Beard Reconstruction Using Hair Grafts in a Free Flap

    January 2011 in “ Plastic Surgery ”
    Andre Y Levesque, Benjamin J Schalet
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    TLDR Hair grafts successfully restored a realistic beard and hid scars, satisfying the patient.
    This case report detailed the successful use of micrograft and minigraft hair transplantation for beard reconstruction in a patient who had undergone free flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer. The patient, a 56-year-old man, had previously experienced complications with other reconstructive methods, leading to the use of a free iliac crest osteocutaneous flap. To address the aesthetic concerns of a hairless flap, two sessions of hair transplantation, each involving 200 follicles, were performed. The procedure resulted in a realistic beard appearance and excellent camouflage of surgical scars, with the patient expressing high satisfaction with the outcome. The study demonstrated that micro- and minigraft hair transplantation was a safe and effective method for achieving good aesthetic results in free flap skin paddles.
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      International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery

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      July 1998 in “Dermatologic Surgery”
      Various techniques and tools for hair restoration were presented in 1998, including a mathematical model for donor area, use of lasers in surgery, methods for controlling grafted hair direction, and ways to increase graft yield. Satisfaction rates were around 39%, and studies showed trauma and dehydration can damage hair follicles.