For those grappling with moderate to severe baldness, an FUE body hair transplant procedure is one possible pathway to permanent relief.  It is increasingly becoming the surgical treatment of choice for thinning hair in those that qualify, especially for overly-depleted patients, or those with significant amounts of scarring in their conventional donor areas, such as the nape and scalp. 

Are some FUE punch types more effective when it comes to body hair transplant FUE? Absolutely – depending on the form of FUE hair loss treatment your doctor decides would be best to address your condition, he or she may recommend the use of a more specialized FUE punch type. There are nearly as many FUE punch types as there are varieties of FUE body hair transplant procedures.

FUE Punch Type – Cutting Edge

Different types of sharp FUE punch tips. Depicted above: an inner bevel, an outer bevel, and a bi-bevel.
Different types of sharp FUE punch tips. Depicted above: an inner bevel, an outer bevel, and a bi-bevel.

Different FUE punch types feature different types of cutting edges, each touting their own profile of advantages and disadvantages when it comes to body hair transplant.

Sharp FUE Punch Type

Sharp FUE punches feature a cutting edge that faces the skin. The bladed tip can either be manufactured with an outer bevel, an inner bevel, or a bi-beveled design. These are able to pierce the skin effectively but come with the added risk of punching through the follicle, killing the graft. This makes them unsuitable for BHT body hair transplant in a general, generic sense, as the curly path body hair grows in makes predicting how to navigate the punch much more challenging.

Blunt FUE Punch Type

Blunt FUE punches are characterized by a rounded or flat cutting edge. While this may feel like a counter-intuitive choice when it comes to a tool that is meant to precisely excise the flesh, this dullness actually protects the follicle grafts by preventing the transection of wider follicular units prone to splaying. As the body hair of certain types of patients grow in units of two follicles or more, blunt FUE punches have been a key component of the hair surgeon’s arsenal in the past. 

Hybrid FUE Punch Type

Hybrid FUE punches are Dr. U’s contribution to the hair loss treatment industry. They turn the FUE punch type concept on its head by pointing the sharp edge of the punch away from the follicle within while a dull interior part faces the hair itself. A blunt inner wall gathers follicular units comprised of more than one follicle, ensuring the safety of them all.

The advent of the hybrid FUE punch type makes body hair transplant and FUE hair loss treatment possible for all patients, regardless of donor area or hair texture. It also minimizes scarring in the donor area.

FUE Punch Type – Accesorization

Different types of FUE punch types can be used to suit different patients and circumstances.
Different types of FUE punch types can be used to suit different patients and circumstances.

The shape and nature of the distal tip of the FUE punch type plays a critical role in the types of FUE hair loss treatment the FUE punch is most useful for.

Roomed FUE Punches

A roomed FUE punch expands inwardly as one moves up and into the lumen. They allow for the collection of bulkier grafts without increasing overall wound diameter, dramatically increasing the likelihood that the body hair grafts collected will survive when implanted.

Windowed FUE Punches

These punches have a window through which the provider can retrieve impacted grafts, making them less likely to be lost in the process of rescuing them while simultaneously clearing the way for subsequent ones.S

Hexagonal FUE Punches

Hex-shaped FUE punches are advantageous in that they are able to separate the follicle from its anchoring attachments. This attribute is vital when working with patients with very thick skin.

Video: Body Hair Transplant – Utilizing the Latest Hair Transplant Technology and FUE Punch Types

Body hair transplant has always been one of the most challenging mountains to climb for FUE hair surgeons of the past. Body hair, unlike head growing from the nape and scalp, often deviates from the path it appears to grow in above the surface of the skin. This is especially true for pubic hair, or the curly hair of patients of African descent.

This patient was able to restore coverage in his eyebrow and beard thanks to a body hair transplant made possible by Dr.UGraft ™.

Before FUE technology had been advanced sufficiently enough to take on the challenge of body hair transplant, it was generally not an option for many, especially patients of color. This was a shame – hair loss treatment via body hair transplant often leaves the recipient with much softer, more natural-looking results, especially for patients undergoing a hairline restoration.

Understanding the Different Types of FUE Hair Transplant Punches from Dr U on Vimeo.

Body hair is much less conspicuous than head and nape hair. Taking advantage of this valuable resource is now possible for every type of patient thanks to Dr. Umar’s Dr.UGraft ™ FUE system. The Dr. U Hair Clinic in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles is at the forefront of the FUE hair transplant movement.

Frequently-Asked Questions about FUE Punch Type and Body Hair Transplant in General

What is BHT?

BHT, short for body hair transplant, is a type of FUE hair loss treatment that makes use of donor grafts from areas of the body other than the scalp or nape.

Is BHT safe?

Body hair transplant, just like any other type of FUE procedure, is a safe and relatively non-invasive form of hair loss treatment. In the hands of a trained hair surgeon, there is very little risk in undergoing FUE hair surgery.

What benefit does BHT body hair transplant surgery have over a conventional FUE procedure?

There are plenty. Body hair transplant saves valuable grafts in traditional donor areas for a future FUE procedure that a patient may need to have done later on down the line. Body hair is also much softer and finer than hair from the head or nape area. Grafts harvested via a body hair transplant FUE procedure will generally produce much more realistic results than those derived in an ordinary FUE procedure utilizing hair from the head alone.

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