• Welcome to Hair loss Experiences hair loss forum.

    Free impartial hair loss advice, hair transplant advice, hair loss medications and hair loss news.
    You can contact us directly at [email protected] if you experience any problems.

Average Donor Density...what does this mean?

sl

sl

BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
On another forum a member asked the question: €œWhat does "average" and "above average" donor look like? € It was a good question and a point that is probably much more complicated than most would think.

Many may say it is just down to density per cm2 of follicular units, but it goes deeper than that; aspects such as hair calibre, number of hairs per follicular unit average, spacing between each follicular unit as well as miniaturisation if any in the donor are all very important aspects to consider when assessing the donor area for suitability.

As a general around 75 FU cm2 is considered to be about average from a numerical calculation aspect but then add in for example the average number of hairs per natural group and an average donor could become below average.


FUfromsingletomultiple.jpg



Above is an example of how a donor could have very similar actual FU density but vary greatly in quality for a hair transplant. The hair count is greatly different from €œA € to €œC € and would require very different approaches and distribution of the hair if a hair transplant were performed.
 
janna

janna

Valuable Member
We've been stating for so long you can't compare one procedure with another by just the graft count. When you receive as much info as possible in your procedure, which includes the hair breakdown, your expectations should be closer to what you actually achieve. Thanks for the detailed write up and the pics are great. ¬b`
 
sl

sl

BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
Hi Janna,

I know you guys also give the patient their hair count and break it down for them, explain what the numbers mean, and you are so right as to how important this is.

It surprises me why people do not ask for it more, as you say it means so much in respect of the result, coverage and understanding how a Hair Transplant really works.
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Great post Stephen.

I too like all the data from a procedure.Hopefully this will become common practice for clinics when posting results.

Thanks bm.
 
H

hairtech

member
I wish more clinics were more transparent in their procedures... particularly when it comes to grafts versus hair counts... If you have 2500 graft case... what is the break down? More natural 1 haired grafts????? *nl or not?
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Stephen,how much donor would you say can be safely removed via fue in an average patients donor before it becomes noticeable that hair is actually missing.
 
sl

sl

BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
Hi BM

Good question, and there is a longer answer taking into account at all the relevant factors [I can do a more substantial post later on this] but in my experience, i've had approx 30% harvested, and the pattern of harvest and over how many procedures plays a major part also, as does punch size, type of punch and skill of doctor etc etc. I personally would not wish to have much more taken. My density on the sides is approx 60 FU per cm2 and parts of the back 80 FU per cm2. No one in the street notices anything but for me I would not wish more to be taken.

Hair colour, calibre, angulation, length, also play a part as does groupings of hairs within the grafts, but 25 to 30% I think is wise.
 
D

Derma-Plast

Valued Member
The details you listed so accurately about donor are often misunderstood by patients, details most argued about between doctors and patients. Density is so important for most patients, getting enough of it, that results in a natural look.

A point of complaint when too much hair is taken from the donor area is the moth-eaten look. Donor areas can give only so much. Inexperienced or too-eager-to-please doctors could be imputed for this. This is particularly bad as it can be confused with diseases like tinea capitis (fungus), or secondary syphilis.

Thanks for the info and the pics.
 
Last edited:
Top