Follicles Twisted During Follicular Unit Excision Could Survive in the Skin of Nude Mice

This study investigated the survival rates of hair follicles with minor trauma, specifically twisted bulbs and fractured shafts, after transplantation into the skin of immunodeficient nude mice. A total of 65 twisted bulb follicles, 65 fractured shaft follicles, and 105 intact follicles were transplanted. The results showed that the survival rate of twisted bulb follicles (75.00%) was comparable to that of intact follicles (73.33%), while fractured follicles had a significantly lower survival rate (33.33%). The study suggests that twisted follicles can be effectively used in follicular unit excision (FUE) procedures without affecting survival rates, potentially reducing losses and increasing transplant density. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings in human subjects.