Q: Can hair be transplanted from one person to another? M.Y. – Hoboken, New Jersey

A: A hair transplant between individuals can only be performed on identical twins, since they are genetically the same.

In all other cases, including non-identical siblings, the transplanted hair will be rejected.

We are often asked how it is that one can perform kidney transplants from one person to another, but not hair transplants. The reason is that the skin is more antigenic than a kidney i.e. it is more likely to be rejected. The reason is complex, but this makes sense considering that the skin is the first line of defense against foreign organisms.