Allogeneic Hair Transplant, Person to Person Hair Transplants

Man gets Hair and Kidney 20 Years Apart from Same Donor

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In 2019, I wrote a post about an allogeneic hair transplant success (in “humanized” mice) from South Korea. The scientists managed to do this via eliminating dendritic cells from donor hair using ultraviolet B radiation. Unfortunately, no new updates about this work potentially being done in humans has come out despite earlier optimism. Also see my 2015 post on person-to-person hair transplants.

As far back as 1999, Dr. Colin Jahoda successfully transplanted several of his scalp hairs to his wife’s arm, from which four hairs grew. This was termed to be the world’s first successful human hair transplant between people. Also note that bone marrow transplant patients can undergo an allotransplant of hair from the same bone marrow donor.

Normal organ transplants from a donor to a recipient require the lifelong use of immune suppressants, which can cause many side effects. However, when it comes to allogeneic hair transplants, some scientists think that they can be done without the need for immunosuppressants in the future. i.e., hair is not the same as other organs. This would eliminate the biggest problem with autologous hair transplants: insufficient donor hair to cover up the entire bald region of the scalp.

Man gets Hair and Kidney from Another Person

Last week, a very interesting new study came out that was co-authored by Dr. Sanusi Umar (US) and Dr. Felix Mircea Popescu (Romania). It is titled: “Allogeneic Hair Transplant in a Kidney Transplant Recipient.”

Two decades ago, a now 60-year-old man received a kidney from an unrelated donor friend. Come 2022, the same man decided to get a hair transplant using donor hair from that same kidney donor friend. What a tremendous friend! The before and after results turned out great:

Person to Person Hair Transplant
Person to person hair transplant from the same donor who previously gave a kidney. Source: Dermatologic Surgery. August 1, 2023.

Note that this whole process worked because the recipient had already received a well-tolerated 2-decade–long immunosuppressant regimen in order to prevent kidney rejection. He is continuing with this regimen that consists of tacrolimus 2.5 mg/kg/d, mycophenolate mofetil 500 mg/d, and prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/d. So for the purposes of this person-to-person hair transplant, no new medications were needed.

According to the authors, additional hair transplants are planned for this patient so as to address his remaining bald areas. They will use an expanded donor hair supply by combining autologous and allogeneic grafts.

What better reason than this to wish that your friend lives for over 100 years?

Also of Interest:

— First ever skull and scalp transplant.

— Face, organ, and limb transplants: and immunosuppressive drugs.

Platelet-Rich Plasma, PRP

$120 PRP Hair Loss Sessions in Mexico

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PRP Injections Hair Loss
PRP injections for hair loss.

In a recent chat during “The Bald Truth” hair loss show, a regular American participant named “Mike P” posted something very interesting: crazy cheap platelet-rich plasma (PRP) sessions in Mexico.

He travels to the country every four months to undergo this treatment. I discuss the details later in this post.

Please note that I am not encouraging this kind of cosmetic tourism to a lesser developed nation where you can easily run into unforeseen problems. Especially if things go wrong and you need emergency care or want to take a doctor to court for malpractice. You also have to add the cost of transportation and accommodation if you go to a foreign country (although a half-day road trip to Mexico is possible from the US).

However, considering the exorbitant rates that so many doctors in the US charge for PRP, Mike’s strategy has to be discussed. Especially since PRP injections are recommended at least once or twice per year for hair loss sufferers. A major long-term expense. Most US doctors seem to charge between $1,000 to $2,500 per  PRP session, but I have seen even higher numbers.

If you are a newer blog visitor, make sure to check out my numerous past posts on PRP and hair loss.

  • I used to update the worldwide PRP and hair growth study list at the bottom of this post regularly, but have neglected it in recent years.
  • PRP injection treatment variation is a very big problem. You want to make sure that you go an experienced and reputable doctor or surgeon. Usage of the correct centrifuge and correct platelet concentration levels are both of paramount importance.

Low-Cost PRP for Hair Loss in Mexico

Getting back to “Mike”, he goes to Hair Medical Restoration in Tijuana, Mexico (located right across the border from San Diego) every four months. The cost of each PRP sesssion is only $120. Even less if you have had a hair transplant at the same clinic. Mike claims to have seen very good results and considers it worth the time and expense.

This particular clinic also seems to have a second site (Edit: no longer active). I e-mailed them and did not get any response. However, when I called them, they confirmed the price. The lady who answered the phone also had a very good grasp of English and seemed professional.

Hair Medical Restoration’s main hair transplant surgeon is the somewhat well known ISHRS member Dr. Jorge Cortez. He is also listed on the Hair Center Mexico website and on the Capilar Hair Center website.

Note that the PRP injections at Hair Medical Restoration are done by someone other than the surgeon per what I understood from my brief phone conversation.

The Dangers of Getting Cosmetic Surgery in Developing Nations

I have heard way too many scare stories about cosmetic surgeries and procedures gone wrong in Mexico and the lesser developed parts of South America. Just like in other developing nations (e.g., see my post on hair transplant gone wrong).

Having said that, even places in the US such as Miami in 2023 can be unsafe when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Also of note, Hair Medical Restoration’s reviews are extremely good on Google, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. And on Yelp, they have 4.1 out of 5 stars.

Hair Medical Mexico Reviews
Hair Medical Restoration Mexico Reviews.

In all such review sites, you should go through each reviewer’s past history to see if they seem legitimate or fake. Someone who just has one all-time review is very unreliable. At the same time, if someone is leaving bad reviews for many similar types of businesses, it is often a competitor out to demean others.

Ultimately, you are making an educated guess. On sites such as RealSelf, PRP for hair loss reviews are far superior than what we read about in hair loss forums and blogs. Doctors and clinics will obviously only share good before and after results on platforms where they are allowed to do so. And in many cases, they can also get away with fake reviews and photos.