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These guidelines are based on our follow up observations in patients. 1. Preshave the body donor areas 3 to 5 days before the extraction. It is a simple step and very helpful to pinpoint the actively growing hair that need to be extracted for use. 2. Use only the body donor hair in active growing phase for purpose of transplant. Do not use telogen hair. 3. Assume the transplanted body hair will retain their original characteristics (length, calibre, color, predisposition to greying, curl, anagen/telogen %ages and hair growth cycles). 4. Factor in the impact of growth cycles and characteristics of the body donor hair proposed to be transplanted. 5. Mix the various body as well as scalp donor hair in any particular area of scalp. Assume the transplanted body hair will retain their original characteristics (length, calibre, color, predisposition to greying, curl, anagen/telogen %ages and hair growth cycles).
True, some patients note an increase in length of transplanted body hair. However, length is not the only characteristic. Moreover, not every patient notices the increase in length. Therefore, its prudent to start with the premise that the transplanted body hair will not change their original characteristics. This is especially true about the remainder of the characteristics, viz., calibre, color, curl, predisposition to greying, hair growth cycles etc. In suitable patients, body hair can be used for transplanting in the scalp recipient areas, even though they do not change their characteristics. What is most important is that those patients, (as well as the doctors), not pin their hope on any change in characteristics.
The importance of hair growth cycles Any doctor, as well as patient, venturing into BHT, must understand the importance of the body hair growth cycles. Much like the other characteristics, the growth cycles too are not significantly altered. While talking of growth cycles, one needs to know two things - The duration of the anagen/telogen phase plays an important part overall, while the %age of hair in telogen gains increasing importance with each passing hair cycle. . Hair Growth Tables Telogen (%) Anagen (%) Duration of Activity Scalp 15/ 85/ 2-6 years Talking of percentages Keeping in mind the chart given above, one needs to analyse the %ages of hair that are in the growth phase at any one time. The scalp hair, having a active phase of 2 to 6 years, has only 10-15% of the hair in resting phase.
How does that impact on planning a BHT? Since, only the actively growing hair are extracted from body donor areas, their initial growth cycles are closely synchronised (not identical). Over successive growth cycles, the individual hair cycles lose this synchronicity as shown in the graph below. |
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Mix the various body as well as scalp donor hair in any particular area of scalp.
There are 3 options when venturing into HT. 1. Use up the scalp hair before using the body hair, In our experience, Option 3 is the most logical one, especially, for people with extensive hairloss (Norwwod 5 or above). In Option 3, the scalp donor hair provides a scaffolding and the body donor hair provides the filler. In Option 1, there are chances of certain scalp areas having only scalp donor and others having only body donor hair. That may not look very aesthetic. In Option 2, there is chance that a high proportion of body donor hair may be in the resting and shed phase. To attempt to fill in the visible gaps at that time with scalp donor hair may lead to damage of the dormant body hair in that part of the scalp. |
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