Hair Transplant Donor Area Guide
Hair transplant donor area refers to the hairy area of the scalp that is suitable for harvesting healthy hair follicles. Your permanent hair is located on the occipital scalp (the back of the head). This area is usually used as a donor because it contains hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding; strong and thick hair strands.
Basically, the hair transplant procedure involves 2 areas of the patient’s scalp:
- Donor area
- Bald (recipient) area
The management of the donor area before and after hair transplant determines the fate of your hair transplant journey. You always need a healthy donor area, even after hair transplantation, because in case of an unsuccessful operation, your chances of a second operation depend on it. Fibrosis and unsightly donor scars are the nightmare of many patients. But, this donor site guide can help you, read on.
What is Donor Area in Hair Transplant
Donor area in hair transplantation refers to donatable hair that is usually at the back and sides of your scalp. These hairs are dense, their follicles are intact and thick. They can grow again even if they are extracted to be transferred to thinning areas.
The best hair transplant results are achieved when the skin tissue is least traumatized. That’s why experienced surgeons take definitive steps to combat tissue tension to ensure minimal trauma to the donor region.
Your surgeon will make small incisions during hair transplant, donor area to take each follicle one by one. These incisions heal in 7 days. Please don’t touch, pick or scratch your hair in the donor area after hair transplant. Give your follicles time to heal for at least a couple of weeks.
Types of Donor Areas by Hair Transplant Techniques
Professor doctors develop strategies to maximize the donor areas for hair transplant. For this purpose, they use follicular unit extraction (FUE), direct hair transplantation (DHI), and follicular unit transplantation (FUT) techniques.
FUE Hair Transplant Donor Area
FUE is quite popular and the newest method to extract hair grafts from donor site for recipient site. Typically, the donor area is the back of the head where surgeons take grafts from and they’ll use them to distribute in front of your head. Usually patients need more hair than they can get.
In FUE hair transplantation, donor areas are generally the scalp areas at the nape of the neck, the back of the scalp, and above the ears. To wrap it up, the occipital and temporal regions are the donor areas for FUE. With the help of micro punches which span from 0.7 to 1.2 mm, hair groups (follicular units) are removed individually.
FUT Hair Transplant Donor Area
FUT (follicular unit transplantation) is the oldest technique to extract hair from donor area hair transplant. In this technique, surgeons transplant hair into naturally occurring hair groups called grafts (follicular units). Typically, each group contains 2 to 3 individual hair strands along with structures such as blood vessels and sebaceous glands.
Surgeons need to be careful during the assessment of the donor area’s hair density and scalp flexibility. This old technique has the highest risk of damage to the donor area. Excessive harvesting can leave the donor area bald or with linear scars. After hair transplant donor area regrowth may not be possible.
DHI Hair Transplant Donor Area
In DHI, grafts are dissected and placed in your balding regions just like FUE. Unlike FUT, it uses a method where follicular units are taken one by one directly from the donor area and doesn’t involve taking a strip of scalp.
The donor areas are the same for DHI, but in some cases body hair can also be used. Surgeons usually use the Choi pen for the operation because it minimizes scarring and allows for a quicker recovery. The area and number of grafts are smaller with this method. Healing can be quicker than with other methods.
Preparation of Donor Area Before Hair Transplant
Preparation of the donor area prior to hair transplant surgery, whether FUT, FUE or DHI, is a critical step in providing for the success of the procedure and the health of the haired and alopecic areas.
1. Preoperative process
Patients undergo medical evaluation. Hair loss patterns are tried to be learnt. The quality and density of the hair is analyzed and its suitability for surgery is determined. Moreover, medical professionals examine the donor area for any signs of infection, scalp conditions, etc. that might affect the procedure.
2. Hair trimming
If your technique is not Unshaven FUE, your hair in the donor area is often cut to a short length, like a buzz cut (1 to 2 mm).
Therefore, your surgeon can easily extract each follicle and have a clear view of your scalp.
3. Cleansing and marking
The medical team will clean your scalp with antiseptic solutions to reduce the infection risk and to prepare the skin.
They will then mark the donor area including the hairline design to outline the extraction zones and ensure that the removal is well planned.
4. Local anesthesia
They will numb the donor area with a local anesthetic. This means that you will not feel any pain during either the removal or the transplant.
The anesthetic may be injected in small amounts over the donor area.
5. Sterilization and extraction
They will prepare the donor zone for collection, so they will sterilize the area and extraction tools to prevent infection. They may benefit from sterile drapes and other equipment. For FUT, they may assess scalp laxity to determine if your scalp can be stretched enough to allow for a strip excision.
Hair Transplant Donor Area Healing Tips
After the surgery, post-op scalp care is crucial. After FUE and DHI, scars in the donor area will heal in a maximum of 10 days. However, you should be aware of the following during and after this period:
Up to the day of the 10th: Don’t apply pressure or touch the donor area. Clean the area with a mild saline solution or a special shampoo. Your surgeon will tell you which to use. Please don’t scratch or rub the follicles while cleaning.
After 10 days: In the ongoing process, keep the donor site moisturized with special hair serums or foams to reduce the risk of scabbing. Prefer a fragrance-free moisturizer, as suggested by your surgeon. Eating a well-balanced, protein-rich diet can also help speed healing.
Average Duration of Healing of Donor Area
The recovery time for the donor area after a hair transplant varies from person to person and depends on many factors. Immediately after the procedure, the donor area skin is likely to be swollen, red and sensitive. Small scabs may form around the hair grafts. However, the redness and swelling will subside within the first week. Most patients can return to work or normal activities after this time.
Within 14 days, the scabs and crusts will fall off in the donor area. By the end of the first month, sensitivity and redness will disappear. Between 3 and 6 months, the donor area continues to heal, discolouration fades and the scars begin to mature and blend with the surrounding skin.
Dos and Don’ts for Donor Area After Hair Transplant
Do’s After Hair Transplant
- Follow the instructions given to you by your surgeon.
- Contact the clinic if you have any questions.
- Use only the hair care products recommended by your surgeon in the donor area, especially for the first month.
- Be gentle with your hair in the donor area.
- Keep the area moist.
Don’ts After Hair Transplant
- Do not pull, comb or scratch your hair in the donor area.
- Do not pick the scabs.
- Do not use any products on your skin that contain chemicals or have not been recommended by your surgeon.
- Do not dye the donor area for at least 6 months.
- Protect your donor area from sunlight, dust and dirt.
- Do not put pressure on the hair follicles in the donor area when you sleep.
FAQs about Hair Transplant Donor Area Guide
Avoid contact as much as possible. At least, for the first 2 weeks. Gentle touch is ok but don’t pull the hair, scratch the skin.
Absolutely. The donor area is only used to place the strong hair follicles on the bald area. However, hair should grow back in the donor area after the operation. If not, there is a serious problem.
It is best not to sleep on the donor area for the first two weeks. If you want to sleep on your donor site after 14 days, use very soft pillowcases. Try to limit contact if possible.
Ref. List
- SEERY, GERARD E. MD. Hair Transplantation: Management of Donor Area. Dermatologic Surgery 28(2):p 136-142, February 2002.
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