Why is Transplanted Hair Permanent?
August 29, 2017
Q: Why is Transplanted Hair Permanent?
A: Transplanted hair comes from the back of the scalp or Donor Area, which is relatively immune to the effects of hereditary male pattern hair loss or androgenetic alopecia (AGA). When these follicles are moved or transplanted to the thinning or balding area, they will "take" and grow in that area with lasting results. Follicles that were in the balding area previously were sensitive to the effects of the body's hormones like Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which caused them to miniaturize and eventually die, whereas the hair follicles from the back of the scalp are NOT sensitive to DHT. In simple "agricultural" analogy, the problem is not with the "soil" or skin in that balding area, but the problem is with the "plants" or follicles that were genetically sensitive to hair loss. The entire field of hair transplantation is based on the well-established "Theory of Donor Dominance" which describes the fact that hair follicles transplanted from the more permanent or "safe" zones in the Donor Area retain their ability to produce hair in a way that is unaffected by DHT--the primary trigger for male pattern hair loss. Even a man who has extensive baldness still typically maintains hair around the sides and back of the scalp. These are the locations from which transplanted hair follicles are harvested.
The most obvious examples of the permanency of hair transplants are easily seen in the old, "pluggy" results from outdated 4mm "punch-graft" hair transplant procedures of yesteryear which contained 20-30 hair follicles. Quite unnatural looking, these tufts of transplanted hair can still be seen growing on people's scalps today if they have not been camouflaged with additional hair transplants. Those old plug-type hair transplants, which are far different from today's "follicular unit" and artistic, single-follicle approach, are often a cause of many misconceptions about modern day hair transplants. Today's hair transplants use techniques in which an artistic surgeon using small follicular-unit grafts can create a 100% natural looking result and ongoing non-surgical, medical treatments will protect the non-transplanted hair that remains at-risk.
Hair transplantation is the only permanent way to restore your own living and growing hair.
For more information about hair transplant visit www.baumanmedical.com or start your consultation with Dr. Bauman today.