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Hair guideWhat is donor dominance in hair transplants?

What is donor dominance in hair transplants?

✓ Medically reviewed✍️ HairBase editorial team📅 Last updated: June 14, 2026⏱ 1 min read
💡 Quick answer

A thick nape photo is not 8,000 grafts. Ask what happens when donor is over-harvested.

Orentreich’s idea of donor dominance underpins modern FUT/FUE: DHT-resistant occipital units keep that resistance in the front. It is not a licence to ignore native pattern or aftercare. This page will not invent a PMID. Related: FUE graft survival — different URL.

Do not stop labelled minoxidil because “donor is forever.” Do not start oral finasteride from a donor photo without diagnosis.

Over-harvest moth-eaten donor is a deformity to discuss with a surgeon, not extra millilitres. This is not medical advice.

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📚 Sources

Sources: Graft coverage (Wimpole) ↗

FAQ

Does transplanted hair fall from DHT?

Usually it keeps donor behaviour. Native hair may not.

Can I harvest twice?

Donor is finite. Ask the surgeon.

Same as body-hair file?

Related surgery family, different URL. Beard is not occipital.

More foam on transplanted hairs?

Ask the surgeon about timing. Do not invent a day-3 protocol.

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Not medical advice. General education only; it does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a licensed professional. Figures such as 1 mg or 5% are labelled strengths you may see in your country — not a dosing instruction. Consult a board-certified dermatologist before starting, stopping or changing any treatment.

⚠️ When to see a doctor — don’t self-treat

  • Sudden patchy or circular bald spots
  • Redness, scaling, pus, pain or itch (possible scarring alopecia — treat urgently)
  • Broken hairs or rapid loss
  • Loss with body-wide signs (weight loss, fatigue, cycle changes, acne, extra hair)
  • Loss right after a new medication
  • Any hair loss in a child
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