Hair Transplant | Do Surgeons Ever Perform Hair Transplants From Non-Autologous Donors?

Do Surgeons Ever Perform Hair Transplants From Non-Autologous Donors?

Do surgeons ever perform hair transplants from non-autologous donors? I am a 56 year old female with considerable thinning all over, and it does not seem to make sense to just shuffle the hairs to different places on my own head. Thanks. - Michelle
- - - - - - - - - -

Dear Michelle:

Thank you for your question. If you were to have a hair transplant utilizing follicles from a genetically dissimilar person your body would reject this tissue just as it would with any other transplanted organ. For example, if you were to have a heart transplant, you would need to be on lifelong medication such that your body would not reject the transplanted heart. In similar fashion, a “non-autologous” follicle would be rejected by your body without lifelong anti-rejection medication. It would make good medical sense to utilize these medications for something like a heart, or lung, or kidney, or pancreas, but not for a hair transplant. Therefore, the only acceptable tissue for a hair transplant would come directly from the patient, and/or a genetically identical person, i.e. an identical twin.

My suggestion is that you should rule out medical causes of your hair loss first such as inflammatory conditions of your scalp, or thyroid or other medical or hormonal disorders. This may include a scalp biopsy with pathologic evaluation, as well as simple blood tests. You might benefit from FDA approved options, (minoxidil and/or low level laser therapy) to stop ongoing hair loss, and possibly improve the quality of your existing hair. And you will benefit from a consultation with a credible hair transplant expert who can show you hair transplant results (in picture format) utilizing modern techniques that can lead to nearly astoundingly positive results for you.

Once you are “armed” with all of this information you should be able to make an educated decision on which option or options is best suited for you to assist you with your hair loss concerns.

With Best Regards,

Robert J. Reese, DO
Member: International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons (IAHRS)
Member: American Hair Loss Association