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Will Donor Site Hair Grow Back?


— January 12, 2021

As hair transplant becomes a common procedure, more questions arise in the minds of people. We all know hair transplant requires taking hair follicles from the donor site and implanting them at the recipient site. This particular step of the technique makes the patients think if the hair at the donor site will grow back or not. The concern is genuine because you would certainly not want to have a balding donor site (back of the scalp) just to get a fuller recipient site. However, you don’t have to worry about it. The hairs at the donor site grow back after the transplant. 

Yes, they certainly do.

But there are some factors which determine the growth of hair at the donor site and the duration required for them to resume growth. We will discuss these factors thoroughly in this article. Therefore, if you also have the same question in mind then this article is for you. Continue reading and find the answer.

Hair loss capsules
Hair loss capsules; image courtesy of Gabrielakania via Pixabay, www.pixabay.com

Factors Affecting Donor Hair Growth

Two main factors play an important role in determining if the donor site hair will grow back after extraction. These factors include;

  • The type of extraction technique (FUT or FUE)
  • Aftercare of donor site after transplantation 

Now let’s discuss each factor in detail. 

Type of Extraction Technique (FUT or FUE)

If you are undergoing FUE hair transplant in Dubai then its technique of extracting follicles is different. It involves picking selected hair follicles with a punch tool from the donor area which is back of the scalp. It does not involve any cutting and therefore produces no linear scar. The scar produced by FUE procedure is very small, not more than 1mm in length. The new hairs take almost 3 months to grow back and hide the tiny scars which are hardly noticeable once the skin has healed. 

On the other hand, FUT procedure obtains hair follicles by surgically removing the donor area. A strip of hair is cut from the back of the scalp and dissected under a microscope to obtain hair grafts. The cherry-picking approach of FUE is not implied in Follicular Unit Transplantation. The donor area is then closed with the help of stitches. Therefore, a linear scar is produced which disappears once the hairs start growing back at the back of your scalp. 

Aftercare of Donor Site after Surgery 

Post-surgery care is crucial after any type of hair transplant. It determines the attainment of successful results and makes the recovery smooth and free of complications. How you take care of your donor area after hair transplant influences the growth of hair at the donor area. If you take good care of your donor site, chances of hair growth are greater. 

You should keep the area sterilized to prevent infection from occurring. Even though infection is rare, you should take all the precautions. Avoid touching the donor site unnecessarily but if you have to touch then make sure your hands are clean. If you are experiencing bleeding then apply gauze with pressure but move the hair out of the way first. You should follow the instructions given by your surgeon religiously. Consult with the surgeon if you experience any adverse side-effects. 

Conclusion

 By keeping good care of your donor site you can ensure the growth of hair. However, the time normal hairs take to start growing at the site depends on the procedure used for extraction. You should consult with a surgeon before undergoing the procedure. In this way, you will get answers to all your questions and it will help you in making a decision. 

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