Category Archives: Face Transplant

Face Transplant

20 Years after the First ever Face Transplant, Questions Remain

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Exactly 20 years ago (on November 27, 2005) the world’s first ever partial face transplant was performed on Isabelle Dinoire in France. Her face had been severely disfigured by her pet dog. Unfortunately, Ms. Dinoire passed away in 2016 at the young age of 49 from cancer that was thought to be caused by the heavy use of immunosuppressant drugs. The world’s first ever full face transplant occurred 15 years ago in 2010 in Spain. This was followed by the first ever full face transplant in the US in 2011.

I have always been fascinated by face transplants and organ transplants from one person to another. Besides the scientific progress connotations, such advances also mean a greater likelihood of person-to-person (allogeneic) hair transplants finally becoming successful. Which would mean a hair loss cure, since the limited donor hair problem of hair transplants would be resolved. Moreover, unlike organ transplants, allogeneic hair transplants when realized may likely work without the need of any side effect causing immunosuppressants.

Face Transplant Procedures: Successful Long-Term Outcomes still in Doubt

Despite all the hype 15 years ago, only 50 reported full face transplants have been performed worldwide to date. I was always surprised that this procedure never became more common. Especially when people were even seriously considering the potential of a full body transplant (also called a head transplant).

Today’s Guardian article now makes it clear as to why face transplants have not taken off as would be expected by now.

The potentially life-threatening side effects from taking strong immunosuppressants for a long time include cancer, kidney failure and heart failure. Some patients end up with huge lifelong on-going medical bills. Some cannot overcome the psychological issues of seeing someone else’s face on their own. Especially when family members and friends look at them with shock. Some hate the lifelong attention. In the case of the late Ms. Dinoire:

“One day she found a new hair on her chin. “It was odd. I’d never had one. I thought, It’s me that has given it life, but the hair is hers.”

Isabelle felt less like a princess than a circus animal. After the transplant, she spoke of being tormented: “Everyone would say: Have you seen her? It’s her. It’s her. And so I stopped going out completely.”

Patients are also always at risk of the face being rejected even years after the procedure. It should be noted, however, that resolving this problem with organ transplants has improved substantially in recent years (although only in the developed world). Nevertheless, the long-term medical, psychological and cultural consequences of face transplants remain deeply unclear.

Per the Guardian article, negative face transplant outcome data is likely under-reported due to funding battles and institutional rivalry. Patients are often also reluctant to report their displeasure due to pressure from their surgeons and hospitals.

A Full Face Transplant and a Skull and Scalp Transplant Give two Bald Patients New Hair

On a related note, in the past, I covered two very interesting cases of: the world’s first African ethnicity person to get a full face transplant; and the world’s first ever combined skull and scalp transplant. Both procedures (posted below) gave the severely bald recipient a full head of hair.

Robert Chelsea is the first ever African heritage person to get a full face transplant (in the US in 2019). In today’s Guardian article that I linked to earlier, I was glad to see that Mr. Chelsea is still alive. Unfortunately, he has run into severe financial difficulties and even had his car repossessed. He is running a Gofundme in case you want to help out.

First African American Face Transplant.
First ever African heritage person to get a face transplant. Before and after, including new scalp hair.

US-based James Boysen received the world’s first ever skull and scalp transplant in 2015. Incredibly, Mr. Boysen also received a new kidney and a new pancreas during the procedure because his old ones (that were also transplants!) were failing. Mr. Boysen was a diabetic since age 5, and he got his first kidney and pancreas transplants in 1992. Mr. Boysen would be 65 years old this year, assuming he is still alive. I have not seen any new updates about him in recent years.

Mr. Boysen described his new hair after his scalp and skull transplant as a nice problem to have. His surgeons marveled at his new scalp sweating and growing hair within a few days of transplantation.

Jim Boysen Before Skull and Scalp Transplant.
A severely balding Jim Boysen before his skull and scalp transplant.
Jim Boysen Skull and Scalp Transplant.
Jim Boysen regrew his hair after a skull and scalp transplant.
Scalp Transplant, Face Transplant, Immunosuppressants, Skull Transplant

First ever Skull and Scalp Transplant

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The original version of this post (see bottom half) was in relation to the world’s first ever skull and scalp transplant in 2015. I am now updating the post with news of the world’s first African American face transplant in 2019. And the world’s first combined double hand and face transplant in 2021. The last two of these three examples also involved a bonus: brand new scalp hair.

Note that science has now reached a point where taking dangerous immunosuppressants is a lot safer. Moreover, some researchers think that in future we will need minimal to no immunosuppressants. Especially beyond the immediate short-term after surgery.

Make sure to also read my post on the exciting future of allogeneic hair transplants.

February 4, 2021

First Combination Face and Double Arm Transplant in 2021

In August 2020, medical and surgical science made yet another big breakthrough in the field of organ transplants. The surgical team from NYU Langone Health performed a face and double hand transplant for 22-year-old Joe DiMeo. In February 2021, they showed us the results.

Both of these procedures are extremely rare. A combination of the two is quite astounding. More importantly, the patient himself seems to be very satisfied. He lost his hands and had his face burnt after a car crash. The lead surgeon was Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez.

October 24, 2019

First Ever African American Face Transplant in 2019

The world’s first ever face transplant in an African ethnicity person (Robert Chelsea) took place in  the US in July 2019. Later in the year, the news media widely covered his story with amazing after photos. As of 2019, only around 50 face transplants had been performed worldwide.

African Face Transplant
First African Face Transplant.

What is also amazing is that 68-year old Mr. Chelsea grew back a young person’s hairline, with dark pigmented hair from the donor face. While this face transplant did not include a full scalp transplant, it seems like a significant portion of the donor scalp was also transferred during the procedure.

10:40 into the below video:

“Now what looks really different is he has hair”.

June 4, 2015

In a recent post, I discussed face, organ and limb transplants and the connection with person to person hair transplants. Unlike with organ transplants that save lives, doctors will never prescribe immunosuppressive drugs to those who are bald and want another (dead or alive) person’s hair.

Immunosuppressants are deemed to be too dangerous to be justifiable for any cosmetic procedure. However, I think that people on immunosuppressants rarely seem to die of related causes, especially if they are not that old. Such patients are carefully monitored and dosages are reduced at the slightest signs of any adverse symptoms.

First Ever Skull and Scalp Transplant in 2015

Scalp and Skull Transplant with Hair
First ever scalp and skull transplant.

In any event, the reason for writing this post is that earlier today, it was announced that a US surgical team led by Dr. Jesse Selber has performed the world’s first ever skull and scalp transplant on a 55-year-old patient named James Boysen in Texas.

2016 Update: See Jim Boysen’s after photos with significant new scalp hair as a bonus.

For most men in their 50s, needing a haircut is a minor inconvenience. For James Boysen, it’s a nice problem to have.

Within days, his doctors marveled to see the transplanted scalp sweat and his hair grow.

Even more impressive, Mr. Boysen also received a new kidney and a new pancreas during the procedure because his old ones (that were also transplants!!) were failing. Mr. Boysen has had diabetes since age 5, and got his first kidney and pancreas transplants in 1992.

Unfortunately for Mr. Boysen, it seems like the immunosuppressant drugs that he had to take since his original organ transplants in 1992 perhaps contributed to him getting a rare type of cancer called leiomyosarcoma on his scalp in 2006. Although this cancer was treated successfully, it left his scalp significantly damaged. He finally got this scalp transplant after waiting for a donor scalp for a few years.

Mr. Boysen’s perseverance in spite of so much adversity and bad luck are truly admirable. The most interesting part of this story is that Mr. Boysen thinks that the new scalp will give him more hair than he had at age 21. This means that he was extremely bald at a very young age. From his after photo with the new scalp, it seems like the hair on the donor scalp has been shaved, but will grow in the coming months. It will be very interesting to see what Mr. Boysen looks like in another 6 months.

Here is the BBC story of this extraordinary development. My favorite version of this story with a video is on the UK’s Daily Mail. It should be noted that 3D printed skull transplants have been occurring since 2014. Just take a look at this one from this week. But this particular case was the first ever human to human skull transplant.