Both FUE and FUT/Strip methods of hair transplant surgery rely on a healthy and sufficient donor area to extract grafts from for transplantation. If your donor area does not contain enough healthy, strong follicles to extract, it can complicate the hair transplant. Possible complications are not being able to extract as many grafts as are needed or the follicles are too weak and do not withstand the trauma of transplantation, dying off once transferred.
It can be very upsetting and disheartening for someone who’s decided on hair transplant surgery to restore their hair loss to learn they do not have a quality donor area. Thankfully, advancements in hair transplant surgeries have made it possible to extract grafts from other areas of the body. The most common donor area for the majority of individuals is the back of the head near the base. But, in cases where there is not a suitable donor area on the scalp, body hair can be used, considering there is enough quality hair to extract. Common body hair donor areas are the chest, back, and even the beard.
Because body hair grows in differently than scalp hair, you can expect minor discrepancies in the way the hair grows in once transplanted. For most male hair transplant patients, this is not an issue.  Keep in mind that the rate of body hair growth may differ from the rate of your scalp hair growth. This can effect the way the hair grows in initially after transplantation. For most patients, we see desired results between 6 months – 1 year post-surgery.
Body hair transplants are a great alternative for those who are ready for hair transplant surgery but have a weak scalp donor area. Here at Modena, we’ve completed hundreds of successful body hair transplants. If you are interested in finding out if you are a candidate for body hair transplant surgery, give us a call today.