Autologous Hair Transplantation vs. Skin Expansion in Management of Cicatricial Alopecia: A Comparative Study

In 2019, a study was conducted involving 24 patients suffering from cicatricial alopecia, with 15 males (62.5%) and 9 females (37.5%), aged between 7 to 26 years old. The study aimed to compare hair transplantation using follicular unit extraction and skin expansion surgeries in terms of aesthetic outcome, operative duration, patient selection, and complications. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (12 patients) underwent hair transplantation surgeries, and Group B (12 patients) underwent scalp expansion surgeries. The results showed no significant difference between the groups in terms of mean age or operation duration. However, the surface area of alopecia in the tissue expander group (B) was significantly larger than that of the hair transplantation group (A). Hair transplantation had less recovery time and was highly indicated in adults with smaller non-dependent areas of alopecia, while skin expansion, despite a longer recovery period, was a good solution for larger areas of alopecia or younger patients. The study concluded that both methods are useful in treating cicatricial alopecia, with multiple factors influencing the surgical plan, including age, gender, occupation, size and site of alopecia, and time since injury.