Where does hair come from in body hair transplant procedures?
Follicles can be extracted from the beard region, abdomen, chest, back and even the arms and the legs. The beard area is usually a very abundant source of grafts. If the patient has enough hairs in the abdomen, chest and back, these areas can be considered as well.
What happens if the hair on my body has a different texture and color compared to my head? Does this mean I should not choose a body hair transplant for restoring my crown?
Uniformity in texture can be approximated by combining follicles from the head and blending this in with the grafts from the body. As far as color, if you really want good coverage through an abundant supply of donor follicles and color is a potential issue, you may want to consider dying your hair on a regular basis.
How does a hair surgeon create a whorl pattern in the crown?
The specialist will need to look at your remaining hair as clues for recreating your whorl. He or she will prepare slits in your crown that reflect specific angles, direction and orientation that are characteristic of this whorl. And the grafts are inserted into these tiny incisions.
What Are Some Realistic Expectations Of A Body Hair Transplant?
The patient must establish realistic expectations prior to undergoing a body hair transplant. For one, the patient needs to decide what their ideal results are.
Most surgeons recommend considering the density, hairline, coverage and short and long term goals. Density will depend on how many grafts are harvested. The average Caucasian male has about 80-90 follicular units/square centimeter. In a hair restoration procedure inserting grafts to recreate the original density can lower the survival rate of the follicles. About 30-35 cm2 is considered to be safe. Some patients may want a higher density; therefore the patient must select a clinic that offers that. It is important to know that the patient may not recover their original density.
The hairline is another consideration. If the patient wants to achieve the hairline they once had, then more grafts are needed. Only certain qualified surgeons are capable of providing global coverage, and density across the entire scalp.
Coverage depends on the patient’s financial constraints. The more coverage the patient wants, the more it will cost. Some patients choose a moderate coverage due to the cost factor. The patient must also qualify for a body hair transplant in this case, since hair follicles from the body are needed to achieve full coverage.
The short and long term goals are important to think about. Both offer a different amount of coverage. The long -term goals consist of greater density. It is the patient’s decision on what they want.