Hair Transplant | Facial Hair Restoration - Which Is Better, FUE or a Regular Hair Transplant

Facial Hair Restoration - Which Is Better, FUE or a Regular Hair Transplant

I’m interested in having my mustache thickened up. I wanted to know what the best method for facial hair restoration would be. Should I have FUE or a regular hair transplant.

The best method for facial hair restoration is transplantation most often using hair from the back of the head to, in your case, your mustache. It is important to find hair in the donor area that matches the texture of the existing hair in your mustache with regard to hair shaft diameter, color, and curl. Sometimes hair on the back of the head can be dramatically different in color and hair shaft diameter that facial hair. In such cases I have taken beard hair from under the chin, using FUE, to transplant to the mustache. Some doctors have described taking a strip from under the chin but I have seen unacceptable scarring using this method therefore if facial hair is needed I use FUE for harvesting.

The most important technical aspect concerning a facial hair transplant is to leave the hair on the grafts long enough to be able to tell the angle of the hair exiting the skin. When placed it is important that the angulation is correct. Some doctors recommend strip excision for this reason as the hair on the grafts can be left longer. The advantages of FUE are that there are no sutures, less pain, and less visible scarring. Since small numbers of grafts are generally needed for mustache transplants, FUE is ideal from that aspect. Also the exact number of grafts can be harvested after the incisions are made.

With advanced techniques in strip scar excision including two layer closure and trichophytic closure, taking a strip for the small number of grafts needed for mustache transplant should result in minimal scarring. So there are advantages and disadvantages with each harvesting technique. I would suggest using FUE if you cut your hair short and the scar from strip excision would be noticeable. If you don’t live near your doctor FUE has the advantage of not needing suture or staple removal. If you don’t and never plan to cut your donor hair very short, the scar from strip excision in the hands of a competent surgery should not be noticeable.

The important points to consider regardless of the harvesting method is (1) the exit angle of the transplants should match the exit angle of the existing hair and (2) sometimes a second session is necessary to attain full density.

Best regards,
Bradley R. Wolf M.D.
Medical Advisor, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons