Body Hair Transplant

Body Hair transplantation (BHT) is a procedure that began gaining recognition in the early 2000s. It was originally pioneered by Dr. Ray Woods, of Australia, in the 1990s. Currently, there are only a handful of doctors worldwide performing this innovative technique for the treatment of hair loss. BHT is not widely practiced because, like CIT®, it requires special instruments, is very time consuming and the results can be somewhat unpredictable. Results are typically not on par with scalp hair yields but BHT can offer a viable option for those whose traditional donor hair supply is depleted.

It can be difficult to predict who will see significant improvements from BHT and who will not. We now know that transplanting lower densities of hair tends to result in a better growth rate in some patients. We encourage patients to first use scalp hair for CIT® and to turn to body hair transplants only as a last resort. However, we understand that, for many, BHT may be their only option for hair restoration surgery.

Body hair should be thought of as “filler hair”, designed to help increase the density of a scalp hair transplant when there is not an abundant scalp hair supply. Before jumping into long sessions, we like to first try a small “test case” using 50 to 500 body hair grafts to see what sort of growth yield the patient will achieve. This test allows the patient to evaluate their results and receive the doctor's opinion on whether they are a good candidate for BHT before scheduling a large procedure. Body hair transplants tend to produce subtle results; some patients will be highly impressed while others will not be as pleased. Though unpredictable, this procedure might be a solution for men whose traditional scalp donor hair is depleted and can offer hope to those who might feel all is lost.