FUE Follicular Unit Extraction Hair Transplant Technique Renamed
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) revealed it is changing the terminology relating to certain hair transplant procedures.
Currently 'FUE' - a popular form of surgical hair restoration usually carried out on men with genetic hair loss - stands for Follicular Unit Extraction; this will now refer to 'Follicular Unit Excision' moving forward.
According to the ISHRS this change was driven by the need to make the phrasing "more scientifically, clinically and surgically accurate" given that FUE involves excisions of tissue and hair. In many countries the term 'extraction' also has non-surgical implications.
Scalp Punch Device Used in FUE Hair Transplants
The FUE hair transplant method uses a robotic 'punch' device to individually harvest follicular units from the back of a client's head. As a result, the scalp heals faster following FUE surgery and there is less potential for scarring.
On the ISHRS website, Ricardo Mejia, a board member of the organisation and Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Issues Pertaining to the Unlicensed Practice of Medicine, explains why the terminology was amended:
"When performed by qualified, properly trained hair restoration surgeons, hair transplantation is a safe and highly effective procedure to correct hair loss. However, it is a cosmetic surgical procedure and any attempt to downplay the significant surgical aspects of FUE to appear less invasive is misleading, and potentially dangerous, to patients".
Dr. Mejia notes that for the past 15 years, the term 'extraction' was used to "imply a non-surgical procedure that only involves "extracting hairs".
He believes this vague phrasing has spawned a "black market for hair transplantation", with procedures performed by unqualified practitioners - this may explain the spike in surgery carried out to correct botched transplants.
ISHRS's announcement reflects its recent push to make the hair transplant industry more client-friendly. In 2017, it released a number of guidelines to help prospective recipients understand exactly what is involved and what factors to consider when seeking out a surgeon. When deciding on surgical hair restoration it is imperative that thorough research is done beforehand.
Dr. Mejia hopes that amending FUE terminology will be a key step, ensuring recipients "avoid inadvertently paying to have surgery performed by someone not licensed to practice medicine".
In 2016 a total of 635,189 surgical hair restoration procedures were carried out worldwide, a figure which has increased 60 per cent since 2014.
While other hair transplant techniques exist, such as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), 92.5 per cent of ISHRS members reported performing FUE on their patients. Various celebrities have admitted to having this type of procedure, including footballer Wayne Rooney, chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay and soccer referee Mark Clattenburg.
For those looking to regrow hair and prevent baldness without surgery, a bespoke plan including non-invasive male hair loss treatments may provide a less painful alternative.
Belgravia offers customised hairloss treatment courses which centre around two clinically proven medications. In order to ensure every aspect is covered, a variety of hair growth booster products can be incorporated into tailored regimens where appropriate. These range from home-use LLLT devices, such as the LaserComb, to Belgravia's Hair Vitalics for Men food supplements.
The clinic's on-going monitoring and support means that specialists are always available to answer queries and tweak courses where appropriate. This ensures that clients are using the optimum treatments for their condition, level and pattern of hair loss at all times.
It appears more men are taking heed of non-surgical hair loss solutions: a Mintel poll revealed only 7 per cent of British male respondents would opt for a hair transplant.
Currently 'FUE' - a popular form of surgical hair restoration usually carried out on men with genetic hair loss - stands for Follicular Unit Extraction; this will now refer to 'Follicular Unit Excision' moving forward.
According to the ISHRS this change was driven by the need to make the phrasing "more scientifically, clinically and surgically accurate" given that FUE involves excisions of tissue and hair. In many countries the term 'extraction' also has non-surgical implications.
Original term misleading
The FUE hair transplant method uses a robotic 'punch' device to individually harvest follicular units from the back of a client's head. As a result, the scalp heals faster following FUE surgery and there is less potential for scarring.
On the ISHRS website, Ricardo Mejia, a board member of the organisation and Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Issues Pertaining to the Unlicensed Practice of Medicine, explains why the terminology was amended:
"When performed by qualified, properly trained hair restoration surgeons, hair transplantation is a safe and highly effective procedure to correct hair loss. However, it is a cosmetic surgical procedure and any attempt to downplay the significant surgical aspects of FUE to appear less invasive is misleading, and potentially dangerous, to patients".
Dr. Mejia notes that for the past 15 years, the term 'extraction' was used to "imply a non-surgical procedure that only involves "extracting hairs".
He believes this vague phrasing has spawned a "black market for hair transplantation", with procedures performed by unqualified practitioners - this may explain the spike in surgery carried out to correct botched transplants.
ISHRS's announcement reflects its recent push to make the hair transplant industry more client-friendly. In 2017, it released a number of guidelines to help prospective recipients understand exactly what is involved and what factors to consider when seeking out a surgeon. When deciding on surgical hair restoration it is imperative that thorough research is done beforehand.
Dr. Mejia hopes that amending FUE terminology will be a key step, ensuring recipients "avoid inadvertently paying to have surgery performed by someone not licensed to practice medicine".
Hair restoration options
In 2016 a total of 635,189 surgical hair restoration procedures were carried out worldwide, a figure which has increased 60 per cent since 2014.
While other hair transplant techniques exist, such as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), 92.5 per cent of ISHRS members reported performing FUE on their patients. Various celebrities have admitted to having this type of procedure, including footballer Wayne Rooney, chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay and soccer referee Mark Clattenburg.
For those looking to regrow hair and prevent baldness without surgery, a bespoke plan including non-invasive male hair loss treatments may provide a less painful alternative.
Belgravia offers customised hairloss treatment courses which centre around two clinically proven medications. In order to ensure every aspect is covered, a variety of hair growth booster products can be incorporated into tailored regimens where appropriate. These range from home-use LLLT devices, such as the LaserComb, to Belgravia's Hair Vitalics for Men food supplements.
The clinic's on-going monitoring and support means that specialists are always available to answer queries and tweak courses where appropriate. This ensures that clients are using the optimum treatments for their condition, level and pattern of hair loss at all times.
It appears more men are taking heed of non-surgical hair loss solutions: a Mintel poll revealed only 7 per cent of British male respondents would opt for a hair transplant.
The Belgravia Centre
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.