FUE and safe donor

[sidbtz]

Hi all,

 

I tried to find the answer to this on the forum but haven't been able to. I am a bit confused about FUE. Is it possible to get grafts beyond the safe donor area in FUE, like the grafts above the safe donor zone (grafts which are not possible with FUT)? If so, how are these grafts not DHT resistant?

 

Thanks,

 

Sid

[E39]

Every patient has a different safe zone. A good fue surgeon will be able to extract the best grafts. Fue allows grafts to be taken from different areas other than the traditional strip area. Whether or not these are from the safe zone is debatable.

[Shera]

Hi Sid,

 

In answer to your question, it is possible with FUE to get grafts from anywhere on your scalp and body(not prone to DHT). However unless you are looking for a temporary solution which is probably highly unlikely, then you should aim at getting scalp grafts from your safe zone only.

 

Any grafts taken away from the safe zone will still be prone to DHT, therefore over time are likely to disappear. So to clarify, you will just be transporting a balding area from one part of the scalp to another, a pretty pointless exercise. However there is a slim chance that they may not be a part of your balding pattern, but this is very difficult to ascertain and it will be a big gamble.

 

Most ethical doctors will insist on not taking grafts unless they are in the safe zone and rightly so.

 

I hope that helps clarify things for you.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Sid,

 

This is an interesting and good question. The answer is yes, technically you can take hair from anywhere, transplanted and it will grow. But whether or not it's "safe" will depend ultimately on the patient. Usually a strip is harvested from what is referred to as the universal safe zone which would basically cover smaller area then maybe a person's individual safe zone. For example, some people may recede from the neck area, an area commonly referred to as the nape. This isn't typically advisable to harvest hair from this area for many patients however for some it's OK. This hair in fact usually makes for the best hairline hair because it is finer and not as thick as other hair follicles throughout the donor area.

 

At the end of the day, it is advisable to speak to a qualified hair transplant surgeon to discuss your options. He or she will be able to tell you what is a safer donor area for you.

 

Bill

[sidbtz]

Thanks for clarifying guys, appreciate it.

[jaswalraj1]

It is not advisable to harvest the grafts outside the limits of the safe donor area, however the definition of “safe donor area” is not universal and there is some degree of variations among various surgeons. Furthermore, the apparent safe donor area may also depend on each individual also,for e.g. relating to their family history etc. Hence, a detailed examination with your surgeon is must beforehand to determine the number of grafts which could be taken out safely from your donor zone.