Why You Want a Doctor That Does Both FUE & FUT Transplants
I’m Dr. Matthew Lopresti, Chief Hair Restoration Surgeon at Leonard Hair Transplant Associates. One of the first questions I hear is “Which is better, FUE or FUT?” The honest answer is that both are excellent procedures, but they serve different purposes.
FUE or Follicular Unit Excision is a modern technique that removes follicular units one at a time using a tiny punch device. Because there is no strip removed, there is no linear scar. That makes it appealing for people who like to keep their hair very short or want freedom to style without visible scars. It is also less invasive with quicker healing and a comfortable recovery. At Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, every FUE procedure is performed with surgical precision to create natural growth patterns and seamless results.
FUE provides several benefits that make it an excellent option for many patients, including:
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Faster healing in the donor area
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No linear scar
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Freedom to wear your hair as short as you like
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Natural-looking results
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Precise harvesting of follicular units and skilled placement for the best aesthetic outcome
FUT or Follicular Unit Transplantation is the procedure I turn to when the goal is maximum fullness. By removing a thin strip from the donor area and dissecting it under a microscope, I can harvest a higher number of grafts in one session. That means more density and coverage which is particularly important for patients with advanced hair loss. FUT also preserves the donor supply more efficiently, leaving more grafts available if you need future procedures. For patients looking at the long-term picture, FUT often offers the best return.
You can usually begin light exercise about four days after your procedure. Once the stitches in the donor area have been removed and your scalp has healed sufficiently, you can safely return to more intense activities, including weight training.
Many patients today are being tempted by cheap FUE packages advertised on social media, especially in Turkey. The ads make it sound like a vacation with hair restoration included but behind the glossy marketing, there are serious risks. These clinics almost always offer only FUE, which means you will never be told if FUT might actually be the better procedure for you. That is not a medical opinion, it is a sales pitch.
Even more concerning is how many of these centers operate. They run as high-volume hair mills where dozens of patients are cycled through in a single day. Most of the surgery is often delegated to technicians, not licensed physicians. This would never be acceptable by U.S. medical standards. Patients frequently return with overharvested donor areas, patchy density, or unnatural hairlines that are extremely difficult to repair. Some even develop infections or long-term scarring that compromise future options.
This is why choosing a practice that offers both FUT and FUE under the direct care of a qualified hair restoration surgeon is essential. At Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, every treatment plan is designed around your goals, your hair type, and your future, not around the limitations of a one-size-fits-all clinic. With access to both techniques, we can maximize density, protect your donor supply, and deliver natural results that last.
In the end, the choice is not just between FUT and FUE. It is between shortcuts and true medical care. When it comes to your hair, there is no substitute for doing it right the first time.