FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation)
Follicular Unit Transplantation, the strip method in which a band of donor scalp is removed and dissected into grafts.
- 1Tungsten-carbide jaws. Gold handles are the trade's mark for a carbide-inserted instrument.
- 2Box joint. Protein collects inside it, which is why it is cleaned open.
- 3Ratchet lock, holding the clamping force so the hand does not have to.
- 4Ring handles, sized for a gloved finger.
FUT, or Follicular Unit Transplantation, is the strip method of hair harvesting: a band of scalp is removed from the donor area in a single piece, the wound is closed, and the excised strip is dissected under magnification into individual follicular units for implantation. It is the historical counterpart to FUE and is defined by harvesting tissue in bulk and separating grafts afterward, rather than extracting each unit directly from the scalp.
In practice
The workflow is distinct at both ends. Harvesting uses a scalpel to excise the strip and sutures or staples to close the donor site, which leaves a linear scar along the excision line — the trade-off patients weigh when they intend to wear hair very short. The volume of work then shifts to the bench: technicians slice the strip into slivers and trim individual follicular units under microscopes, a labor-intensive dissection phase that FUE does not have. The instruments differ accordingly — blades, strip-holding tools, and microscopes feature where an FUE line would centre on punches and handpieces.
What buyers and professionals should know
Present FUT and FUE as different methods with different profiles, not as a ranking. FUT keeps grafts in tissue until dissection and can be efficient for large graft numbers in suitable donors, while FUE avoids a linear scar at the cost of a more instrument-intensive extraction; which fits a case depends on donor characteristics, graft targets, and patient priorities. Claims that one method universally beats the other usually ignore those variables. The instrument-level contrast between approaches is discussed in the FUE vs DHI instruments comparison.
For procurement, the two methods pull on different supply lines, and clinics offering both stock accordingly. FUT leans on dissection-side equipment — magnification, fine blades, and bench tools — whereas the punch-and-handpiece inventory that dominates FUE sits in the FUE punches hub. Many clinics maintain capability in both, so understanding what each method consumes helps a buyer plan inventory rather than treat the choice as either-or. The dissection stage in particular is staff- and equipment-intensive: several technicians may work a single strip at once, each needing a microscope, a clean cutting surface, and a supply of fresh blades, so the running cost sits in labour and consumables rather than in a single instrument.