Can I get a Hair Transplant from Someone Else?

 

The people who are willing to commit a hair transplant in Kolkata always tend to ask a certain question, especially if the person is having major balding issue. They often ask if we can get someone else’s hair for the surgery. In principle, the answer to their query is yes.

Hypothetically speaking, it is possible to take hair from someone else (the donor) and transplant it to someone else (the recipient). After that the recipient has to take immunosuppressive meds for the rest of his/her life so that the transplanted hair can grow and avoid rejection. But in practical, the answer is no. Even with the cutting edge, state of the art technology, it isn't possible currently.

The reason behind big “NO” –

The assumption people make about immunosuppressive drugs are wrong; they are not safe at all. Immunosuppressive medicines have huge side effects and they don't always prevent rejection, this varies upon person to person. Immunosuppressive pills have bad influence on blood pressure, liver function, cholesterol, mood, blood sugars, bone health, weight, and kidney function.

They can expand the danger of creating different kinds of infections and increase the danger of cancer. Some people ask why hair transplant from a donor is not possible when it’s valid for other organ transplant. You have to keep in mind that we do organ transplant when it is the last resort. In most cases, organ transplant patients have shorter life span and a high risk of dying of both cancer and non–cancer related causes. These medications have potential side-effects when used just to avoid rejection. Therefore, the answer is NO.

Exceptionally, there are cases where we have used donor hair from another person. In that case the donor and the recipient have to be identical twins. Identical twins generally have the same genetic marker, and a hair transplant could be performed without the using any anti-rejection drugs.

Having experienced this inquiry from patient’s endless number of times, I have come to understand that regardless of the above facts, the inquiry regularly follows - "Is there any possibility I can try?" Again, the answer is NO; it isn't possible to perform a hair transplant surgery using donor hair from someone else. In India, it is also considered as malpractice for a surgeon in any circumstances.

Hopefully, someday in the not so distant future, it will be possible to transfer hair follicles from a different source. The things that seem impossible today eventually become possible in the future.