SmartFUT® Hair Transplant (Strip Method)

SmartFUT® is Dr Kahen's patented strip harvesting method (follicular unit transplantation), removing a thin strip of donor scalp from the back of the head and dissecting it under microscopes into individual follicular grafts. The technique allows a larger number of grafts per session compared to FUE and is well-suited for patients requiring higher density or larger coverage areas. Cost runs $4–$8 per graft with total session prices typically between $4,000 and $10,000.

SmartFUT® is Beverly Hills Hair Restoration's patented strip-based hair transplant method, representing Dr Kahen's branded evolution of the classical follicular unit transplantation (FUT) technique. In a SmartFUT® procedure, a narrow horizontal strip of hair-bearing scalp is surgically removed from the permanent donor zone at the back of the head, typically under local anaesthesia. The strip is immediately handed to a team of trained technicians who dissect it under high-magnification stereoscopic microscopes into individual follicular units — groupings of one to four hair follicles as they naturally occur in the scalp. This stereoscopic dissection preserves the perifollicular tissue envelope around each graft, which may contribute to graft survival rates. The donor site is closed in a linear fashion using layered suturing designed to minimise scar width — the resulting fine scar line is hidden by surrounding hair when worn at conventional lengths. Because the FUT strip method extracts a higher volume of grafts per surgical hour compared to individual FUE punch extraction, SmartFUT® is particularly appropriate for patients requiring large graft counts (2,500+) to achieve comprehensive coverage of advanced-stage hair loss, and offers a lower per-graft cost than SmartFUE®. The implantation phase follows the same artistic principles as SmartFUE® — recipient site angle, direction, and density planning — for a natural result. Post-operative care involves suture removal at 10 to 14 days, followed by the standard shedding and regrowth cycle with full results at approximately 12 months. Patients who prefer to wear their hair longer and are comfortable with a fine linear scar in the donor area are well suited to SmartFUT®, particularly when the hair loss extent requires a large number of grafts to restore meaningful coverage.