Direct No-Shave Follicular Unit Excision: A Modified Technique and Case Series

January 2026 in “ Cureus ”

Renan Brigante, Alan Wells

direct no-shave follicular unit excision DNS FUE androgenetic alopecia Trivellini Flared Ring punch follicular unit excision intravenous sedation trumpet-shaped punch follicular trauma transection rate hair transplantation hair transplant

Studysummary This report details a refined hair transplantation method called direct no-shave follicular unit excision (DNS FUE), which avoids donor-site shaving and minimizes follicular trauma while yielding high patient satisfaction. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study introduces a refined direct no-shave follicular unit excision (DNS FUE) technique aimed at eliminating the need for donor-area shaving, which is a significant concern for patients seeking discretion and quick recovery. This method was applied to 10 patients with androgenetic alopecia, achieving an average of 4,600 extracted follicular units per procedure using the Trivellini Flared Ring punch under intravenous sedation. The technique's key innovation is a trumpet-shaped punch that enhances stability and reduces follicular trauma, resulting in a low mean transection rate of 3%. The high patient satisfaction and low transection rates suggest that this DNS FUE method could be a favorable option for discreet hair transplantation, though further studies with larger sample sizes are needed for validation.

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4 / 4 results

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