FUT hair transplant

FUT hair transplant in Turkey: what it is and why it is less common

FUT — follicular unit transplantation, also called the strip method or strip surgery — is the older of the two ways of harvesting hair for a transplant. Instead of taking follicles one by one, the doctor removes a thin strip of scalp from the back of the head, closes the wound with stitches and divides the strip into individual grafts under microscopes. The grafts are then placed into the thinning area in the same way as in FUE.

In Turkey, FUE and DHI make up nearly all hair transplants, and only a minority of clinics still offer FUT. The reason is mainly demand: most patients want to avoid a linear scar and to wear their hair short. FUT has not become a worse operation, though, and for some patients it remains a sensible choice. For the general guide to prices, packages, graft numbers and choosing a clinic, see hair transplant in Turkey; this page covers only what is specific to the strip method.

A quote is free: send photos of your head from the front, the top, both sides and the back, and a doctor tells you whether FUT, FUE or a combination fits your hair loss and donor area.

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How the strip method works

A FUT hair transplant is done under local anaesthesia and takes most of a day.

• Planning: the doctor marks the hairline and the recipient area and checks how loose your scalp is at the back, because this decides how wide a strip can be removed and closed without tension.
• Strip removal: after numbing, a strip usually about 1–1.5 cm wide and up to 15–25 cm long is taken from the middle of the back of the head, the zone where hair is most resistant to male-pattern loss. Only the hair directly over the strip is trimmed; the hair above it stays long.
• Closure: the wound is closed with stitches or staples. Many doctors use a trichophytic closure, in which one edge is trimmed so that hair grows through the scar and makes it harder to see.
• Dissection: technicians cut the strip into follicular units — natural groups of one to four hairs — under stereo microscopes. Because the follicles are seen from the side, few of them are cut.
• Placement: the doctor opens channels in the recipient area and the grafts are placed, exactly as in FUE.

Because the donor hair is not shaved, the back of the head looks almost unchanged once the long hair falls over the stitches. This is one of the reasons some patients still ask for the strip method.

The FUT scar: what to expect

Every FUT leaves one linear scar across the back of the head, roughly from ear to ear or shorter. In most patients it heals to a fine line of about 1–2 mm that is hidden by hair of normal length. It becomes visible with very short haircuts, especially with clippers below about grade 3–4, and in some patients it stretches and becomes wider.

The scar is more likely to stay fine when the strip is not too wide for your scalp, the wound is closed without tension, a trichophytic closure is used, you avoid heavy lifting and neck flexion in the first weeks, and you do not smoke. It is more likely to widen with a tight scalp, a second or third strip from the same area, or a tendency to wide scars elsewhere on your body. A wide scar can later be camouflaged with FUE grafts placed into it or with scalp micropigmentation, but it cannot be removed. Ask to see photos of the doctor's FUT scars, not only of hairlines.

FUE vs FUT hair transplant: which one suits you?

Both techniques move the same follicles; the difference is the harvest. The FUE page compares them from the FUE side; the table below is written for patients considering the strip.

In short, FUE vs FUT hair transplant is not a question of which is better overall. FUE suits most patients, especially those who want short hair. FUT may suit you better if you always wear your hair longer, need a large number of grafts, have a loose scalp, or have curly hair in which FUE extraction damages more follicles. Some doctors combine both over a lifetime — a strip first, FUE later — to use more of the donor area. DHI uses FUE extraction; see DHI hair transplant and hair transplant techniques.

Who is a good candidate for FUT?

You may be a good candidate for a FUT hair transplant in Turkey if your hair loss has stabilised, your scalp at the back is loose enough to close a strip without tension, you are happy to keep your hair at least a few centimetres long at the back, and you either need a large session or cannot shave the back of your head for work or personal reasons. Patients with tightly curled hair are sometimes better served by FUT; see also afro hair transplant.

FUT is usually not the right choice if you wear or want to wear very short hair, have a tight scalp, a history of wide or raised (keloid) scars, or only need a small number of grafts — for a small hairline correction, FUE is simpler. As with any transplant, young men with fast-progressing hair loss and women with diffuse thinning need a diagnosis first; see hair loss treatments and female hair transplant.

How much does a FUT hair transplant cost in Turkey?

There is no fixed FUT hair transplant cost on our site, because the price depends on the clinic, the number of grafts and the doctor. In Turkey FUT packages generally cost in a similar range to FUE, about €1,500–€3,500; this is approximate and confirmed in a written quote. For comparison, an FUE hair transplant starts from €1,650 and a DHI hair transplant from €1,200 on our site.

The UK, US and German figures are approximate ranges from clinic price lists; the NHS does not fund hair transplants. Abroad, FUT is often slightly cheaper per graft than FUE because harvesting is faster; in Turkey, where prices are set per package, the difference is usually small. What a package includes — consultation, tests, the operation, aftercare products, hotel and transfers — is explained on the hair transplant hub. For FUT, ask in addition whether the removal of the stitches is included, because it happens about 10–14 days after the operation, usually after you have flown home.

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Recovery after a FUT hair transplant

The recipient area heals as after FUE: small crusts for about a week to ten days, shock loss of the transplanted hairs in weeks 2–8 and new growth from about the third or fourth month. The difference is the donor wound.

• First days: the back of the head feels tight and sore, more than after FUE; painkillers control it. Sleep with your head raised and avoid bending your neck forward sharply.
• Days 2–3: the first wash at the clinic, then gentle washing as instructed. You can usually fly home on day 2 or 3.
• Days 10–14: stitches or staples are removed — at home by a doctor or nurse, or with dissolving stitches that need no removal. Ask before you book which applies.
• Weeks 2–6: tightness and numbness around the scar fade gradually. No heavy lifting, gym training with neck strain or contact sports until your doctor allows it, because tension widens the scar.
• Months 3–12: the scar matures and becomes paler; the transplanted hair grows in.

The month-by-month growth timeline and the medication that protects your remaining hair are on the hair transplant hub. Tips for the flight are in flying after surgery.

Risks of FUT

The NHS lists infection, bleeding, swelling, scarring and transplanted hair that does not grow among the possible problems of a hair transplant, and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) warns against clinics where unlicensed technicians perform the surgical steps. Specific to FUT are:

• A wide or visible scar: the main drawback, more likely with a tight scalp or a strip that was too wide.
• Numbness and tightness: around the scar for weeks or months; rarely, long-lasting nerve pain.
• Wound problems: delayed healing or infection of the donor wound, uncommon with careful closure and aftercare.
• Shock loss around the scar: temporary thinning of hair next to the wound, which usually grows back.

Lower these risks by choosing a doctor who performs FUT regularly, following the restrictions on lifting and neck flexion, and not smoking. More on general safety: is surgery in Turkey safe.

Choosing a FUT hair transplant in Turkey: questions to ask

• How often do you perform FUT, and can I see photos of healed scars at least a year after surgery?
• Do you use a trichophytic closure, and how wide will my strip be?
• How many grafts will the strip give, and will the final count be written in my report?
• Who dissects the strip, and under which magnification?
• Are the stitches dissolving, or who removes them after I fly home?
• If I want FUE later, how much donor reserve will I have left?

A clinic that offers FUT but cannot show healed scars, or that recommends a strip for a small hairline correction, deserves caution. The general checks are in how to choose a safe surgeon in Turkey.

FUT hair transplant results

The growth after FUT is the same as after FUE: first new hair at about three to four months, a clear change by six to eight months and the final result at about twelve months. Transplanted hair keeps its resistance to male-pattern hair loss. Judge the result by the density and hairline at the front and by the scar at the back — both should be checked on photos of other patients before you choose.

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Hospitals with Hair Transplant in Turkey

Academic Hospital

Üsküdar, Istanbul

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Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital

Pendik, Istanbul

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