Hair Diameter Variation in Different Vertical Regions of the Occipital Safe Donor Area

July 2017 in “ Archives of Plastic Surgery ”

Seon Sik Yun, Jae Hyun Park, Young Cheon Na

hair transplantation occipital safe donor area anagen hairs male-pattern hair loss female-pattern hair loss strip surgery follicular unit extraction FUE hairline correction surgery hair transplant donor area hair growth phase male hair loss female hair loss strip method FUE method hairline surgery

TLDR Hair thickness decreases from the upper to lower areas of the back of the head, affecting hair transplant results.

The study, involving 27 Korean participants (7 men and 20 women) with an average age of 28, examined hair diameter differences within the occipital safe donor area (SDA) for hair transplantation. The occipital area was divided into 12 zones, and measurements were taken from 10 anagen hairs in each zone. The results indicated a significant decrease in hair diameter from the upper to lower sections across all horizontal sections. The upper sections (1 and 2) were found to be suitable for harvesting thicker hair for treating male and female-pattern hair loss, while the lower sections (3 and 4) could provide thinner hair for surgeries requiring finer hair, such as eyebrow, eyelash, and female hairline correction. The study suggests using a combination of strip surgery and follicular unit extraction (FUE) to obtain the desired hair thickness for different parts of the hairline, with a strategic approach to donor hair selection being crucial for optimal hairline correction surgery outcomes.

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