Abstract
Follicular unit excision (FUE) is an increasingly popular hair restoration technique.
In many instances, it surpasses linear strip excision (LSE) surgery in terms of number
of procedures and clinics dedicated to performing FUE. The rise in popularity relates
primarily to a somewhat misguided perception that FUE produces less evidence of a
surgical procedure having been performed. This is based on the fact that a linear
scar is avoided. The procedure is easier to learn and “less invasive” as compared
to LSE harvesting and requires less staff and capital expense. The FUE procedure is
aggressively marketed often as “scarless surgery.” This false statement, along with
the ease of starting an FUE practice, has resulted in various ethical issues related
to evaluation, methodology, and business practices. In this chapter, we discuss the
ethical issues surrounding FUE hair restoration surgery and the examination of the
mathematics of donor management as it relates to the ethical management of the FUE
patient.
Keywords
follicular unit excision - follicular unit transplantation - ethics - unlicensed -
follicular units - safe zone - linear strip excision
