Hair Restoration Blog

Using hair from other parts of the body for transplantation into scalp has been used for many years.  Unfortunately though, the change in the life cycle of body hair from different areas of the body has caused the body hair to stay as the last option for scalp hair restoration.  Body hair has long resting phase and short growth phase which means that most of the transplanted hair will stay in resting phase without having visible hair growth.

Comparison of scalp (left) vs. facial (right) hair: Note the difference in density of hair per surface area and the average number of hair in each follicular unit. Scalp hair is denser with more hair per grafts (over 2hair/graft) while beard hair is less dense with fewer hair per grafts (1-2 hair/graft)

Facial hair such as beard and mustache hair on the other hand has a longer growth phase and shorter resting phase.  That is why men can grow their facial hair to become really long.  Facial hair is also thicker than scalp hair in most people.  Thicker hair could be translated as more bulk of hair after hair transplantation.  Both longer growth phase and thicker hair shafts make beard hair a better option for scalp hair restoration in comparison to body hair transplant from other areas.

There are two problems with with beard hair restoration.  One is that they are very sparse and removing hair only needs to be done through a strip procedure.  The other problem with using facial hair for scalp transplant is that the facial follicular units are having fewer number of hair per unit that means less hair per grafts removed with FUE techniques.

Beard transplants are gaining popularity recently with newer techniques for extraction of hair (FUE) and it can be a great alternative to scalp hair for transplanting to the balding area in people who do not have good quality scalp hair.

Q:

I am a 23 year old medical student with about 4 years of hair loss history. I have diffuse thinning with very aggressive frontal hairline loss. I would be looking to do 2-3 procedures at 2000 grafts each FUE style from my beard and chest area. But my body hair and beard hair seem to be just fine. I have had all of my bloodwork done to rule out any systemic problems thats causing this odd pattern diffuse hairloss (autoimmune alopecia is also ruled out by 3 dermatologists).

A:

Before proceeding with a hair restoration surgery, we have to properly determine your type of hair loss and candidacy for a hair transplant based on your history and diffuse hair loss.  Many people who have diffuse hair loss including the hair on the sides and back of their scalp may have a condition called Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA).  This condition can be mistaken with hair loss as a result of other systemic medical conditions like iron deficiency or possibly due to thyroid or other hormonal imbalances.  Body hair transplants through FUE harvesting techniques can be considered for those patients who do not have the option of scalp to scalp hair transplant, but it certainly comes as the last option considering the very short growth phase in hair cycle for body hair as opposed to scalp hair. Beard hair may be a better option in some patients, but all individual options need to be considered after a complete evaluation of patient’s supply and demand of hair.

* More information on body hair transplants and its results in contrast to that of scalp hair transplants, please visit Hair Restoration Blog.

Q:

My hair loss is ruining both my life and my family’s lives. I go to the XXX school of medicine in XXX and would be flying over to get the procedure done. I wanted to see if we could discuss a large FUE treatment from my body and beard area for transplantation into the balding areas of the scalp to end my hair loss for good.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Cheers

A:

As I have previously stated before here in my blog, body hair can be considered as an alternative method for hair restoration as long as you, the patient, understands that the end result is not going to be comparable with a scalp hair transplant due to smaller final length of hair and short growth phase (Anagen) as opposed to long resting phase (Telogen) that are characteristics of body hair.  In other words, you may only see a portion of transplanted hair follicles in growth phase while the remainder stay in resting phase without maintaining a visible hair shaft.

Beard hair transplantation could also be another option, which is typically closer to scalp hair in many patients and has a longer growth phase (which is why it grows to become longer in comparison to body hair).  However, any of these options have their own pros and cons and patients should be evaluated for each treatment plan based on their needs and only after a complete evaluation by a hair transplant surgeon is performed.

Q:

I am a 27 yr old male and have very low growth facial hair in the mustache area. Please advise, are hair transplants for mustaches possible? How many grafts are needed? What is the going cost of a hair transplant like this?  What about time taken for growth?

A:

People may have facial hair loss due to: scaring and other scar conditions, or they may just not have the ability to grow their mustache or beard genetically.  In most cases, facial hair can be successfully restored with a hair transplant using scalp hair through follicular unit transplantation.  Beard hair can also be used for transplantation into the mustache area if there is a mismatch between the thickness of scalp and beard hair shafts. In this process, we use either strip follicular unit transplants or FUE (Follicular Unit Extractions) to harvest hair for mustache hair restoration. If we have to remove hair from the beard area, FUE is usually preferred to avoid scarring on the hair growing area of the face. The number of needed grafts is determined by the width of the upper lip as well as the shape that looks appropriate and proportional with the other facial features.  The cost of facial hair transplantation for mustaches and beards generally follows the same per graft cost as scalp hair transplantation.  As for the final outcome, results of a mustache hair transplant can be seen as early as 4-6 months following the hair transplant and may continue improving during the first year after that.