When it comes to hair transplants, we get many different questions about how the procedure works and what results the patient can expect. Today we are going to dive into one of the most common topics we are asked about, hair transplants using someone else’s hair. Is this possible? Below we cover everything you need to know.
How does a standard FUE hair transplant work?
FUE hair transplantation is a revolutionary form of hair restoration available today, providing the most natural results.
Treatment consists of transplanting individual follicles, usually 1 to 4 hairs, under local anesthesia. The extraction procedure uses a microsurgical instrument to obtain follicles with a diameter of 0.6 to 1.0 mm. The size of the tool and the technique leave minimal scars, almost invisible to the naked eye.
The hair follicles are then examined and prepared under a microscope for transplantation. Your doctor will use a special microsurgical needle to pierce the area of the scalp where the grafts will be inserted. Your doctor will then blend the hair in by inserting the grafts at an angle and density that matches the original hair. This allows the hair to mimic a natural and realistic hair pattern.
Can someone else’s hair be used for hair transplantation?
Can anyone else donate hair for my transplant is a question we have received several times and the short answer is no, it is not something we would recommend. When people think about transplantation, they think that a hair transplant donor is possible, doctors can transplant organs, why can’t they transplant hair?
A hair transplant using someone else’s hair would be almost impossible. Hair transplants only use your own body hair due to compatibility issues. Therefore, the doctor will not use another person’s hair to avoid rejection of the donor hair by the recipient and prevent future infections.
If you use someone else’s hair, your body will automatically mount an immune response and reject the foreign hair, which can lead to infections and the hair will not grow back, making the hair transplant a failure.
Can body hair be used for hair transplantation?
There are some differences between hair on the head and hair on the body, which can make a hair transplant look unnatural, or in some cases, fail at all. There are a number of issues that include:
- Different structure of hair on head and body
- Using the body hair removal process
- Incompatibility of hair on the head and body
- Hair loss two to three years after the procedure
Generally, body hair is of lower quality than head hair because the texture of hair on the head is more uniform than on the body. When it comes to hair transplants, the degree of compatibility is very important to get a good result, and body hair has nothing to do with the scalp.
The probability of success of a hair transplant using body hair is much less than that of head hair. The main reason for this is that body hair is not as healthy as head hair, which means that not all hair grows back.
In this regard, it is recommended not to use body hair for hair transplantation.
How should hair be transplanted by the FUE method?
Traditionally, in hair transplantation, hair is taken only from another part of the scalp. Because of this, some patients cannot undergo a hair transplant due to the lack of donor hair. Using scalp hair provides the best and most natural results because transplanted hair has the same appearance and characteristics as your natural hair.
If you need more information about hair transplant procedures, please contact us for a free consultation.