Facial hair to head Transplant Research
The concept of using body hair for restoration started to first develop in the 1990s. And finally in 2001, the first case of using non head hair was documented. This procedure was performed by Dr. Hirai et al.
Also in the last decade, Dr. Umar has been working to refine techniques in body hair transplant. His involvement in this area not only includes procedures on actual patients, but also formal research studies as well.
In these patient cases, follicles from the facial area along with other grafts from the head, abdomen, legs and shoulders were used to restore hair in transplant procedures.
80-85% of the reinserted follicles survived, suggesting that body hair is a viable source of donor grafts.
Also the study revealed that facial hair is the closest match to head hair compared to other types of body hair. These conclusions have far reaching implications for helping hair loss patients who have been labeled as non candidates by the standards of traditional methods.
It should be noted that even when body hair follicles are used for transplantation in the scalp, it will still behave the same way. Beard hair will be able to grow long. Arm hair and chest hair will be more limited in their length.
Facial hair to head transplant offers the best option for severely bald patients and those who want to correct poor cosmetic results from past procedures. Not only does the facial region offer a more copious supply of ideal follicles, the hair length allows patients to choose more hair style options.