch and the scabs to get clear. Except for some tightness or discomfort (>95 % patients do not complain of pain) in the donor site & swelling and scabs for first few days procedure is very safe. This will leave a linear scar in the donor area. If you keep your hair in the donor area of more than 1/2 inch the mark of the stitch is not visible ( especially if you have Trichophytic closure). But if you go for buzz cut or full head shaving the mark of the stitch will be visible.

2^nd method which is more modern is "the stitch less procedure" (FUE- Follicular Unit Extraction). This does not involve removal of strip or stitches. The Grafts are individually extracted from the scalp. This although a lengthy procedure has faster healing in only 4-5 days usually and is practically discomfort free postoperatively. This being stitch less does not leave any linear scar in the donor area and therefore allows more modern short hair style. These are its advantages over the conventional strip method.

Well for your information the accumulated scarring of the FUE is more than the linear scar of strip method (FUT). Scars are visible in both method if the head is completely shaved.

The strip method is the method where grafts are cut under magnified vision therefore graft quality is much superior than the blind extraction for the grafts in FUE. The regrowth rate therefore in Strip method is 95%+ where as in case of FUE it may be 80%+

Although the donor healing in FUE is 3-5 days earlier than that of strip method in case of the recipient healing is the same period.


For large number of grafts (say over 1500 grafts) ; in Strip method you need anaesthetic pain only once where as in FUE you have to have that of 2 -3 consecutive days.

These days you can have better scar in Strip method by trichophytic closure ( which grows the hair through the linear scar. In short:

• Transplanted Hair Looks and feels natural unlike wig and concealer.
• Transplanted hair remain undetectable among the other hair.
• Transplanted hair grows and keeps growing permanently unlike the hair of wig and the re grown hair by Medication.
• Do not require extra maintenance or care unlike wig, which require lifetime care.
• The Transplanted hair can be cut, colored and styled as well.
• Transplantation normally has one time expense unlike medication or wig which require lifetime expense of maintenance.
• It is a One day Procedure performed by numbing your skin so you can talk with doctor, watch TV, listen to music, read, take a nap, have lunch and juice and even use the wash room!
• No bandages at the end of the procedure.
• You can take shoulder bath from same day and can shampoo your hair from next day.
• You can even do light office work from second day.
• If you are from out station you may travel back same or the next day. Practically no follow-up is required thereafter.