FUT - Follicular Unit Transplant - (Donor Strip Harvesting)
What Is FUT? | Hair Medicine Institute
At Hair Medicine Institute (HMI) in Atlanta, Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) — is a proven, highly effective method of surgical hair restoration for select patients that provides an excellent graft yield and high graft survival due to meticulous graft dissection under magnification.
FUT remains a top choice for patients who prefer not to shave their head, as FUE often requires, and who want to maximize the number of grafts both in a single session and over their lifetime.
All FUT procedures at HMI are performed by Dr. Spencer Hawkins, a fellowship-trained hair restoration surgeon and Board-Certified Mohs Micrographic Surgeon.
His advanced training in skin reconstruction and precise wound-closure techniques sets him apart — ensuring that your FUT donor scar is as fine and discreet as possible.
How Does FUT Hair Transplant Surgery Work?
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) — sometimes called “strip surgery” — is a method where a thin strip of scalp tissue containing healthy hair follicles is removed from the back of the scalp.
The follicular units are then dissected under magnification and sorted by the number of hairs in a follicular unit or hair graft. The hair grafts are then transplanted into thinning or balding areas the same as when performing FUE surgery.
FUT is especially beneficial for patients seeking:
- A shave-less procedure
- A large number of grafts in one procedure
- A strong donor area reserve for future treatments
- Consistent, long-lasting density
- The highest percentage of intact, healthy grafts
For patients with advanced hair loss, beginning with an FUT procedure and reserving FUE for later sessions yields the highest total graft availability over a lifetime. Research indicates that starting with FUT can provide up to 50% more grafts from the donor area—approximately 9,000 versus 6,000 grafts on average. Although FUT does result in a linear scar, Dr. Hawkins uses refined, modern closure techniques at HMI to make it as minimal and discreet as possible. For individuals with medium- to long-hair, the scar is typically undetectable.
Why FUT at Hair Medicine Institute Is Different
Advanced Scar Management by a Mohs Surgeon
Unlike many hair restoration physicians, Dr. Hawkins is a Board-Certified Mohs Micrographic Surgeon — a specialty focused on precise skin surgery and flawless closure techniques.
This background allows him to perform FUT with exceptional attention to:
- Tissue handling
- Suture placement
- Tension reduction
- Precise anatomical alignment
Trichophytic Closure: A More Concealed Scar
At HMI, Dr. Hawkins routinely uses trichophytic closure, a specialized method in which the incision edges are beveled so hair grows through the scar line.
This approach is designed to make the linear scar thinner, flatter, and more camouflaged, even with shorter hairstyles.
