Donor hair follicle preservation by partial follicular unit extraction. A method to optimize hair transplantation
April 2010
in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment”
TLDR Partial hair follicle extraction can effectively double the number of hair follicles for transplants, with most surviving and growing normally after a year.
In 2010, a study on partial longitudinal follicular unit extraction (FUE) was conducted with five male patients aged 36-61 with androgenetic alopecia to assess whether this method could preserve donor hair follicles and optimize hair transplantation. The study found that after 3 months, 92.1% to 104.1% (mean 97.7%) of the donor site partial units survived, and after 1 year, 91.1% to 101.5% (mean 96.1%) of the implanted partial units in the recipient area showed hair growth with characteristics similar to the donor area. The multiplication rate of hairs was between 83.2% and 102.1%, with a mean of 93.3%. The study concluded that partial FUE can generate two hair follicles from one original follicle, with a high rate of hair multiplication and preservation in both donor and recipient areas. However, the study had limitations, including a small sample size and the inclusion of patients with previous hair transplants, and suggested that further research with more patients is needed to confirm the clinical relevance of the technique.
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