Blog
What is the donor area, and why is it a limited resource?
We explain where the follicles used in a hair transplant come from, why the donor area is limited and how it is protected during planning.
Where is the donor area?
In male-pattern hair loss, the follicles at the back and sides of the head are generally less sensitive to the hormonal influence that causes hair loss. This is why grafts for a hair transplant are mostly taken from this area, known as the “donor area”.
The boundaries of the donor area vary from person to person. At the examination, the doctor uses a dermatoscope to assess the part of this area considered safe and its density.
Why is it limited?
Every graft taken reduces the number of hairs in the donor area for good. Over-harvesting can leave the donor area looking thin.
Because hair loss can be progressive, today’s plan also needs to take into account needs that may arise years from now. For this reason, doctors may recommend keeping part of the donor capacity in reserve.
How is the donor area protected in planning?
The key principles are to extract grafts evenly across the donor area, to avoid dense extraction from any one spot, and to base the number of grafts on what the recipient area genuinely needs.
In certain cases, the beard or body areas may be considered as an additional source; however, these decisions are made individually for each patient.
References
- Norwood OT. Male pattern baldness: classification and incidence. South Med J. 1975;68(11):1359–1365.
- Rassman WR, Bernstein RM, McClellan R, et al. Follicular unit extraction: minimally invasive surgery for hair transplantation. Dermatol Surg. 2002;28(8):720–728.
- Unger WP, Shapiro R, Unger R, Unger M (eds). Hair Transplantation. 5th ed. Informa Healthcare; 2011.
