DHT: a hormone that causes hair loss
Where Does the Donor Hair Come From?
The science behind a hair transplant is quite simple. Hair is harvested from an area called the ” safe zone “ and moved to balding areas. The safe zone is a place on the sides and back of the head, where the hair is resistant to DHT, a hormone that causes hair loss. For most people with pattern baldness, hair falls out on the top or crown of the head while the sides remain untouched by hair loss. The thicker the donor area, the better the results of the transplant will be.
The most optimal area for a donor hair harvest is depicted in the picture shown here. This area is densely populated with resilient hair. When donor is removed from this area to be used elsewhere, the abundance of hair that remains is thick enough to compensate for the hair that was transplanted. Many patients can have multiple hair transplants during their lifetime because of the density that can be found in this area.
How Long Does it Last?
Hair transplanted from the safe zone will last as long as it would have if it had remained in the back of the head — and for most people that is a lifetime!
Can Donor Hair Come from Another Area?
If you want a hair transplant that will last, the answer to that is no. Harvest hair taken from any other area on the head may not be a permanent hair and is not guaranteed to last.
Does Everybody Have a Safe Zone?
Not everybody has a safe zone. Some people have a condition called diffuse hair loss. Diffuse hair loss is when hair loss occurs throughout the entire scalp. For people with diffuse hair loss a hair transplant is not an option because the ‘donor hair’ is not guaranteed to last a lifetime.