Not everyone who wants hair transplant surgery is a good candidate for hair transplant surgery. Typically, we harvest donor hair from areas of the scalp with robust growth and subsequently transplant those follicles to balding or thinning areas. But for many patients, their hair loss has progressed to the point that there simply isn’t enough hair remaining on their scalp for us to extract and use in a transplant.
Fortunately, for some patients with advanced cases of hair loss, new technology and techniques have made it possible for us to use hair from other parts of the body – such as the chest, beard, arms, or legs – in hair restoration surgery. While they account for a relatively low percentage of all hair transplant procedures, Body Hair Transplants (BHT) offer hope for those who may need supplemental donor hair to add to hair we harvest from their scalp.
BHT and Follicular Unit Extraction
The reason that BHT is now a much more accessible hair restoration option is because of Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). The precise, computer-assisted FUE we perform to remove donor hair follicles from the scalp does not leave behind linear scars. Such scars were one of the main downsides to BHT that long limited its appeal.
In an FUE procedure, we harvest selected follicular units, precisely removing them from the donor area with an image-guided 0.8-1-millimeter circular tool. We extract the follicles in a scattered pattern, leaving most donor area hair untouched so that it retains its original natural appearance. Because the resulting scars are tiny and dot-like, the donor area on patients who undergo a hair transplant should look unscathed.
Now, using FUE, we can similarly harvest hair from other body areas without leaving behind a visible, unattractive scar. We can leverage the advantages of FUE either alone or in conjunction with scalp hair in advanced cases of baldness, for improving the aesthetic appearance of hairlines, and in scarring alopecia when there is an insufficient amount of donor scalp hair.
We many consider BHT a good option for you if:
- You are relatively hirsute with adequate terminal hairs over your beard, chest, legs, arms, and other body parts.
- Your androgenetic alopecia is in an advanced stage and the donor hair on your scalp is inadequate to provide complete or sufficient coverage.
- You have exhausted available scalp donor hair in a previous restoration surgery, with inadequate coverage of existing bald areas requiring more follicular units.
Call the Miami Hair Institute Today to Learn More About Body Hair Transplants
If you would like to learn more about body hair transplants and whether the procedure can help address your hair loss issues, we invite you to schedule a hair loss evaluation at the Miami Hair Institute. Contact us online or call our office at 305-925-0222 today.