A typical FUT strip measures 1 to 1.5 cm wide and 20 to 30 cm long, yielding 2,000 to 4,000 grafts from a single session. The donor area is a finite resource, and how your surgeon manages it determines not just your first procedure's success but your options for future sessions. Here is everything you need to know about strip sizing, closure techniques, scar management, and long-term donor planning.
Understanding Scalp Laxity
Scalp laxity is the stretchiness of your scalp skin. It determines how wide a strip your surgeon can remove and how well the wound closes afterward. Patients with high laxity can provide wider strips with more grafts. Patients with tight scalps require narrower strips.
Laxity Classification
| Laxity Level | Strip Width | Approximate Yield | Closure Tension |
|---|---|---|---|
| High (very flexible) | 1.5-2 cm | 3,000-4,000 grafts | Low |
| Medium (average) | 1-1.5 cm | 2,000-3,000 grafts | Moderate |
| Low (tight scalp) | 0.8-1 cm | 1,500-2,000 grafts | Higher |
Your surgeon tests laxity during the consultation by pinching the scalp at the donor area and measuring how much the skin moves. This assessment directly determines your maximum graft yield per session.
Improving Laxity Before Surgery
Some patients perform scalp stretching exercises for 4-8 weeks before their FUT procedure. These involve gently pulling the scalp skin at the donor area for a few minutes daily. While the evidence is anecdotal, many surgeons report that patients who stretch pre-operatively have slightly better laxity on procedure day.
Strip Dimensions and Graft Yield
The number of grafts from a FUT strip depends on two factors: the strip size and the donor area's follicular density (how many follicular units exist per square centimeter).
Typical Strip Yields
| Strip Size (W x L) | Donor Density 60 FU/cm2 | Donor Density 80 FU/cm2 | Donor Density 100 FU/cm2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cm x 20 cm | 1,200 grafts | 1,600 grafts | 2,000 grafts |
| 1.2 cm x 25 cm | 1,800 grafts | 2,400 grafts | 3,000 grafts |
| 1.5 cm x 28 cm | 2,520 grafts | 3,360 grafts | 4,200 grafts |
Average Caucasian donor density is approximately 80 follicular units per cm2. Asian patients tend to have lower density (60-70 FU/cm2) but thicker individual hair shafts, which provide good coverage per graft.
Closure Techniques
How the surgeon closes the donor wound after removing the strip determines scar quality. The two primary methods are standard closure and trichophytic closure.
Standard Closure
The wound edges are brought together and sutured or stapled in a straight line. This produces a scar that typically heals to 2-4 mm wide. Hair does not grow through the scar itself, creating a visible hairless line when the hair is cut short.
Trichophytic Closure
The surgeon trims one edge of the wound at a slight angle before closing, allowing hair follicles from the adjacent skin to grow through the scar line as it heals. This produces a thinner scar (often under 1-2 mm) with hair growing through it, making it significantly less visible.
Closure Comparison
| Feature | Standard Closure | Trichophytic Closure |
|---|---|---|
| Scar width | 2-4 mm | 1-2 mm |
| Hair through scar | No | Yes (partial) |
| Minimum hair length to hide | #4 guard (13 mm) | #3 guard (10 mm) |
| Surgeon skill required | Standard | Higher |
| Healing time | 10-14 days | 10-14 days |
Always ask your surgeon if they use trichophytic closure. If they do not, consider it a reason to seek a second opinion.
Scar Management After Surgery
Even with trichophytic closure, some patients develop wider or more visible scars. Several treatments can improve scar appearance post-surgery.
Scar Treatment Options
- Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP): Tattooing tiny dots along the scar to simulate hair follicles. The most effective camouflage option. Cost: $200-600 for the scar area alone.
- FUE into scar: Individual grafts can be transplanted directly into the FUT scar to grow hair through it. Typically requires 50-200 grafts. Success rate is lower than standard FUE (70-80%) because scar tissue has reduced blood supply.
- Steroid injections: Triamcinolone injections can flatten raised or hypertrophic scars. Usually requires 2-3 sessions.
- Laser treatment: Fractional CO2 laser can remodel scar tissue and improve texture. Multiple sessions needed.
Planning for Multiple Sessions
FUT's strip approach is inherently repeatable. When a patient returns for a second session, the surgeon excises the existing scar along with a new strip, so the patient ends up with a single scar rather than multiple parallel scars.
Multi-Session Planning
| Session | Typical Strip Width | Expected Yield | Cumulative Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| First FUT | 1-1.5 cm | 2,000-4,000 grafts | 2,000-4,000 |
| Second FUT | 0.8-1.2 cm | 1,500-3,000 grafts | 3,500-7,000 |
| Third FUT | 0.6-1 cm | 1,000-2,000 grafts | 4,500-9,000 |
Laxity decreases after each session because tissue has been removed and the scalp is tighter. The second strip is almost always narrower than the first. A third FUT session is possible for many patients but yields fewer grafts.
FUT + FUE Hybrid Strategy
The most efficient long-term donor strategy combines FUT for the first session (maximizing graft yield per session) with FUE for subsequent sessions (extracting individual grafts from around the scar and other donor areas). This preserves donor area flexibility and avoids over-tightening the scalp with repeated strips.
Donor Area Preservation
Your donor area is finite. Regardless of method, there is a maximum number of grafts you can harvest over your lifetime. For most patients, this ceiling is 6,000-9,000 grafts total across all sessions.
Protecting Your Donor Supply
- Use finasteride or dutasteride to slow native hair loss and reduce the total grafts needed over time
- Choose a surgeon who harvests conservatively, leaving adequate density in the donor zone
- Avoid clinics that promise unrealistically high graft counts from a single session
- Consider your long-term Norwood progression when deciding how many grafts to use now vs reserve for the future
Assess Your Donor Area
Before consulting with a surgeon, get a baseline understanding of your hair loss pattern. Upload a photo at myhairline.ai/analyze to receive an AI assessment of your Norwood stage and estimated graft needs. This helps you have an informed conversation about donor area planning during your surgical consultation.
FAQ
How big is the strip removed during FUT?
A typical FUT strip measures 1 to 1.5 cm wide and 20 to 30 cm long, curving along the back of the head from ear to ear. The exact dimensions depend on the number of grafts needed and the patient's scalp laxity. A strip of this size yields approximately 2,000 to 4,000 grafts.
Can you have multiple FUT procedures from the same donor area?
Yes. Most patients can have 2-3 FUT sessions from the same donor area. Each subsequent session reopens and removes the previous scar, so you end up with one scar, not multiple. Scalp laxity decreases with each session, so the second and third strips are typically narrower.
How visible is the FUT scar?
With trichophytic closure and an experienced surgeon, the FUT scar is typically a thin line 1-2 mm wide that sits hidden under surrounding hair. Hair as short as a #3 guard (10 mm) usually covers it. Patients who wear buzz cuts or shave their heads will see the scar.