The consensus among most physicians worldwide who are capable of performing all three procedures is that FUT (the Strip method) should be employed first to the point where it can no longer be used. Thereafter a Non-Strip method such as FUE or NSH should be used.
One possible exception is when the number of grafts required to fill a bald or thinning area is relatively small-in the area of 1,500 grafts or less AND that area is not the hairline itself.
The reason for this is that while FUE grafts do indeed grow, they simply do not grow as well or as reliably as FUT (Strip) grafts do. This is due to the trauma FUE grafts must endure during the removal process compared to Strip. Single hair grafts like those needed to rebuild hairlines are the most damaged of all making FUE a poor choice for rebuilding hairlines.
Rather, FUE should be used to fill in smaller areas of balding or thinning like temple points or areas on top behind the hairline.
If you need your entire hairline rebuilt or just thickened most hair transplant doctors will recommend doing Strip (FUT). This procedure produces the best growing grafts in the shortest period of time with the least amount of trauma. But if you simply don’t want a long strip removed from the back of your head you can opt for the Non Strip Harvest (NSH) method which will produce single hair grafts every bit is good and reliable as Strip grafts but with smaller more spread out scarring that is not connected together and easily concealable by your surrounding hair.
Use the search feature of HTW to find and visit a hair transplant doctor who can perform all HT procedures to get their valuable input. The good news is that if you start with one procedure most of the time you can switch to another in the future if desired. As with all medical procedures meet with an HTW participating physician for advice and then work out a plan so you can join the millions of people who have reclaimed their living growing hair through hair transplantation.
