As you may know, there are basically two types of surgical techniques that can be used for hair transplant procedures.
- strip procedures
- Follicular Unit Extraction
The Strip Method
This is where a doctor literally removes a strip of skin from the scalp. Follicles are derived from this tissue and inserted into the areas of the head that need more hair. This will leave a large linear scar.
FUE Hair Transplant
In Follicular Unit Extraction, punch tools are used to remove groups of 1-5 follicles known as follicular units. This is done directly on the scalp’s surface and will therefore not leave a linear scar.
The maximum number of grafts that could be obtained from strip or FUE is between 5,000-7,000. In some people, past surgeries left them still bald and depleted of any more usable hair follicles.
Some cases of crown hair restoration may require more grafts than the head could provide. FUE can be performed with follicles from the body. However, doing this successfully will require specialized tools and techniques. With this in place, donor pools up to 25,000 grafts can be created.
Body Hair Transplant
Body hair transplantation is a form of FUE. It does not leave a linear scar, and it is a minimally invasive procedure. BHT is performed the same way as FUE, except of the hair follicles are harvested from, the legs, arms, shoulders, face (beard region), nape, back and torso. This is an extremely advanced procedure that requires a high set of skill to be performed successfully. It has many major benefits. By using body hair follicles one can undergo an eyebrow and eyelash transplant. Those who suffer from severe baldness often turn to BHT due to the amount of coverage they can achieve. In the past, patients who suffer from advanced stages of pattern baldness were turned away from inadequate amount of head donor supply.
The Functions Of Body Hair Follicles
In addition to body hair follicles offering an endless amount of donor supply, the follicles are also used to create a hairline, and provide great density in the crown area. Some patients yearn to have thick hair. By using body hair follicles it can be achieved. Also, the regions of the body provide different hair textures that blend well in areas of the scalp. For example, follicles from the nape or from behind the ears are used to refine and recreate a hairline. They consist of single hairs, which blend well with the follicles that border the face. It makes for an unnoticeable transplant. Hair follicles from the leg are used in an eyebrow and eyelash transplant.