Experimental Evidence in Hair Restoration Procedures: Plucked Hair Survival and Growth Rate

In a study conducted in 2016, researchers compared the growth rates of conventional human micrografts and plucked hair follicles in an in vitro model to assess the potential use of plucked follicles in hair transplantation procedures. The study involved 100 conventional one-hair micrografts (control group) and 80 plucked hair follicles (experimental group) obtained from 14 healthy male patients. The results showed a statistically significant difference in the growth rate between the two groups, with the plucked hair follicles showing a higher growth rate (mean 10-day shaft growth rate = 0.36mm) compared to the conventional one-hair micrografts (mean 10-day shaft growth rate = 0.30mm). The researchers concluded that plucked hair follicles could be a useful and less invasive option in hair transplantation surgery. However, they noted that this was an in vitro study and further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings.