FUT Hair Transplants: The Strip Method Explained
FUT, follicular unit transplantation, is the older of the two hair transplant methods, taking its grafts from a removed strip of scalp rather than one follicle at a time. My Hair UK does not offer FUT: every procedure at the London and Manchester clinics is an FUE. This page explains how the strip method works, what it costs at clinics that still perform it, and how to weigh the two techniques honestly before you choose either.
Last reviewed on 31 August 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
What Is a FUT Hair Transplant?
FUT stands for follicular unit transplantation, and you will also see it called strip surgery or FUSS, follicular unit strip surgery. The grafts themselves are the same natural groupings of one to four hairs used in every modern transplant; the difference between the methods is entirely in how those grafts are harvested.
In FUT, the surgeon removes a horizontal strip of skin from the donor area at the back of the head, roughly a centimetre wide and fifteen to twenty centimetres long. While the wound is closed with stitches or staples, a team of technicians divides the strip into individual follicular units under magnification. Those grafts are then implanted into the thinning area in the same way they would be in an FUE.
How FUT Surgery Differs From FUE
Because the implantation half of the surgery is identical in both methods, every meaningful difference between FUT and FUE flows from the harvest: how the wound closes, what mark it leaves, how the donor area recovers, and what happens to your haircut options afterwards.
The transplanted area itself grows the same way whichever method harvested the grafts. Where the two diverge is at the back of the head, and that divergence is permanent.
Aspect | FUT (strip) | FUE |
|---|---|---|
How grafts are harvested | A strip of scalp is removed and divided into grafts | Follicles are extracted one at a time |
Donor scar | A permanent linear scar | Dot marks, each under a millimetre |
Stitches | Yes, removed after around two weeks | None |
Donor area recovery | Tight for several weeks | Settles within days |
Hair at surgery | Donor hair can stay long | Donor area trimmed short |
At My Hair UK | Not offered | The only method we use |
The Scar Question
The strip leaves a linear scar across the back of the head, and it does not go away. A careful closure keeps it narrow, and trichophytic techniques, where the wound edges are overlapped so hair grows through the scar line, can disguise it further, but scars vary with skin and healing, and some stretch over time. With hair worn at medium length or longer it is covered completely; at short clipper grades it usually shows.
Anyone considering FUT should sit with one question: how certain are you that you will never want a short haircut, not this year but decades from now? That single question moves most patients to FUE before price or anything else enters the conversation.
The donor recovery is also a bigger commitment. Stitches or staples come out after around two weeks, the area can feel tight for several weeks, and strenuous activity is restricted for longer than after an FUE.
What a FUT Hair Transplant Costs in the UK
UK clinics that still offer FUT generally price it much as they price FUE, so a typical procedure runs from around £3,000 upwards depending on graft numbers. FUT is sometimes assumed to be the budget option, because harvesting a strip takes the surgical team less time than extracting follicles individually, but in the UK that gap has largely closed. The real difference between the methods is the scar and the recovery, not the bill.
For comparison, we publish our FUE prices in full, from £2,499 to £4,899 by graft number, on our hair transplant cost guide.
Why My Hair UK Only Offers FUE
FUT earned its place historically for honest reasons: a single strip can yield a large number of grafts in one pass, the donor hair never needs trimming, and the technician-led dissection keeps theatre time down. In experienced hands it remains a legitimate technique.
Modern FUE has simply removed the need for the trade-off. For the plans a single surgical day covers, extraction one follicle at a time now matches what a strip delivers, and larger totals are reached by splitting the work across two days rather than by cutting a longer strip. Both methods place identical grafts, so what harvesting leaves behind is the lasting difference, and a permanent scar is not something we are willing to exchange for a result the mirror cannot tell apart. How the extraction method works in detail is covered on our FUE hair transplant page, and what makes a donor area strong is covered in our donor area guide.
If FUT still appeals, the honest version of the case for it is this: you are confident you will always wear your hair at medium length or longer, you want the maximum lifetime graft yield across multiple future procedures, and you have found a surgeon with a long FUT track record. That is a legitimate choice, made with open eyes, at a clinic that offers it.
If You Have Already Had a FUT Transplant
A previous strip surgery does not rule out further work. FUE grafts can usually be taken above and around an existing linear scar when the donor hair supports it, whether that is to add density after an older procedure or to continue a plan the strip began. Whether grafts can soften the appearance of the scar itself depends on its width and the skin around it, and is assessed case by case.
Book a free consultation at the London or Manchester clinic and the surgeon will assess your donor area, scar included, and tell you what is realistic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does FUT stand for in hair transplants?
A: Follicular unit transplantation. It is the strip method: a band of scalp is removed from the donor area and divided under magnification into follicular units of one to four hairs, which are then implanted into the thinning area. Strip surgery and FUSS are other names for the same procedure.
Q: How much does a FUT hair transplant cost in the UK?
A: Clinics that still offer FUT generally price it at similar rates to FUE, so from around £3,000 upwards depending on graft numbers. My Hair UK does not offer FUT; our FUE prices run from £2,499 to £4,899 and are published in full.
Q: Does a FUT hair transplant leave a scar?
A: Yes, a permanent linear scar across the back of the head. A careful closure keeps it narrow and hair worn at medium length or longer covers it completely, but at short clipper grades it usually shows. That scar is the main reason most UK patients now choose FUE instead.
Q: Is FUT cheaper than FUE?
A: It used to be, because removing one strip is quicker for the surgical team than extracting follicles one at a time. In the UK today the pricing gap has largely closed, so the meaningful difference between the methods is the scar and the donor recovery rather than the cost.
Q: Can you have FUE after a FUT transplant?
A: Usually, yes. FUE grafts can be taken above and around an existing strip scar when the donor hair supports it, and some patients use a later FUE session to add density to an older FUT result. The donor area and the scar are assessed at consultation.
Q: Is FUT better than FUE for large graft numbers?
A: A single FUT session can harvest a large number of grafts in one pass, which is its main surviving advantage. Modern FUE closes that gap by splitting bigger plans across two surgical days, so totals of 4,000 grafts and above are routinely reached without a strip.
Q: Is FUT still performed in the UK?
A: Yes, at a shrinking number of clinics. It remains a legitimate technique in experienced hands, but FUE has become the default across UK clinics, and it is the only method used at My Hair UK.
Q: Do FUT and FUE give the same final result?
A: In the transplanted area, yes. Both methods place the same follicular units, and growth depends on the design and the surgeon rather than on how the grafts were harvested. The difference shows in the donor area: a linear scar after FUT, scattered dot marks after FUE.
The Surgical Team
The surgical team is what makes the difference on the day. The clinics’ five surgeons are all GMC-registered, with a minimum of 1,000 FUE hair transplant procedures each to their name. Between them the team handles complex cases, including Afro-textured and women’s hair transplants, hairline design and lowering, and revision work.
Manchester clinic
• Dr Khawaja Masood Munir: GMC 6122581.
8+ years’ experience, 1,400+ hair transplant surgeries.
• Dr Haider Gillani: GMC 8030796.
1,000+ procedures, with specific expertise in complex cases requiring detailed anatomical understanding.
London (Harrow) clinic
• Dr Mahdi Alosert: GMC 6168297.
20+ years’ clinical experience. Specialist in Afro-Caribbean hair and hairline lowering.
• Dr Shuaib Mir: GMC 7567898.
1,200+ hair transplant cases. BAAPS plastic surgery and RCS anatomy training.
• Dr Zakar Rafiq: GMC 6164032.
MBBS and BSc (Hons) from Imperial College London. Associate Member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).
You can meet the surgeon who will perform your procedure at your free consultation.