Donor Site Assessment for Female Hairline Restoration in Southeast Asians

Female hairline restoration has increasingly been in demand for the past decade. However, no reports address the correlation between characteristics of hair at the hairline and at the donor area.

To assess follicular characteristics at the hairline and at the donor area including hair density, diameter, and their correlation.

One hundred one randomly selected Southeast Asian female volunteers were assessed for hairline and donor area characteristics. Data from the donor sites, including the temporal, parietal, occipital, and neck region were compared with that of the hairline.

Hairline density was 135.2 hair/cm with a diameter of 80.07 μm in midline, 112.95 hair/cm with 73.96 μm at the frontotemporal area, 69.82 hair/cm with 72.09 μm at temple peak, and 74.26 hair/cm with 72.35 μm at sideburns. The donor hair density was 98.89 to 152.19 hairs/cm and hair diameter was 76.80 to 81.11 μm. Aging was shown to affect hair density and diameter at the donor area.

All donor sites are suitable for hairline restoration of the midfrontal region except in the neck region. The suitable donor area for the frontotemporal area, temple peak, and sideburns is the nape. Hair density and diameter declined with age at some donor sites.