I am a norwood 6 and my donor supply is limited, so i’ve been researching BHT. A lot of the surgeons i’m interested in don’t perform BHT, is it because it doesn’t work?

First let’s discuss what BHT actually is, BHT is an acronym for body hair transplantation (BHT). BHT is performed by harvesting grafts from the beard, chest, arms, legs, and pubic regions. These grafts are harvested via Follicular Unit Excision (FUE).

What do some leading hair transplant physicians have to say about BHT. Coalition Hair Transplant Surgeon Dr. Michael Beehner had this to say: “In my opinion, beard and/or chest hair should be the last resort in looking for donor hair. The beard is the best non-scalp place to obtain donor hair, but in the typical man who shaves every day, there is a limited area for harvesting confined to the underside of his chin and upper neck. “

Hair Transplant Network recommended surgeon Dr. Koray Erdogan had this to say about BHT: “Body hair is thicker than scalp hair however, it can be a useful resource when the patient has a limited donor supply. BHT can help add density, but in my practice I prefer naturalness over density. I performed BHT in 2004, but I haven’t performed a BHT procedure since 2006. BHT should be used as a last resort once the patients donor supply has been completely depleted. It may also be useful to cover a depleted donor area if scalp micropigmentation (SMP) is not successful.”

To answer the question, yes BHT can work. However, patients must be cognizant of some issues related to BHT. First, body hair has a much shorter life cycle than scalp hair. Scalp hair grows for 3-5 years and can grow anywhere from 18-30 inches long. However, body hair grows for about 30-45 days and can only grow a few centimeters long, with the exception of beard hair.

Lastly, the appearance of body hair is completely different to scalp hair. Body hair is much thicker, shorter and curlier than scalp hair. This may result in an odd appearance, if not blended in properly. The best source of body hair is beard hair, because it can grow fairly long and has the longest life cycle apart from scalp hair. However, beard hair grows faster than scalp hair, so this is another factor to consider.

Written and published by,

Melvin Lopez- Associate Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network and The Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physician