Hair transplant is a minimally invasive surgical procedure where hair follicles are extracted from patient’s own body and these are then transplanted at the target bald site. However, a crucial factor for the success of hair transplant is how to decide the donor area or how important is the donor area in a hair restoration?
The answer to above two questions actually explains how hair transplant can give permanent results while other solutions cannot.
It should also be noted, that hair transplant procedure is performed by 2 basic techniques:
- FUT (Follicular unit transplantation or strip technique): It involves extracting a small strip of hair from the donor areas and harvesting it while isolating grafts under high magnification. After graft harvesting is done, the resultant follicles are then implanted at the recipient area.
- FUE (follicular unit extraction): It employs individual graft extraction using a punch like device of varying diameter that are then implanted at the target bald site.
Again, which technique to deploy depends on the number of grafts required and also on the quality and quantity of hair in the donor area. Thus, the any experienced and skilled surgeon during a primary consultation would always examine the scalp and the donor area in particular to decide on a) feasibility of hair transplant procedure and b) which technique could be used.
Dr Suneet Soni the owner of Medispa Hair Transplant clinic, is one of the most renowned hair transplant surgeons in the world with global affiliations and accreditations. He is extremely skilled in his treatment planning to choose perfect donor areas, his artistic sense of hair line design and in his interpersonal skills. He has performed more than 5000 hair transplants in his career spanning more than 15 years.
Concept of Safe Donor Area
Safe donor area refers to that area of scalp which has permanent hair roots and thus, is resistant to hair loss. So, how it functions? Hair follicles on our scalp are usually either sensitive to androgens or not sensitive to androgens. So, the hair follicles in frontal and vertex area are androgen (Dihyrotestosterone – DHT) sensitive and thus, they shrink under the impact of DHT which leads to thinning of hair and eventual hair loss whereas hair follicles from the back and side of the head (occipital area) lack this sensitivity and hence stay unharmed by this hormone as we age.
Also, the hair roots from these back and side area of the head exhibit the phenomenon of Donor Dominance, that is even after being transplanted the hair from these follicles display the genetic behavior of the follicles instead of the scalp. Hence, these hair are permanent and do not undergo thinning. So, unless hair follicles have been damaged during the hair transplantation treatment (often by unskilled surgeons) the results from hair transplant will be purely natural looking hair.
Importance of Donor area in Hair Restoration:
- Feasibility of the procedure: Donor area decides whether a patient is a good candidate for hair transplant or not.
- Progressive hair loss condition: In cases of progressive hair loss, donor area plays a significant role in the success of hair transplant procedure.
- Preservation: Donor area is one important factor to make the choice of technique, however, it is equally important for the surgeon to be judicious in preserving the donor area also. Hence, there must be sincere efforts made to not overharvest and deplete the donor area density
- Do not violate the donor area: Violating the safe donor area could be detrimental for the results of hair transplant as it would influence the permanency of results.
- Donor Dominance: Hair generating from the follicles of donor area have properties of their follicles or roots, hence even when transplanted on the bald site, they do not take the property of the bald scalp.
In advanced stages of androgenic alopecia or progressive hair loss, the donor area may prove to be inadequate to fulfill the demand of grafts in the recipient area. In these cases other areas of the body such as chest, arms, beard, or legs can be used as donor area, however these areas offer thin hair and more grafts are needed.
Hair Transplant in Delhi has gained popularity and people are coming whole heartedly to use hair transplant as a solution to their hair loss issues. Medispa Hair transplant Clinic in New Delhi has world class infrastructure including equipments, protocols, hygiene, safety standards and all of this at a very affordable cost. Hair transplant cost in Delhi is extremely pocket friendly and varies from INR 60,000 to INR 400,000 which is 20-25% of the cost for similar quality treatments in the US, UK or even UAE.
