Where Can You Take Hair for a Hair Transplant?

People who opt for a hair transplant have thinning hair on one part of their body – usually the scalp’s hairline, temples or crown. To rectify the issue, a surgeon removes hair from another part of the body called the donor area, inserting it into the balding or thinning area. Surgeons will choose regions where the hair is greater in density and not susceptible to hair loss so when it is transplanted it can grow permanently.

But can you take hair from anywhere? And does the location of the donor site affect the success of the treatment? Let’s find out.

FUE vs FUT: Types of Hair Transplant

There are two types of hair transplant¹:

Follicular Unit Excision (FUE). This procedure uses a punch incision to extract each hair follicle. A channel is then created at the treatment site, and the hair follicle is inserted. Each follicle is adjusted for direction and appearance.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). Here, a section of skin containing the hair follicles is removed from the donor site. The section is then divided into units, which are implanted into the treatment site in the exact same process as FUE hair transplant surgery.

FUE is the preferred method of transplantation for most patients who would like to style their hair shorter after surgery. FUT, on the other hand, leaves a linear scar at the donor site, making it difficult to style hair shorter in the future without exposing the scar.

Where Can You Take Hair From for a Hair Transplant?

Theoretically, you can remove it from anywhere on the body and implant it into the scalp. Usually, most hair transplants use scalp hair as the donor area because it already appears like normal hair. However, in around 7% of cases², body hair is used instead.

Potential sites for hair transplant include:

Scalp Hair
Chest Hair
Abdomen Hair
Arm and Leg Hair
Underarm Hair
Pubic Hair
Beard Hair

The preferred location is always the scalp. While it’s the main zone for follicle extraction, other regions are considered when there is a sparsity of high-quality hair follicles in the traditional area of the scalp.

Scalp Hair Transplant

The scalp is a common location from which hair follicles are extracted. It has numerous benefits, including:

Hair Match: Scalp hair closely matches the natural texture, colour, and growth pattern of the recipient area, ensuring a seamless and natural appearance.
Abundance: The back and sides of the scalp often have a dense supply of hair resistant to hair loss, making it ideal for harvesting.
High Survival Rate: Scalp hair follicles are robust and adapt well to transplantation, leading to better graft survival and growth.
Convenience: Proximity to the transplant site reduces the complexity of the procedure, minimising discomfort and recovery time.

Within the scalp, surgeons can choose from the back of the head, above and behind the ears, and the nape of the neck. Each of these zones is evaluated for thinning and hair quality to determine if it’s a suitable donor area for a hair transplant. A diagram of the area is shown below.

Beard Hair Transplant

Beard hair is the next best option after the scalp and is a donor harvest site in 5% of hair transplants². Usually, surgeons remove hair from under the jawline, where its effect on beard density isn’t as noticeable. Depending on the individual, beard hair can be thicker, coarser, and even slightly curly.

However, its overall similarity to scalp hair makes it a viable alternative for men with hair loss. Interestingly, men with androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness) have thicker, fuller beards due to higher levels of testosterone, which stimulates beard growth³. Therefore, there is an abundance of potential hair follicles on the lower hair of the face available for the scalp.

Body Hair Transplant

Body hair is the next best option after the scalp and beard, especially in men. The relative abundance of hair allows for easy identification of viable hair follicles. However, the body may have regions of higher and lower-density hair. Each region might be used alone or in combination to provide the best end results.

Common body hair transplant donor areas include:

Chest Hair Transplant. Chest hair is coarser than other body hair, suitable for adding density or texture to the scalp or beard.
Abdomen Hair Transplant. Abdomen hair is usually finer, helpful for blending or filling smaller gaps in the transplant area.
Arm and Leg Hair Transplant. Arm and leg hair is very fine and less dense, perfect for delicate areas like eyebrows or hairline refinement.
Underarm Hair Transplant. Underarm hair has a slight curl, making it less useful for most transplant regions.
Pubic Hair Transplant. Pubic hair is coarse and curly, only being used in specialised transplants.

A 2022 ISHRS Practice Census found that non-scalp hair is used in a minority of transplants. When it is used, the chest (1.2%) is the most common transplant site, followed by the abdomen (0.3%), the leg (0.2%), and other sites (0.2%)².

Selecting a Hair Transplant Donor Site

One of the biggest factors in a successful FUE hair transplant is the donor site. Surgeons look for an area with the healthiest amount of hair follicles. There are several factors to consider:

Does the donor site have good-quality hair follicles?
Are there enough hair follicles?
Will a second donor site be necessary?
Is the donor site in good condition?

Approximately 1,000 to 3,000 hairs are removed from a donor site for a single hair transplant. That might sound like a lot, but the standard donor area has around 6,000-8,000 follicles available. Patients shouldn’t notice any change in their overall hair volume and density in the donor area after a well performed procedure. Following transplantation, the hair will eventually grow back at the donor site if properly taken care of.

What is the Donor Area for a Beard Hair Transplant?

A beard hair transplant, or facial hair transplant, is similar to a normal scalp hair transplant. It involves harvesting hair follicles from one part of the body and transplanting them into the beard, sideburns, or moustache. Men with thinning or patchy beards may opt for this procedure to achieve a thicker, fuller look.

Usually, the transplanted hair is harvested from the back of your head toward the neck or under the beard, where the hair is fullest. This hair has the most natural beard-like appearance. It tends to be thicker, with some variability in colour and texture. Matching these characteristics achieves a natural-looking beard.

What is the Donor Area for an Eyebrow Hair Transplant?

The most common donor area for an eyebrow hair transplant is the back of the head where the hair tends to be thick enough to blend into the existing eyebrows. You don’t want to transplant too thick hairs as this may look unnatural. Conversely, transplanting too fine hairs will not give enough density.

Can You Transplant from Someone Else’s Body?

No. Like any form of transplantation, inserting a foreign hair follicle will trigger an autoimmune response which will attack the transplanted hair.

Worse, your scalp would become inflamed due to the body’s immune response as it thinks it’s fighting an infection. Immunosuppressant drugs would be necessary to keep the transplant viable. These drugs have numerous side effects which often outweigh the benefits of undergoing surgery.

Quick Summary

Scalp Hair Transplant: The most common and preferred donor site due to its abundance, natural texture match, and high graft survival rate.
Body Hair Transplant: Options include chest, abdomen, arms, legs, underarms, and pubic areas, each offering unique textures and densities depending on the transplant needs.
Beard Hair Transplant: Hair from under the jawline provides a thicker and coarser alternative for scalp or beard restoration, especially in men with androgenic alopecia.
Limitations: Hair cannot be transplanted from someone else’s body due to immune rejection risks, making autologous transplants the only viable option.

Restore Your Hair with London’s Award-Winning Transplant Clinic

Interested in undergoing a hair transplant? The Treatment Rooms London is a leading hair transplant clinic experienced in FUE and FUT hair transplants. We carefully select the best hair transplant donor sites to achieve the best results possible. We listen to your concerns and work with you to bring your dream hairline into reality.

Book a consultation with a surgeon to start your transplant journey. Talk about your hair loss concerns and receive a personalised solution that’s right for you.

References

The Treatment Rooms London. FUE vs FUT: Which Hair Transplant is Best For You? Available at: https://www.treatmentroomslondon.com/hair-transplant-surgery/fue-vs-fut/
International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS). 2022 Practice Census Results. Available at: https://ishrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Report-2022-ISHRS-Practice-Census_04-19-22-FINAL.pdf
Inui S, Itami S. Androgen actions on the human hair follicle: perspectives. Experimental dermatology. 2013 Mar;22(3):168-71.