FUE and FUT: what each one takes, and what each one leaves
Both techniques move hair from the same donor area. FUT removes a single strip of scalp and dissects it into follicular units, leaving one linear scar; FUE punches units out individually, leaving scattered dot scars. No pooled analysis has shown a survival difference between them; the one systematic review of graft survival found 82.7% at 7-12 months, falling with time, regardless of technique.
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Every number printed on this figure, and where it came from
Each quantity the diagram prints, the sentence it was taken from, and the guide that sentence is in. The build refuses to publish if one of these sentences is no longer in the guide it names.
| Value | What it is, and the sentence behind it | Source guide |
|---|---|---|
| 0.8-1.0 mm | Diameter of the punch used for each FUE extraction “Individual follicular units are extracted one-by-one using small punches (0.8-1.0mm diameter)” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 0.8-1.0 mm | Size of each FUE dot scar “Size: 0.8-1.0mm diameter each” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 1-3 mm | Width of the FUT linear scar “Width: 1-3mm (typically 1-2mm with good technique)” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 15-30 cm | Length of the FUT linear scar “Length: 15-30cm depending on graft needs” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 2-3 cm | Hair length needed to conceal the FUT scar “Hair required to hide: 2-3cm minimum” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 2,500-3,000 grafts | Maximum grafts in a single FUE session “2,500-3,000 grafts maximum” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 4,000+ grafts | Grafts possible in a single FUT session “4,000+ grafts possible” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| $6-$10 per graft | FUE cost per graft “Per graft: $6-$10” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| $4-$6 per graft | FUT cost per graft “Per graft: $4-$6” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| FUE 6-8, FUT 4-6 hours | Operating time for a 2,000-graft procedure, by technique “A 2,000-graft FUE procedure takes 6-8 hours; FUT with the same graft count takes 4-6 hours” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 7-10 days | FUE initial recovery “7-10 days initial recovery, 3 weeks to full activity” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 10-14 days | FUT initial recovery “10-14 days initial recovery, 4 weeks to full activity” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 82.7 / 73.3 / 39.6% | Pooled graft survival at 7-12, 13-24 and 49-72 months, drawn as three bars on a full 0-100% scale “found 82.7% survival at 7-12 months, 73.3% at 13-24 months and 39.6% at 49-72 months, regardless of technique” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
| 8 studies | Size of the systematic review the survival figures come from “8 studies, 123 patients, all with scarring alopecia” | Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026) |
Where this figure appears
Hair Transplant FUE vs FUT: Complete Comparison (2026)