Body Hair Transplantation in Vitiligo

In 2013, a case report detailed the successful use of body hair transplantation (BHT) by follicular unit extraction (FUE) to repigment a stable vitiligo patch with scarring in a 28-year-old male. The patient had not responded to 6 months of phototherapy in the scarred areas. A total of 52 intact follicular units were harvested from the patient's thigh and transplanted into the depigmented patches on his shin, calves, and ankles. Perifollicular repigmentation was observed at 4 weeks, and complete repigmentation was achieved at 12 weeks, with a good color match to the surrounding skin and partial reversal of leukotrichia. No recurrence was noted after a 3-month follow-up. This case was the first to highlight the effectiveness of BHT by FUE in treating focal vitiligo with leukotrichia, suggesting that BHT by FUE could be a procedure of choice for vitiligo patches with scarring and hair loss.