International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)On March 6th, 2018 the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery announced an update to the terminology of the FUE hair transplant technique. FUE historically stood for Follicular Unit Extraction but has now been changed to Follicular Unit Excision. The change in terminology is intended to emphasize the surgical nature of the procedure.
In a Follicular Unit Excision (FUE), an “incision” is first made around each follicular unit with a punch mechanism that separates it from the surrounding tissue. The isolated units are then “extracted” from the scalp. Once removed from the donor area the follicular unit grafts are placed into the recipient region of the scalp. Thus, Follicular Unit “Excision” has two components, incision and extraction. The incision part of the procedure is what classifies FUE as a surgical procedure.
An ISHRS member survey conducted in 2017 shows that a total of 635,189 surgical hair restoration procedures were performed in 2016; this is a 60% increase from 2014. The survey stated that 92.5% of ISHRS members performing follicular unit excision (FUE) will allow the patients, when appropriate, to choose the type of procedure they prefer.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global hair transplant non-profit organization with more than 1,200 members in 70 countries. Since its inception in 1993, the ISHRS has been dedicated to achieving excellence in patient outcomes by promoting the highest standard of patient care, medical ethics, and research in the hair restoration industry.
- Read more on the nomenclature change of Follicular Unit Excision (FUE)
- Read ISHRS’s newsletter on the terminology change of FUE
