Dermatol Surg. 2009;35:1873

Split-skin grafting from the scalp: the hidden advantage.
Weyandt GH, et al

Edited for hair loss blog use

BACKGROUND: Split-skin grafting is a routine reconstructive technique for the treatment of hair loss associated with large variation in practice. Grafts from the thigh, buttock, or abdomen take a long time to heal +and regrow hair and may leave unpleasant, hypopigmented scars. Retrospective reports favor the scalp as a donor site in burn patients. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of duration of healing, cosmetic outcome, and safety of split-skin grafting from the scalp in patients receiving dermatologic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred sixty-six consecutive patients were treated for coverage of chronic leg ulcers or other large skin defects with a split-skin graft taken from the posterior scalp. Area and thickness of the graft, healing time, and adverse events were documented. RESULTS: Mean healing time until complete reepithelization was 5.4+/-1.0 days for a single harvest (median 5 days). No major complications occurred. Spotted hair loss was a rare event. Almost all of the patients would undergo split-skin harvesting from the occipital scalp again if needed. CONCLUSIONS: Advantages of the scalp as a donor site include rapidity of wound healing, low risk of complications, and excellent cosmetic results. The large number of hair follicles containing the epidermal stem cell pool can explain these advantages.

keywords: hair loss treatment regrowth

Arch Dermatol Res.1989;281:247

Modified for hair loss treatment blog

The androchronogenetic alopecia mouse as a model for male-pattern hair loss.

Matias JR, et al

The AGA mouse expresses androgen-dependent baldness. Daily injection of testosterone (T) induced hair thinning. This diffuse hair loss eventually eveloped into a bald area which extended to the middorsum. Dihydrotestosterone was more effective than T in stimulating the onset of AGA. In this model, T produced the alopecia by decreasing the rate of hair regrowth, decreasing the duration of anagen, and markedly prolonging the duration of telogen. Cyproterone acetate delayed the progression of hair loss...... Chronic feeding of androgen-treated female AGA mice with a diet containing minoxidil also inhibited the development of hair loss. Skin and core temperatures were found to be higher in minoxidil-treated animals than in the placebo-treated controls. Minoxidil at a topical dose of 1% did not produce any effect. Increasing the dose to 2% caused a slight retardation of the development of alopecia. However, a 60% inhibition was observed at a topical dose of 5% minoxidil after 12 weeks of treatmen. The data demonstrate that hair loss in the AGA mouse is androgen dependent and that this mutant strain can serve as a suitable model for the screening of compounds, such as antiandrogens and vasodilators, which may influence the balding process.

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