Can a hair transplant be performed using someone else’s hair? We know it is possible to transplant organs and tissue from one person to the other – will a hair transplant work in a similar way?
It is technically possible to transplant hair from one person to another, however, this is never done. Reason is that all person-to-person transplants run the risk of rejection. The immune system of our body immediately recognizes the hair follicles as “foreign” and attacks them. The transplanted hair falls out again without giving the follicles any chance to grow.
Why does the body accept other people’s organs but not hair?
In an organ transplant, the organ is not rejected by the body because the immune system is suppressed by immunosuppressive drugs. However, these drugs suppress not only the immune system targeting the transplanted organ, but the entire immune system. This is why people who donate their organs are more likely to develop diseases such as cancer. It pays to suppress the immune system to allow the body to accept vital organs like the liver or the heart. The less vital hair isn’t worth risking the body’s entire defense system.
Can someone from the same family donate hair to me?
Donors from the same family or with similar hair structure and color carry different genetic markers in their cells. Here again, the hair follicles are destroyed by the immune system and the hair no longer grows. Hair transplant efforts will be in vain.
What are the options other than using someone else’s hair for a hair transplant?
Hair Transplant with your own hair:
Hair transplants are auto-transplants. Hair is transplanted from one part of the scalp (donor area) to the balding area of the scalp. Since this is the person’s own hair, rejection is not an issue. After a hair transplant, anti-rejection drugs are not necessary.
A very typical cause of balding is called “androgenetic alopecia” or “male pattern baldness”. It runs in families, and is caused by the hair follicles becoming increasingly sensitive to male hormones. The hair follicles at the top and front of the head are subject to deteriorating and falling out, but the hair on the back and sides are not.
The donor area, therefore, is removed from the back or sides of the head, and transplanted to the top and front. There are various techniques to do this (to learn more, see our blog on Direct Follicle Insertion (DFI) vs FUT).
A hair transplant can be done even if the patient is almost completely bald. Grafts from the scalp can complement grafts from beard, chest hair, and back hair.
Hair Scalp Micropigmentation
Hair Scalp Micropigmentation can be used to mimic a shaved head. Bald patches that appear between long hairs may also be covered by Hair Scalp Micropigmentation. This way, thin transplanted hair can get extra volume. Therefore in certain cases where the donor area is scanty, Hair Scalp Micropigmentation can be a good complementary to a hair transplant.
Hair Transplant with Synthetic Hair
Biofibers are implanted in artificial hair transplants. The material is a fiber that is similar in texture and color to your own hair. Biofibers do not grow and are foreign hair. They are not usually attacked by the immune system because they have nothing to do with the blood. However, the body often experiences redness and other allergic reactions. The patient needs a certain amount of luck to get the body to accept the biofiber. Any reputable hair transplant clinics usually do not offer this form of hair transplant.
Contact Evolved Clinics today for a free, no-obligation hair consultation. We will be happy to review your hair loss photos and recommend the best treatment for your individual needs. Besides hair transplants, we also have a bouquet of Hair Loss Prevention Treatments that may be more suitable to you.
