Fiber Implantation for Pattern Baldness

    March 1981 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”
    C. William Hanke, Wilma F. Bergfeld
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    TLDR Fiber implantation for pattern baldness was largely unsuccessful with many complications and is not recommended.
    In a study conducted between 1975 and 1978 involving 41 patients who received fiber implantation for pattern baldness, the procedure was found to be largely unsuccessful due to frequent complications. These complications included rejection of fibers, infection, facial swelling, pain, pruritus, scarring, potential carcinogenesis from embedded fiber fragments, and loss of natural hair. The study reported that all patients experienced pain, 70%-100% of the implanted fibers fell out within 12 weeks, 54% of patients had infections, and 66% suffered permanent loss of their own hair. The average cost for this procedure was $2,454, and it was primarily performed on men, with an average patient age of 36. Due to the high incidence of complications and risks, fiber implantation has been discouraged by state and federal agencies. The study highlighted that complications were often due to foreign body reactions, infections were resistant to antibiotics and only resolved after fiber removal, and patients faced significant economic and psychological burdens.
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