A New Universal Follicular Unit Excision Classification System for Hair Transplantation Difficulty and Patient Outcome

June 2022 in “ Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology ”

Sanusi Umar, Paul Shitabata, Paul T. Rose, Marissa J. Carter, Rattapon Thuangtong, Boudine Lohlun, H. Benhiba, Tayfun Oguzoglu, Maria Marta Zollinger, Juan R. Maldonado, Alejandro Gonzalez, Myroslava Novosilska, Alba Gómez‐Zubiaur, Miguel Andrés Capó Martí

follicular unit excision FUE hair transplantation Sanusi FUE Score Scale SFS Scale hair subtypes skin subtypes straight-wavy hair curly hair coily-kinky hair thick/firm skin soft/thin skin medium thickness/firmness hair transplant

Studysummary In this study, researchers introduced the Sanusi FUE Score Scale to better predict and grade the difficulty of follicular unit excision hair transplantation by accounting for diverse hair and skin types, with further validation needed.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The document introduces a new scoring system called the Sanusi FUE Score Scale (SFS Scale) to predict the difficulty of follicular unit excision (FUE) hair transplantation procedures. This system considers hair and skin characteristics, assigning scores to three hair subtypes (straight-wavy, curly, and coily-kinky) and three skin subtypes (thick/firm, soft/thin, and medium thickness/firmness). The scores were determined by the consensus of 13 experienced FUE practitioners globally. They found that thick/firm skin and coily-kinky hair types were the most challenging, with straight-wavy hair being the least. The final score range of 2-9 corresponds to five grades of challenge in FUE, indicating the level of specialized skill or equipment needed. The scale aims to better predict FUE performance and patient outcomes, but further validation of this classification system is necessary.

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