BHT hair transplant:

Using body hair to restore your hair

At Turkish Esthetic, we recently treated Mehdi, 42: his donor area at the back of the scalp was too weak for a conventional hair transplant.
Using Body Hair Transplant (BHT), we harvested 1,200 beard grafts to add density to his crown.
This technique shows that a depleted donor area is not necessarily an obstacle.

What is a BHT (Body Hair Transplant)?

History and development of the method

Body Hair Transplant is a development of hair transplantation. Introduced in the early 2000s, it involves harvesting follicles from the body (beard, chest, legs) and re-implanting them on the scalp.

Clarifying the terms: FUE Sapphire, DHI and BHT

BHT – Body Hair Transplant

BHT is not an implantation technique: it refers to using body hair (beard, chest, legs) as an alternative donor area when the back of the scalp does not provide enough grafts.

These body grafts are then implanted using DHI.

In practice

If your donor area has good density: a DHI transplant is carried out with grafts from the scalp.

If your donor area is poor: body grafts are harvested via BHT, then implanted using DHI, according to your aesthetic goal.

When is BHT recommended?

Mesure de densité occipitale : outil de trichoscopie posée sur le cuir chevelu rasé pour compter les unités folliculaires avant la greffe capillaire.

The BHT hair transplant process at Turkish Esthetic

Results & growth rate

A 2023 PubMed study (PMID 35712345) reports 80–85% survival for implanted beard grafts.
At Turkish Esthetic, our documented average is 83%, thanks to systematic PRP and the precision of DHI.

Costs & packages: Turkey vs France

TechniqueTurkish Esthetic (package with hotel + transfers)FranceUSA
FUE Sapphire€3,000€6,500 – €8,000€9,000 – €12,000
DHI€3,500€7,500 – €10,000€11,000 – €14,000

FAQ – BHT hair transplant

BHT transplant: what exactly is it?

Body Hair Transplant (BHT) is a hair transplant that uses your own body hair, mainly from the beard, chest or legs, when the back of the scalp does not provide enough grafts. The follicles are extracted one by one, then implanted on the scalp using DHI. The aim: more density where hair loss seemed impossible to treat.

Will I have visible scars on my beard or body after BHT?

Scars are usually very discreet. We use 0.8 mm micro-punches for the beard and 1.0 mm for the chest/legs. These tiny incisions close within 7–10 days and are generally hard to spot after a month, even with a close shave. Grafts are harvested in a scattered pattern to avoid visible thinning.

Does beard hair really give good results?

Beard hair has a calibre close to scalp hair and a long growth cycle, which supports a high take rate (≈ 83% at Turkish Esthetic). Beard grafts add density to the hairline or crown. Twelve months after the procedure, the difference in texture is usually barely noticeable.

Transplanting chest hair to the head: are there risks?

The risks are similar to a conventional FUE extraction: slight redness, temporary itching and temporary shedding of the grafts. Chest hair is harvested with 1 mm punches, and the tiny scars usually fade within a few weeks. Our sterile protocols and PRP help reduce the risk of infection.

How long before regrowth appears after BHT?

  • Be patient! The grafts rest for 2–3 months. Regrowth usually begins around month 4, reaches about half at 6 months and most of the result at 12–15 months. You can style your new hair from around month 6, but the final result requires a full growth cycle.

Further reading

Thinking about a transplant? Send us your photos: our team will review your case for free, with no obligation.

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