QUESTION: Dear Dr. Jones,
What is the reason that hair cannot be taken from another donor? I know that for organ transplants recipients take anti rejection drugs. Are similar drugs available that could be useful for hair transplants?
ANSWER: For any organ transplant including hair, the genetics must be a perfect match in order for the body to accept the new organ which is why patients are required to take drugs that stop the body from rejecting the genetically ‘imperfect’ and foreign organ. These drugs used to inhibit organ rejection for heart or kidney are dangerous and can have severe side effects. The patients who require these transplants however are often in life or death situations so the drugs are a feasible solution. Hair loss, unlike heart failure however does not propose a life threatening situation so these drugs are not an option. Hair transplanted from another person will definitely be rejected.
