Does diffuse thinning result in bad donor hair for transplanting?

Question

I'm diffuse thinning on top of my head. I heard that some diffuse thinners have no good donor hair because their entire scalp is susceptible to DHT, even the donor area. I pulled some hairs from above ear and very back of head and noticed most of them are thick but there are indeed some thinner diameter hairs in there. Is the donor area too precise for me to inspect on my own or is it a telltale sign seeing thinner hairs coming out of those general areas?

Robert S. Houser, DO · Answer

If you truly have DUPA, then hair transplantation may not be an option for you.  But if you are in your 40's or 50's and have a small area to transplant, you may have enough donor hair with the right combination of medical and surgical therapy.  If you transplant, focus on the hairline and midscalp if your donor area is poor.  Good luck!

Neil Verma, HBSc, MD, FCFP - Account Suspended · Answer

Diffuse thinning does not provide a good quality donor region to harvest from. It also does not provide high quality grafts to transplant so often diffuse thinners are not candidates for hair transplant surgery.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

You need to have your donor area evaluated with a video or hand microscope. Conditions such as Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) are disastrous problems when they occur and for this reason, you must see an expert and not try to do this yourself

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Does diffuse thinning result in bad donor hair for transplanting?

Answers (3)

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