Body to scalp: Evolving trends in body hair transplantation

Abstract

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is becoming an increasingly popular method for hair restoration. As FUE leaves behind no linear scars, it is more suitable to harvest from various body areas including beard, chest, and extremities in hirsute individuals. Body hair characteristics such as thickness, length, and hair cycle may not completely match to that of the scalp hair. The techniques of harvesting body hairs are more time consuming, requiring higher degree of skill than regular scalp FUE. Body hair transplantation can be successfully used either alone or in combination with scalp hair in advanced grades of baldness, for improving the cosmetic appearance of hairlines and in scarring alopecia when there is paucity of donor scalp hair. Harvesting of body hairs opens up a new viable donor source for hair restoration surgeons, especially in cases of advanced Norwood grades five and above of androgenetic alopecia.

A Novel Follicular Unit Excision Device for All-Purpose Hair Graft Harvesting

“…In previous FUE devices, the operator must align the punch’s long axis to precisely align with the long axis of the hair exit angles on the skin or risk graft loss. 4 , 5 , 9 In contrast, the novel device corrects for roughly 20–40 degrees of misalignment through its MAN feature. Thus, the practitioner does not need to be exact in punch-hair-axis alignments.…”

“…Most devices are ineffective in harvesting hair from people of African descent 1–3 or extracting follicles from various body areas. 4 Additionally, they do not adequately perform when faced with changing skin and hair characteristics between and within patients from one body/head area to another. 5 , 6 Consequently, not everyone can benefit from the advantages of FUE over other hair transplant methods.…”

Follicular unit extraction [FUE] – One procedure, many uses

“…Harvesting of body hairs opens up a new viable donor source, especially in cases of advanced Norwood grades five and above in androgenetic alopecia. [ 30 ] [ Figure 11 ]…”

Scrotal Rejuvenation

“…Micrografts or follicular units have been used for implantation [ 6 - 9 ]. Hence, similar hair restoration techniques could potentially be used for scrotal alopecia in men; alternatives to using the scalp as the donor site for the hair include harvesting the hair from other body sites, such as the beard, trunk, limbs, axilla, and pubic region [ 11 - 12 ].…”

“…Platelet-rich plasma, as monotherapy or a component of hair transplant restoration, has been utilized to enhance hair growth in the treatment of androgenic alopecia. In addition, other agents and modalities (such as injectable cytokines, low-level laser therapy, and nutraceuticals) that are demonstrating efficacy in the management of male pattern baldness may also be applicable treatments for scrotal alopecia [ 12 - 14 ].…”