Does the Recipient Site Influence Hair Growth Characteristics in Hair Transplantation?

In the 2002 study, researchers investigated whether the recipient site influences the growth characteristics of transplanted hair. The study consisted of three parts: Study I showed a 60.2% survival rate of scalp hair transplanted to the leg with a lower growth rate but unchanged diameter after 3 years. Study II found no significant difference in growth rate or diameter when leg hair was retransplanted to the nape of the neck compared to control hair from the scalp to the neck, although both exhibited lower growth rates than original occipital hair. Study III, involving 12 patients with androgenetic alopecia, showed no significant difference in growth rate or shaft diameter between transplanted and donor hair. The results indicated that while the recipient site can influence the growth and survival rates of transplanted hair, it does not affect the diameter of the hair shaft. This challenges the concept of "donor dominance" and suggests that recipient area cutaneous structures can impact transplanted hair, which is important for the development of hair restoration techniques.