FUE or DHI? The differences between the techniques and which one fits you

When you start researching hair transplants you will quickly come across two abbreviations: FUE and DHI. Both are modern microsurgical techniques that move individual follicles from the donor area (usually the back of the head) to the recipient area (recessions, crown, beard, etc). But they differ in three important respects: how the follicles are placed, whether the recipient area needs shaving, and what the treatment day looks like. FUE — Follicular Unit Extraction With the FUE technique the follicles are extracted one by one from the donor area with a micro-punch (between 0.7 and 0.9 mm in diameter). Once all grafts are out, we create recipient channels in the skin where we want the hair to grow — angle, direction and density are planned according to your natural growth direction. Then the follicles are manually placed into the pre-made channels with forceps. DHI — Direct Hair Implantation With the DHI technique the follicles are extracted the same way as in FUE, but the placement is different. Instead of first creating channels and then placing the follicles in a later step, we use a specially designed implantation pen (called a Choi pen) that both opens the skin and places the follicle in a single movement. This means we can place follicles directly between existing strands without shaving the recipient area. Shaving This is the biggest practical difference for many patients. With FUE the donor area needs to be shaved to 1–2 mm and the recipient area shaved or cut very short. With DHI only the donor area is shaved — the recipient area does not need shaving because the Choi pen places the follicles between existing strands. That means you can return to work or social settings the next day without anyone noticing you have had a treatment. Treatment time and number of grafts FUE treatments typically take 4–5 hours for 1,500–2,500 grafts. DHI takes longer per graft because the Choi pen requires more precision — typically 4–6 hours for the same number of grafts. For really large treatments (3,000+ grafts) FUE is often more practical because the treatment time stays within one day. Price With us FUE goes from 42,000 SEK (1,000 grafts) to 66,000 SEK (4,000 grafts). DHI goes from 52,000 SEK (1,000 grafts) to 64,000 SEK (2,500 grafts). DHI is more expensive per graft because the technique is more precision-demanding and takes longer per follicle. Recovery The back of the head (donor area) heals the same with both techniques — 5–7 days until the crusts have fallen off. It is the recipient area that differs. With FUE you have visible small crusts for 7–10 days until they fall off, plus the initial shaving. With DHI the recipient area is considerably more discreet from day 1 because no incisions or channels were created in advance. Result — is there a difference? This is a common question and the answer is: when the techniques are performed by the same experienced surgeon on the same patient, the result is essentially identical. The follicles are the same, the direction is the same, and the density depends on the number of grafts we place — not on which technique we used to place them. The difference lies mainly in the recovery experience and the price tag. Which technique fits you? Choose FUE if you want to do a large treatment (3,000+ grafts) in one day, if price sensitivity is high, or if you do not mind wearing a cap for 2 weeks after treatment. Choose DHI if you want to return to work right after the weekend, if the recipient area is somewhere hard to cover (the hairline, eyebrows), or if you want to densify existing hair without shaving. The crown with existing hair is a classic example — there you absolutely do not want to shave, so DHI is better. We always recommend the technique that gives the best result for your particular situation during the free consultation. Not the one we earn the most on.