Do you use a Multi-Blade Scalpel to do FUT Hair Transplants?
April 19, 2020Dr. Nakatsui does not use a multi-blade scalpel. FUT is an imprecise term and as a result, there are some gray areas. In Dr. Nakatsui’s opinion, a true FUT hair transplant requires a single blade scalpel to yield a single strip. One thing is certain–if Dr. Nakatsui were to use a multi-blade scalpel, he would definitely no longer be able to state he does Ultra-Refined follicular unit hair transplants.
Some physicians do use a multi-blade scalpel to extract multiple strips in one stroke from the donor area. If these strips are dissected into 100% follicular units, this could technically still be considered FUT. However, if the strips are also broken down into non-follicular unit hair grafts or multi-follicular unit grafts like slot grafts, minigrafts, or punch grafts, then it would no longer be considered FUT.
The main advantage to using a multi-blade scalpel is speed. With a multi-blade handle, multiple thin strips can be removed in one stroke of the scalpel, potentially saving hours of work. The disadvantage is that there is a much higher change of hair transection along one or more of the blades. The more blades on the scalpel, the higher the rate of hair follicle transection and damage.
