Donor Area - Will it grow back as thick?

Dear C_list,It looks like whomever counselled you for your FUE procedure using the NeoGraft tool did not do a great job. By the very nature of an FUE procedure, the donor area will never grow back as dense as it once was. The NeoGraft tool is simply that: a tool that is used to perform a type of hair restoration surgery called Follicular Unit Extraction, or FUE. With an FUE procedure, the follicle is removed from the donor area. This follicle will continue to grow in the recipient area as if it’s still in the donor area, and that’s why hair restoration works. But note that the follicle is now in the recipient area, not the donor area, so the density of donor area follicles will decrease with any FUE procedure, and never return to the level of density you had prior to an FUE procedure. That being said, to casual observers in social situations the donor area will appear to have normal density, but under very close scrutiny (eg: getting out magnification loupes and bright lights) the density in the donor area will always be less after an FUE procedure, regardless of which brand of tool was used to perform the surgery.I hope this information is helpful to you.

The beauty of Follicular extraction with the Neograft system is that the individual follicles are extracted individually without creating a visible linear scar.  depending on the number of grafts taken about 10-15% of the donor hairs are removed through a random pattern in the back of the scalp which is typically the most dense area of the scalp.  It will be by definition less dense but is typically does not create visible thinning.

Unlike the transplant area, the donor area has hair follicles that will naturally continue to grow. Keep in mind that the grafted hair will stay in place for about two to three weeks before shedding. After shedding, the new growth will begin in 3-4 months and your hair will continue to grow normally. I suggest you consult a board certified facial plastic surgeon
because the board certified credential ensures you receive the highest
quality knowledge, treatment, care and skill available. A consultation provides
you the opportunity to relay your concerns and desired outcome to the surgeon
while the surgeon can assess your health profile and discuss his/her pertinent
advice.

How many follicles are being extracted?  The hair density and thickness of the hair are two different things.  Density will be reduced proportional to the # grafts extracted.  However, even at large grafting sessions (3k +), the density reduction is generally not even appreciated.  Hair shaft thickness will likely remain the same.

Our patients whom we have treated with NeoGraft FUE have donor sites that look great!In fact, after  a couple weeks you can't even tell that hair was removed from the donor site on the back of the head. Technically speaking, since hair is being removed from the back of your head it won't be quite as thick as it is currently, but the good news is no one should be able to notice that hair was taken from that area, as the surrounding hair will camouflage those donor sites. Best of luck to you!

Donor area hair follicles that have been harvested will not grow back in the same area.  Hair transplant is basically moving hair follicles from one location to another location.  Thus donor area will not grow back as thick as it once was.

CList  thank you for your question.  When the donor hair is transplanted, it is moved from one part of your head to another.  this is much like moving a tulip bulb from one part of your garden to another.  Once the bulb is transplanted it will grow at its new site.  Your hair transplant surgeon should check the density in your donor area to make sure you have enough surrounding hair to cover the areas of removal.  the beauty of neograft is we "pixelate", i.e., jump around from one area of removal to the next leaving hair to grow in between these spots.  I have had neograft myself and allow clients to look through my hair to see where the hair is removed and they are always impressed that they cannot find the spot!  Good Luck!

Hello and thank you for your question regarding the NeoGraft procedure and your donor area. The NeoGraft procedure migrates healthy hair follicles from your donor area to your recipient area. As a result, your donor area will have fewer healthy, hair-producing follicles than it did initially, but your recipient site will have more. Follicles that remain in your donor area will continue to produce healthy hairs as they did before your NeoGraft treatment. I hope this information clarifies the process and answers your question. Overall, you will have a much more improved and even hair appearance throughout your scalp after a NeoGraft hair transplant procedure than you did before. Schedule an in-person consultation with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in your area for more information on this procedure. Good luck! - Elbert T. Cheng, MD

The donor area is obviously thinned out some, but not to the point of noticing any difference. I personally have had a Neograft FUE transplant, and can't even feel a difference. It is thought that over 50% of hair follicles need to be missing from an area to start to look like it is thinning. Density is usually very good on the back and is why FUE is a viable option. Of course, the expertise of staff involved in the procedure, knowing what kind of spacing between extractions is necessary is critical. So make sure you are going to an experienced facility and staff.

Will the donor site grow back as thick after a hair transplant? Excellent question. Actually, it doesn't grow as thick in the literal sense. However, you have to lose about 50% of your hair for you to visually notice a difference. Hair transplants are basically taking hair from an area with excess hair and transferring it to an area with the least hair.One of the skills that comes from experience in this field is to know how many grafts you can take without seeing a difference in the hair density of the donor site. There are many other skills that are important such as designing a hairline that is completely natural and angling the hair in the natural direction for the area being grafted. The entire goal is to keep the resulting hair transplant natural and imperceptible for both the donor and recipient sites.