Question: I've been interested in getting a hair transplant and doing some research. However, I'm a little confused by which is the better of two different options I've found for removing the hair. One is with a scalpel and the other is with a tool that doesn't leave a scar. The scarless one would seem to be the best, but I've found that there seem to be some drawbacks too, mainly that more of the new hairs die and that you can't put in as much in each session. Can you tell me if this is true and explain the difference between them?

Answer: First, I'd like to commend you on your research. I believe you're talking about the FUE (scarless) procedure versus the state of the art FUG procedure in which a single incision is made. While I perform both procedures, I do feel that the FUE procedure is overhyped and inferior in the majority of cases. The main reasons for this are as follows: (1) FUE cannot be used in many patients with certain color hair, curly hair, or fine hair; (2) there is an increased risk of surrounding hair loss that limits the total number of grafts that can be harvested; (3) there is a limited number of grafts that can be harvested for each procedure; and (4) the cost is significantly higher. I have been performing the FUG procedure nearly exclusively for the past five years because it provides outstanding results. Further, the donor site is virtually undetectable in the majority of patients when closed in a plastic surgery fashion, which you can see for yourself by viewing photographs of hair transplant scars here.