I'm curious, can hair at a recipient site can be removed and then replaced with donor hair? Furthermore, can this be done in the same session.

Let me clarify what I mean a bit. I'm considering undergoing a FUT transplant to replace hair loss around my hairline area. However, the hair of my right temple is only two-thirds of the way gone. If undergoing a procedure I would want to 'get it all done at once' so to speak and replace the scraggly, bare-alive remaining third of my temple along with the rest of my hairline. (Hopefully, this helps explain things sufficiently).

Is this possible? Can my dying, scraggly temple hair be 'put to rest' and then replaced with healthy non-MPB hair from my donor area? Can it be done in a single session?

Any info or advise is greatly appreciated.

Meta

Meta-- post some pics so we can see what you mean---

If you have very weak native hair in an area with very low density 10-15 fu cm/2 you could request the doc simply transplant the area with slightly higher density.

Post some pics and so we can better help you out.

Jason

Meta,

I agree with B that pictures would help - but generally speaking, I would never suggest having thinning hair follicles removed and replaced with hair transplant surgery. Depending on the amount of loss, transplanted hair can be densely packed in between and around these hairs and may hold up on their own once the native hair disappears on its own.

Alternatively, you may consider attempting to save these hairs by using a medical Propecia/Rogaine combination for 6 months to a year. If you can successfully strengthen these hairs, depending on the amount of your hair loss, you may not even need a hair transplant, or not as many grafts.

But there is a lot more to consider including your age, family history of hair loss, possible future hair loss, etc. Remember that hair loss is progressive and many balding men and women often need or want more than one surgery to accomplish their goals - even if not initially, over time with future loss.

Best wishes,

Falc

Meta-monster-
In general, in the case where there are weak "vellous"-type hairs present, the surgeon will simply place donor hair around or on top of those; they will then be lost due to permanent shock loss (in the case where the new grafts are placed close by) or injury (intentional, in the case where grafts are placed "on top" of the existing hair).
As Falc points out, finasteride/rogaine may help, although in this area of the scalp (as opposed to the crown) cosmetically significant improvements in the quality of the hair aren't really common (hair LOSS may be slowed however, but that does not address the need for additional hair).
And of course, this could be done in the same session as part of the overall plan.
And yes, pics would be nice.
By the way, are you talking about your "temporal points"? Those areas, if "faded" are crucial to assess and reconstruct when recreating a new hairline if you are to recreate a natural appearance. You can see an example of this in a patient I recently posted:
http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2566060861/m/2581034283

Everyone, thanks for the great responses. The advice offered was pretty much in line with what I had anticipated.

A quite bit of history --
I've been on finasteride, rogaine, 2% ketoconazole, and (gasp!) Revivogen, for a little more than two years now. I began medicating in the earliest possible stage of hairloss and have had a great response to all four treatments so far.

Granted MPB is a chronic condition, my hairloss has been completely stabilized for more than a year now. Also, hairloss of any degree is virtually non-existent is either side of my family. If I can achieve and maintain a NW1 that would be ideal (albeit a pipe-dream maybe).

As for photos, I don't have a high-quality camera. The ones I just tried to take with my phone are so blurry they're not even worth posting. I'll get my hands on a decent camera in the near future and put up photos to better clarify my situation.

One more quick question. To what degree does purposely transplanting on top of vellous hair typically impact the growth potential of newly transplanted hairs?

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Timothy Carman:

By the way, are you talking about your "temporal points"? Those areas, if "faded" are crucial to assess and reconstruct when recreating a new hairline if you are to recreate a natural appearance.

Yes, my temporal points were the areas I had in mind.

quote:

Originally posted by Meta-Monster:
One more quick question. To what degree does purposely transplanting on top of vellous hair typically impact the growth potential of newly transplanted hairs?

The presence of those pre-existing hairs will have no effect on newly transplanted grafts.

quote:

Originally posted by Meta-Monster:
Yes, my temporal points were the areas I had in mind.

So again, the recreation of those points is critical, in my opinion, to obtaining a natural result. Grafts for those areas are carefully chosen with respect to colour and size ("weaker" single hair grafts preferable; grey hairs in older patients). Also, the grafts must be placed at very acute angles and very specific radial directions in order to recreate a natural look.