What is an FUE Hair Transplant?
Medical Review: This page has been reviewed for medical accuracy by Dr. Scott Thompson.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is an advanced hair restoration technique that involves carefully harvesting individual hair follicles from a donor area, typically the back or sides of the scalp, and transplanting them into areas of thinning or hair loss.
Unlike traditional strip methods, FUE does not require a linear incision. Instead, each follicular unit is extracted one by one using precise, handheld instrumentation. This allows for a more refined approach, minimal scarring, and a natural-looking result that blends seamlessly with your existing hair.
At Utah Facial Plastics Hair Restoration, our team specializes in manual FUE, a technique that prioritizes control, precision, and graft quality. By using advanced handheld tools rather than automated systems, our providers are able to carefully select and extract healthy follicles while preserving their integrity, an essential factor in achieving optimal growth and long-term results.
Why We Use Manual FUE Techniques
While FUE as a technique has been trusted for years, the way it’s performed matters. Our approach focuses on manual extraction, which offers several important advantages:
- Enhanced precision: Greater control during extraction helps protect each follicle and improve graft survival rates
- Team-based efficiency: Multiple highly trained technicians can work simultaneously, improving efficiency without compromising quality
- Seamless workflow: Grafts can be placed while extraction is still in progress, reducing overall procedure time
- Natural-looking outcomes: Strategic placement and careful handling allow for soft, undetectable results
This meticulous, hands-on approach allows us to deliver results that look natural, heal beautifully, and are tailored to each patient’s unique hairline, density, and goals.
Have questions? Give us a call at 385.462.1212
Hear From Patients Like You
At Utah Facial Plastics Hair Restoration, we care for our patients just as deeply as we care about technique and safety. From your first visit through every step of your journey, we’re here to support you, guide you, and ensure you always feel confident and cared for.
"I began to notice my hair thinning in my late 20s. As a young professional, it affected my confidence and the way I perceived myself. After years of trying various products and hairstyles to hide my thinning hair, I decided it was time for a more permanent solution. That’s when I opted for a hair transplant, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life."
Have questions? Give us a call at 385.462.1212
Day 1: FUE Hair Transplant Surgery with UFP Hair Restoration
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What Is Manual FUE Using Handheld Instruments?
At Utah Facial Plastics Hair Restoration, we perform FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) using advanced handheld instrumentation—a refined, highly controlled approach designed to preserve the integrity of every hair graft.
While we have used NeoGraft automated systems in the past, we have intentionally transitioned away from those devices in favor of a fully manual technique. This allows our team to perform each extraction with a higher level of precision, care, and customization, ultimately supporting healthier grafts and more natural results.
A More Precise, Graft-Preserving Approach
With manual FUE, each follicular unit is extracted individually, one at a time. Using specialized handheld tools, our experienced technicians carefully assess the angle, direction, and depth of each hair follicle before extraction. This level of control helps minimize trauma to the follicle and significantly reduces transection (damage to the graft), which is critical for long-term growth and success.
Once the follicle is gently separated, it is delicately removed from the scalp using fine forceps to preserve its structure and viability.
Designed for Better Healing and Natural Results
Another key advantage of the handheld method is the ability to customize the size of the extraction punch. We consistently use the smallest possible diameter—typically between 0.9–1.0 mm, depending on your individual hair characteristics. Smaller punch sizes mean:
- Less visible scarring
- Faster healing
- A more comfortable recovery
- Greater flexibility for future styling, including shorter hair
Efficiency Without Compromising Quality
Our technique also allows for a highly coordinated, team-based approach. Multiple skilled technicians can perform extractions simultaneously, while another team member begins placing grafts in the recipient area.
This streamlined process helps to:
- Reduce the amount of time each graft remains outside the body, preserving its health
- Improve overall graft survival rates
- Shorten procedure time, creating a more comfortable experience for you
Get in touch with the team at 385.462.1212
Before & After FUE Hair Transplant
Real FUE hair transplant results in Utah, performed by the experts at UFP Hair Restoration. Natural hairlines, restored density, and confidence you can see and feel.
Get in touch with the team at 385.462.1212
The NeoGraft Difference At Utah Hair MD
What Our Patients Are Saying
"Fantastic team & very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend UFP to anyone. Dr. Thompson is a highly skilled surgeon with an artistic eye and that’s incredibly hard to find."
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Frequently Asked Hair Transplant Questions
FUE with NeoGraft is performed in our surgical room at Utah Facial Plastics under local anesthesia. Patients are awake but are given medication to help them relax and feel comfortable during the procedure. First, the surgeon cleans off the scalp. Then he injects an anesthetic into the donor site.
The NeoGraft device gently extracts follicular units from a dense area in the back of the head in a precise, consistent fashion. The hair surgeon arranges and positions these follicular unit grafts in an aesthetically pleasing, natural fashion. The pattern and protocol for which this is done are determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the patients’ history of hair loss and the likelihood of future hair loss.
- No linear scar – important for those that wear their hair short and/or are athletic
- Superior results – more natural looking hair, short or long for both men and women
- No sutures or staples
- No numbness where the donor’s hair is harvested
- Low risk of complications
- Ideal for repairing donor scars that can’t be excised
- Quick recovery time – minimal downtime
- Less discomfort following surgery
- Better for those with a greater risk of scarring, ie those with very tight or loose scalps, those that are very muscular and athletic
For years it was thought that each hair grew as an individual strand but we know today that scalp hair actually grows in tiny groups of 1-4 hairs each. These grouping of hair are called “follicular units” and by using these units for hair restoration in Utah, the result is much more natural looking that previous methods of hair transplantation.
Because every patient has a different set of goals and needs varying amounts of grafts for fullness, Utah Facial Plastics does not provide set costs for surgery. A full detailed quote is given during a consultation with Dr. Thompson or Dr. Henstrom in our Layton and Draper locations or following an online consultation.
- Men and women who are suffering from hair loss and are looking for a minimally invasive solution that offers more natural looking results
- Patients who would like the option of wearing a very short haircut in the back or sides of their scalp
- Patients who want the least amount of activity restriction (ie athletes) after their hair transplant procedure
- Patients who need ‘scar camouflage’ to hide prior linear harvest or scars
Ultimately, the best way to determine whether you are a candidate for NeoGraft is through a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Thompson, Henstrom, and Manning in-office here in Utah or with an online consultation. You can set that up by calling 385.462.1212 or through our Virtual Consultation page.
Patients can expect some pinpoint bleeding following a NeoGraft procedure on the back of the head where the grafts were obtained, as well as on the top of the head where the grafts were transplanted. With proper care, the back of the head will heal within 3-5 days after surgery. The transplanted grafts on the top of the head will develop small scabs that will fall off within 10-14 days. Many of the hairs themselves will shed during this time as well, but the follicle below the skin remains viable. Minor swelling is in the area of the transplanted grafts is not unusual as well as occasional swelling in the brow/forehead area that may take 3-5 days to subside. Applying ice to the forehead (not where grafts were placed) is helpful as well as sleeping elevated during this period.
It is recommended that patients avoid exercise for the first week after their NeoGraft procedure. Medications are also given during the first week to help with swelling, risk of infection and pain.
The intact follicles will begin to produce hair within 3-5 months with final results apparent between 9 and 12 months after surgery.
The follicles that hold your transplanted hair are living tissues that grow cyclically. Like normal hair growth, transplantation is an ongoing process that requires a commitment of time.
It is not uncommon for the hair to fall out with the new hair growth about two to three weeks before shedding. After shedding, the new growth will begin in 3-4 months; this is normal and an important part of the new hair growth process. You can expect fully mature hair growth in approximately one year from your procedure date, though it does vary with each patient.
Your transplanted hair is taken from safe areas and should continue to grow the rest of your life just like it did in the donor area it was taken from. Hair loss does not stop after a transplantation which is why UFP specialists will typically recommend continuing maintenance either with preventative hair loss medications and/or further hair restoration sessions.
NeoGraft For Hair Restoration On Good Things Utah
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Interested in getting the NeoGraft procedure in Salt Lake City, Draper, Layton, Utah and the surrounding areas? Contact UFP Hair Restoration for more information or to schedule an appointment call 385.462.1212 or fill out our contact form here.