When Full-Thickness Skin Grafts Are Used, Do the Hair Follicles in the Graft Survive and Grow in the Recipient Area?

Full thickness skin grafts can support hair transplants.  Graft can survive and grow in the area.  You would need an examination of course to make sure this is possible in your case.

Usually only a small percentage of hairs will grow in a full thickness skin graft.  However, if a flap of skin is advanced or moved to a nearby area to cover adjacent scar then those hair follicles do, in fact, typically survive.An in depth consultation with your surgeon will help clear up these points.  Good luck!

Yes, it is possible for the graft to survive and grow in the recipient area. However, skin grafting is not recommended for hair transplants since there have been so many advances in the field. Skin grafts contain almost all of the epidermis and dermis that surrounds the hair follicle and many tiny grafts are transplanted. Today’s most advanced techniques transplant one to four follicular units in their natural groupings. Whereas follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) removes a strip of scalp to harvest follicles, follicular unit extraction (FUE) harvests of individual follicles of hair are removed under local anesthesia.  Because FUE is done using single follicles, no large amount of tissue is removed, there are no visible scars after surgery, nor is there pain. Typically there is no need to return to the clinic after surgery as there are no stitches to remove. Recovery from FUE is within seven days.