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Dr. Karen Owen Written by Erin D. Updated on 22 Aug 2024
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EXPERT GUIDE

Body Hair Transplant

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Karen Owen

This text was written according to the highest scientific standards and reviewed by medical experts. Find out more about our quality assurance.

Written by Erin D. Updated on 22 Aug 2024
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Individuals with extensive balding wish to fully conceal their hair loss, but they lack a sufficient donor area supply to do so in some cases. Surgeons have developed ways to use body hair to provide more hair grafts for transplantation.

This new method opens up hair transplantation to more candidates who would have been unable to improve their hair loss. Read more about body hair transplants and how they differ from normal methods below!

In a Nutshellsvg

Cost 10,000+ USD
Donor Areas Beard, Chest etc.
Where Certified Clinics

Hair Transplantation Procedure

Regardless of the technique used during hair transplants, the procedure involves the same three steps of extraction, storage and insertion. The storage and insertion phases are virtually the same for both the FUE and FUT methods. After extraction the hair follicles are stored in a cooling, sterile solution as they wait to be inserted. The hair follicles are then individually inserted into recipient channels, or small incisions in the scalp.

The extraction phase for the two methods differs greatly. The older, more traditional FUT method is performed by cutting a thin strip of skin filled with hair from the donor area. This strip of hair is then dissected into individual hair grafts to be used for insertion. The FUE method differs from the FUT method by using a hollow needle to remove hair grafts in natural groupings of one to four hair follicles.

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Donor Area Issues

Patients who have experienced a severe amount of hair loss require a large number of grafts to fully conceal their balding. This can lead to issues as the donor area at the back of the head may not be able to provide the required number of hair follicles. Surgeons can only decrease the hair density in the donor area by so much before the patient will have a patchy, moth-eaten appearance due to overharvesting. This means that many patients have to settle for results that don’t fully conceal their hair loss.

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Body Hair Transplant Alternative

Modern technology has created a solution to patients’ donor area issues. Body hair is now being used to create grafts for hair transplantation. This will greatly increase the donor area of patients and enable full coverage for individuals.

A body hair transplant procedure is very similar to regular hair transplant procedures. The FUE method is used to extract donor hair individually. The grafts are then stored and inserted in the same fashion as hair grafts from the back of the head.

Some individuals may experience difficulty growing body hair and wish to remedy this with hair transplantation. Surgeons can help them gain body hair by transplanting hair from the donor area on the back of the head or other areas on the body. Patients most commonly seek out this kind of hair transplantation for their beard or eyebrows, but these can be performed in other areas like the chest or legs as well.

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In our current hair transplant cost study, we found out that not only are there large price differences between individual providers, but also considerable differences in quality. Therefore, you should inform yourself comprehensively, in order to reduce the risks of a body hair transplant. Our experts will be happy to help and inform you about the results of the study: Request results

Body Hair Donor Areas

Hair from all over the body can be used as a donor area for transplantation. However, hair from certain areas is preferred to other areas depending on the similarity in genetic makeup to hair on the head. The further hair is from the scalp the more it tends to differ in genetics from hair on the scalp. The best locations on the body to use hair for transplantation are the beard and neck. This is a list including the places that can be used as a donor area:

  • Beard
  • Neck
  • Chest
  • Back
  • Legs
  • Arms
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Issues with Body Hair Transplants

The success rates of body hair transplants are far lower than regular hair transplants, especially when the body hair doesn’t come from the beard. Only one out of four individuals will see an improvement in their appearance with body hair transplants. This low success rate is due to the genetic differences in body hair compared to hair on the scalp. The hair grafts with this method of surgery are more likely to be rejected.

Body hair grows at a different rate, has a different texture and even a different color than hair on the head. This can lead to cosmetic issues after the procedure. The transplanted hair from the body won’t always blend well with hair on top of the head and won’t yield the natural results patients desire.

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Body Hair Transplant Cost

Body hair transplants are more expensive than normal hair transplants. The exact price depends on the location of the hair transplant clinic and the quality of the surgeon, but the price generally falls between 10,000 USD to 20,000 USD. We encourage individuals seeking out a body hair transplant to prioritize the quality of clinic even if it is more expensive due to the difficulty of body hair transplants. High quality, experienced surgeons will be able to provide the best results.

There are several factors which contribute to the higher pricing of body hair transplants. Firstly, body hair transplants are more labor intensive because surgeons have to harvest grafts from a large donor area. More grafts need to be harvested as well because body hair grows in single follicles rather than multiple hair groupings. The surgeon must also adjust the punch size of his extraction tools to fit the diameter of body hairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does body hair extraction leave scars?

Is a body hair transplant successful?

Is chest hair good for a hair transplant?

When can body hair be used?

Sources

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What does your hair loss look like?

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