FUE and FUT
| FUE | FUT (strip) | |
|---|---|---|
| How the hair is taken | One follicle group at a time, with a tiny punch | A narrow strip of scalp, divided under a microscope |
| Scars | Hundreds of dots, hidden by short hair | One fine line across the back, hidden by longer hair |
| Suits | Most people, and those who wear hair short | Larger sessions, and those who keep hair longer |
| Recovery | Donor area heals in about a week | Stitches out at 10 to 14 days |
Who it suits
It works when there is a strong band of donor hair and the loss has slowed, usually from the late twenties on. A surgeon plans for the hair you'll lose later as well as what's gone now. It suits fewer women, because women tend to thin all over. It is generally not done for alopecia areata, where the immune system would attack the new hair too.
The day and the first year
- The procedure takes four to eight hours under local anaesthetic. You go home the same day.
- Scabs fall away in 7 to 10 days. Most people take a week off work.
- The moved hairs fall out at two to six weeks. That is expected.
- New growth starts at three to four months and fills in over the year.
- You judge the result at 12 months.
Risks
Infection, bleeding, numbness, visible scarring, patchy growth, an unnatural hairline and shock loss of nearby hair can all happen. Results depend on who does the work. Ask who takes the grafts and who places them: in some clinics it is technicians, not the doctor.
Every doctor practising in Ireland must be on the Medical Council's register, and you can search it by name. Hair restoration has no specialty of its own on that register, so ask what training the doctor has and how many of these procedures they do in a year.
What it costs
Irish prices run €1,500 to €10,000. Smaller sessions for a hairline start from about €2,900, and most procedures cost €3,500 to €9,500. Priced by the graft, it's about €3 to €4 each, so 2,500 grafts comes to €7,500 to €10,000. Get the price in writing, with what's included: follow-ups, medicines, and any top-up session. Thinking of going abroad? Read Turkey or Ireland first.
Questions people ask
How much is a hair transplant in Ireland?
€1,500 to €10,000 in our price guide, with most procedures at €3,500 to €9,500, or about €3 to €4 a graft.
Is a hair transplant permanent?
The transplanted hairs usually last. The hair around them can keep thinning, so most surgeons recommend a medicine as well.
Does it hurt?
The anaesthetic injections sting. After that most people feel pressure, not pain. The scalp is sore and tight for a few days.
Am I too young?
Many surgeons won't operate on men in their early twenties, because the pattern hasn't shown itself yet and a hairline set too low looks wrong later.