There are different criteria for successful hair transplantation. However, it would not be wrong to say that one of the most important of these is hair intensity. If the hair intensity cannot be achieved at the desired level, transplantation will not be dense enough. Hair intensity is only possible with a sufficient number of grafts. At this point, for those who do not have enough number of grafts in their neck area, hair transplantation using body hair comes to the fore. Why is hair transplantation with body hair preferred? What are the basic criteria for such hair transplantation? You can find answers to these and similar questions in our following article.
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The Best Quality Hair Follicles Other Than the Neck Area
The quality of the grafts to be used for hair transplantation is extremely important. For this, the neck area is checked first. Because the grafts here are very resistant to falling. However, if there are not enough grafts in the neck area, grafts from different parts of the body are used. So, you don’t have to worry if there isn’t enough hair in your neck area. There are also good quality grafts in different parts of your body. Let’s examine where these grafts are and their quality.
1. Beard
The most similar hairs to the neck area are located in the beard area. Beard is a good alternative for body hair. Characteristically, they show a great similarity to the hair strands in the neck area. However, it would be wrong to say that they are the same.
There is no such thing as getting grafts from almost every part of the beard area. Grafts in the area under the chin are mostly preferred. In this way, the general appearance of the beard will not be destroyed. Just like hair follicles come to our rescue in beard transplantation, when necessary, our beards can also be used as follicles for hair transplantation.
The lifetime of the hairs taken from the beard area and those taken from the neck area are generally the same. However, there is a difference between the amounts of growth. While the hair strands taken from the neck area grow between 1 and 1.5 cm per month, those taken from the beard area grow relatively slowly. Another difference is that there are usually 2-3 hairs in the follicles taken from the neck area, while there is usually only one hair in the follicles taken from the beard area.
Don’t worry about the low number of follicles. Although the number is small, the hairs in the beard area are thicker. While the average thickness of a normal hair strand is 0.05 mm, the thickness of the hair taken from the beard is on average 0.09 mm. There are even hairs that are thick more than 0.1 mm.
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2. Chest
If the necessary grafts cannot be found in the beard area, next, grafts in the chest area are preferred. The grafts here are similar to the grafts in the beard area. Each follicle is in the form of a single strand as it was the case with the beard area. However, their growth is slower. Apart from the slow growth of the grafts in the chest area, it is also known that their maximum length is 5-6 cm. The hairs taken from here are thinner and relatively more curved.
3. Leg and Back Hair
Hairs in the legs and back can also be used in hair transplantation. The hairs here have the same features as those in the chest area.
The Required Criteria for Hair Transplantation with Body Hair
There are some criteria required for the use of body hair in the hair transplantation. A scale called Torso Donor Index, in which these are evaluated has been developed. There are 5 criteria on this scale. These criteria and explanations related to them are as follows:
Similarity: Body hair that is most similar to the hair structure is preferred to avoid any difference in the hair area after hair transplantation.
Intensity: After hair transplantation, there should be at least 40 follicles in an area of cm2.
The Wideness of the Donor Area: To use body hair, the size of the area to be transplanted should be at least 200 cm2.
Number of Follicles: Having a high number of follicles is extremely important for a natural appearance.
The Length of the Body Hair: The length of the body hair should be at least 5 cm to achieve a natural result.
Scoring is done by evaluating the 5 main criteria here. If the criterion is fully met, 2 points are given, when it is relatively met, 1 point is given and when none is met, 0 points are given. Points are added up and evaluation is made according to the result. If the total is less than 5, body hair is not used. Body hair is used if the total is 5 or more.
Criteria and Torso index are generally as such. However, please bear in mind that your doctor will make the best decision.
When Should Hair Transplantation with Body Hair Be Performed?
The use of body hair is not a priority option in hair transplantation. The first option for hair transplantation is the hair strands in the neck area. However, when the hair strands here are insufficient, body hair is preferred. Thus, the result obtained from hair transplantation fully meets the expectations.
As is known, grafts collected other than the patient himself cannot be used for hair transplantation. Therefore, the use of body hair is extremely important. These hairs will come to your rescue when needed to have the hair you want.
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