Restoring Hair to the Body, Face and Scalp through Hair Restoration

For most balding men and women who are considering options to restore thinning scalp hair to its former glory, methods include; covering the balding scalp with a hair system, concealers or surgical hair restoration. All of these methods have seen significant improvement over the past decade.   Today’s hair replacement systems still require maintenance but can look extremely natural and virtually undetectable if properly taken care of.   Surgical hair restoration in the hands of a skilled physician can look so natural that even hair stylists can’t detect it.

For those patients that require an additional source of donor hair, body hair transplantation (BHT) may offer a solution. However, only an exceptional few hair loss sufferers are truly candidates for this procedure. Body hair transplantation, while controversial, is not a new procedure. It has been practiced for years with varying degrees of success. But, why would a patient opt to have hair transplanted from the torso to the scalp? Doesn’t body hair look strange on the head? Does it blend well with scalp hair?

In the article, “Body Hair Transplantation (BHT) presentation by Dr. Bob True”, Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians member Dr. Robert True explains that the human body can contain up to 5 million hair follicles. This can be a valuable untapped resource for those with below average density in the donor region.   Interestingly, there is evidence to suggest that body hair, when transplanted to the head, begins to take on characteristics similar to scalp hair, losing its curl and becoming longer.

Opponents of BHT cite the differing growth cycle and characteristics to scalp hair as reasons to consider the procedure only as a last resort. In the Hair Loss Q&A Blog article, “Do Body Hair Transplants Work?”, Coalition member Dr. Cam Simmons discusses why he is reluctant to recommend transplanting body hair to the scalp.   To discuss the use of body and beard hair for scalp hair restoration, visit “Hair Transplants Using Beard Hair“.

Not all balding or thinning hair is associated with the scalp. For some patients, surgical hair restoration may involve repairing scars, thinning eyebrows, eyelashes or filling in a spotty beard or sideburns. While not a particularly controversial procedure, transplanting hair from the scalp requires that the patient trim and shape the hairs regularly as they will not match existing eyebrow or eyelash length naturally. It is also critical that the patient will not exhibit genetic balding in the future that would require the use of those precious grafts.   For examples of scalp to body hair transplants, explore the following threads:

Restoration of sideburns with frontal third by Dr. Alexander

Dr. Rahal / Beard Transplant / 1902 Grafts

1237 grafts to the mustache, beard, and eyebrow by Dr. Alfonso Barrera Houston Texas

A recently discussed hot topic on our discussion forum is micro-pigmentation.   Micro-pigmentation is a form of medical or cosmetic tattooing that attempts to mimic the look of natural hair follicles just emerging from the scalp in buzzed form. While some are intrigued by this option, others are resistant to the idea of permanently coloring their scalp and fear that it will look unnatural, especially if fading occurs over time.   To discuss this on our hair loss forum, visit Is Micro Pigmentation a Good Alternative?

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David – aka TakingThePlunge
Assistant Publisher and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Community
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