When in New York, Dr. Gary Linkov is your facial expert. Dr. Linkov is a dual Ivy League-educated facial plastic surgeon. A native of New York, he graduated as salutatorian from Cornell University with a focus on psychology. He received his Medical Degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, which was the first medical school to award the Doctor of Medicine degree in the United States and is consistently ranked one of the top medical schools in the country. Dr. Linkov is a prolific clinical researcher with over two dozen publications that have had a significant impact on the fields of Tissue Engineering, Head and Neck Cancer, and Facial Plastic Surgery. He pursued advanced art training in painting and sculpture, including a six-week scholarship program in Florence, Italy at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Italian International Institute. His practice, City Facial Plastics, is located in New York City.

Haute Beauty sits down with Doctor Gary Linkov in a Q. &  A. to learn more about a Fue Hair Transplant.

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HB: What Is the FUE Transplant And How Is It Beneficial For Your Facial Health?

Follicular unit extraction (FUE), also known as follicular transfer, is a method for removing hairs from one part of the body in order to transfer them to another. Typically, back of the head hairs are removed and moved to the front. However, other combinations including body hair are possible. The ultimate purpose is to leave the least amount of trauma at the donor site, where the hairs are taken from. FUE achieves this goal by removing hairs one at a time and respecting the natural clusters that they grow in.

HB: How does the Fue Transplant work?

The concept for FUE is to use a tool to remove a follicular unit graft without traumatizing the follicle. The tool must punch through the skin, keeping the hair shaft in the middle of it, and include some of the deeper subcutaneous tissue as a cuff around the hair while preserving the deeper hair follicle bulb. There are a few tools that can be employed in order to harvest (punch out) honor hairs using the follicular unit extraction (FUE) method, such as:Manual: A sharp or blunt tipped manual punch is a cylindrical instrument that is rotated in the h and and through the skin around the hair shaft. Motorized: This is the most common method currently used for FUE and includes a few types of machines including ones made by Ellis, Devroye (WAW), Neograft, SmartGraft , and Trivellini (Mamba). The Ellis is a sharp punch system with a rotational mode only. Dr. Linkov prefers the Trivellini FUE system for its versatility and adaptability and usually uses the vibration setting to avoid traumatizing the hair follicle. The Trivellini FUE system is the newest and most advanced FUE system on the market.

HB: Who is a good candidate for a Fue Transplant?

There are a few characteristics that make someone a good candidate for FUE, including: an adequate donor hair, usually from the back of the head. Short hairstyle, one of the advantages of follicular unit extraction (FUE) is the lack of a linear scar which is great for patients looking to wear a short hairstyle. Medically stable for prone position, usually several hours of laying on your stomach is required for FUE so the patient must be medically stable for this type of positioning.

HB:  How do you work with patients to achieve their desired outcome?

A lot of people wonder “how to easily find the best hair transplant near me?”. Dr. Gary Linkov is an ISHRS member and is considered top-rated hair transplant surgeons with experience in traditional scalp procedures as well as eyebrow, beard, and body hair implant. Dr. Linkov uses the latest FUE transplant techniques and works with the most experienced hair technicians to create the best and most beautiful hair transplant results for his patients in NYC at his facial plastic surgery clinic.

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HB:  Does this procedure require more than one treatment?

Generally, one treatment is enough to create a substantial difference. But if your native hairs continue to thin, or if the initial regrowth was less than predicted, an additional treatment may be beneficial.

HB: Are the results permanent?

A hair implant is a permanent hair restoration option. Other permanent options, in the appropriate candidate, are surgical hairline advancement and scalp reduction surgery. Temporary, medical therapies for hair restoration include oral and topical agents as well as PRP.

HB: What is the recovery period like?

Immediately after the FUE procedure, antibiotic ointment is placed over the area, and should be applied twice daily at home for the first 5-7 days. Minimal bleeding may occur for the first few days. Some discomfort is common but rarely is there significant pain for the first few days. Temporary sensation changes are possible. Each small punch site will develop a crust which falls out after 3-5 days. It is okay to get the area wet with soap and water the day after the procedure. A haircut in the area of the FUE is possible as early as 4-5 days after the procedure.

HB: What is the average cost for a Fue Transplant?

The cost of FUE usually depends on the number of grafts extracted, though it can also run a flat rate in some clinics. For per graft cost, the going rate in NYC is $5-8 per graft for standard scalp hair restoration. Cost may be higher for more specialized procedures, such as an eyebrow transplant or body hair transplant.