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

Question

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

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.

Hannah Vargas, MD · Answer

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!

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

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.

Kevin Ende, MD · Answer

When an entire undamaged hair follicle is transferred from one area of the body to another, survival is certainly possible.  This is how hair transplants work in a basic sense.

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS · Answer

Typically not, the hair follicles in full thickness grafts usually do not survive, although a small percentage can in fact continue to grow.

Jack Fisher, MD · Answer

Yes.  If skin graft includes follicles and the follicles have adequate blood supply hair can still be grown.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

Hair transplants will grow in skin grafts, partuculaly full thickness skin grafts without difficulty when done correctly.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

There is some survival of the hairs in a full-thickness skin graft, but this is limited with decreased density compared to the original donor area. The follicle survival will depend on the technique and the size of the skin graft.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

IMHO, this is an unknown. The hair follicles may or may not survive and it will most likely be a combination of both. If you don't want the hair follicles, have the surgeon trim the undersurface of the graft to damage the follicles.

Sheldon S. Kabaker, MD FACS (retired) · Answer

Sometimes a modest percentage of hair follicles in a full thickness skin graft taken from an area that has hair will survive . This possibility can be lessened by the surgeon trimming off the bulbs of the hair folicles which are on the underside of the graft.

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

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