A randomized controlled trial on hair follicular-derived microtissue for promoting wound healing and alleviating postoperative complications after hair transplantation

• Published in: Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery Vol. 96; pp. 136 - 145
• Main Authors: Guo, Zehong, Qu, Qian, Yang, Lunan, Zhao, Yingjie, Li, Haoyang, Fu, Danlan, Zhang, Jiaxian, Fan, Zhexiang, Wang, Jin, Liu, Bingcheng, Wang, Zhenxing, Hu, Zhiqi, Miao, Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Adult; Alopecia - etiology; Alopecia - surgery; Female; Follicular unit extraction; Hair - transplantation; Hair Follicle - transplantation; Humans; Male; Microtissue; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications - prevention & control; Pruritus - etiology; Scalp - surgery; Single-Blind Method; Transplant Donor Site; Treatment Outcome; Wound Healing; Microtissue; Follicular unit extraction; Wound healing; Hair transplantation
• ISSN: 1748-6815; 1878-0539; 1878-0539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2024.07.003

Hair transplantation, particularly through follicular unit extraction (FUE), can lead to postoperative complications, such as numbness, itching, and pain in donor areas, primarily because of delayed wound healing. Efficient management of donor-site healing is crucial to mitigate these complications and improve overall patient outcomes. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of hair follicular-derived microtissue (HFMT) in promoting wound healing and alleviating postoperative complications in donor areas after FUE hair transplantation. Perifollicular tissue obtained during the trimming phase of hair transplantation was processed into HFMT and analyzed for its properties using histological and molecular techniques. In a single-blind, split-scalp study involving 98 participants, Group A received HFMT or mupirocin, whereas Group B received HFMT or no treatment. Dermatoscopic images were captured postoperatively, and visual analog scale scores were used to evaluate pain, itching, and numbness. HFMT-treated donor sites in Group A demonstrated a significantly higher wound closure ratio on postoperative day 3 than mupirocin-treated sites. Pain scores for HFMT-treated sites were consistently lower on postoperative days 3, 5, and 7. Similar trends were observed for itching scores. Group B exhibited outcomes comparable with Group A. The application of HFMT homogenates effectively accelerated wound healing and alleviated donor-site complications after FUE hair transplantation.