Recent papers on hair transplantation and hair loss that our surgeons are reading now, each with a short line on what it found. We add new ones every few months.
About this list
These are recent papers (2023 to 2026) from medical journals. Each title opens its PubMed record, and we link the free full text where there is one.
Some cover treatments we don’t offer: we read them because patients ask about them. Nothing here is a promise about your result; your surgeon assesses you personally.
Queen D, Avram MR. Dermatol Surg. 2025;51(9):874–881. PubMed 40354670 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1097/DSS.0000000000004675 (opens in a new tab)
In short: A review of five years of hair transplant research (2019 to 2024). FUE and strip surgery both remain current methods, new tools exist for taking out and placing grafts, and careful hairline design with medicines alongside surgery has improved results.
Othman S, Glat P. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2023;47(6):2415–2424. PubMed 37193885 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1007/s00266-023-03391-2 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Compares the surgical options for hair loss, from FUE and strip transplants to scalp flaps and scalp reduction, and when each is used. The right choice depends on the cause of the hair loss, the patient and the surgeon’s experience.
Gupta AK, Polla Ravi S. Facial Plast Surg. 2024;40(2):146–157. PubMed 37879351 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1055/a-2198-1352 (opens in a new tab)
In short: A reference guide to the language of FUE: the safe donor zone, how punches are classified, how graft quality is judged, and how the technique and its devices have developed.
Jimenez F, Gupta AK, Shapiro R, Talukder M. Dermatol Surg. 2026;52(8):736–742. PubMed 41805884 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1097/DSS.0000000000005049 (opens in a new tab)
In short: "Unshaven" means different things in different adverts. The authors propose five clear categories, from fully shaven to long-hair FUE, defined by how the donor area is harvested, so patients know exactly what they are being offered.
Carman TP, Rassman W. Facial Plast Surg. 2024;40(2):195–204. PubMed 38049108 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1055/s-0043-1777074 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Hair loss keeps progressing, so the donor area has to last a lifetime. This paper covers how surgeons take enough grafts over the years without leaving the back of the head thin or patchy.
Gabel S. Facial Plast Surg. 2024;40(2):214–222. PubMed 37984370 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1055/s-0043-1776401 (opens in a new tab)
In short: When the scalp cannot supply enough grafts, body hair can add more. The beard is usually the best extra source, then the chest and abdomen. The author notes that the technique is demanding and needs an experienced FUE surgeon.
Zhou Y, Zhang J, Fan Z, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2023;49(7):675–681. PubMed 37036372 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003799 (opens in a new tab)
In short: A randomised trial in 240 patients compared two solutions for keeping grafts alive outside the body. With the newer solution, fewer patients had shedding after sessions of 3,000 grafts or more, and regrowth started earlier. Final graft survival was the same in both groups.
Barusco M. Facial Plast Surg. 2023 (online ahead of print). PubMed 37879350 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1055/a-2198-2479 (opens in a new tab)
In short: How the scalp is numbed for FUE: local anaesthesia, often with light oral sedation, usually given as a ring block around the donor area. The way the injections are given makes a large difference to how much they hurt.
Khatib M, Skorochod R, Wolf Y. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2025;49(23):6393–6405. PubMed 40913181 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1007/s00266-025-05125-y (opens in a new tab)
In short: Brings together 45 published studies and case reports. Hair transplantation was generally safe. Pain and swelling at the donor area were the most reported problems, and scarring at the recipient area. A rare blood-vessel complication in the donor area was linked to one punch technique.
Romera de Blas C, Vega Díez D, Ricart Vayá JM, Gómez Zubiaur A. Front Med (Lausanne). 2026;13:1750989. PubMed 41709896 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.3389/fmed.2026.1750989 (opens in a new tab)
In short: A practical review of what can go wrong after FUE, from swelling and infection to donor depletion, folliculitis and shedding, and how careful patient selection, graft handling and aftercare prevent most of it.
Okochi H, Onda M, Momosawa A, Okochi M. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2024;48(7):1258–1263. PubMed 37816944 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1007/s00266-023-03699-z (opens in a new tab)
In short: In 621 FUE patients, temporary shedding of existing hair (shock loss) was much more common in women than in men, and in women it became more likely with age.
Haider SA, Hasanzade S, Borna S, et al. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2025;49(17):4745–4753. PubMed 40660034 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1007/s00266-025-05018-0 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Plastic surgeons at the Mayo Clinic review hair transplant tourism, with Istanbul as the main example: lower prices and all-inclusive packages on one side; unsupervised technicians, aggressive marketing and poor reporting on the other. The warning signs it describes are the ones in our guide to choosing a clinic.
Queen D, Avram MR. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(9):851–855. PubMed 40911748 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.36849/jdd.8988 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Women usually come later than men, and with diffuse thinning rather than a receding hairline. They need checks for other causes of hair loss, a plan that protects the donor area, and medical treatment alongside surgery.
Umar S, Khanna R, Lohlun B, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2023;49(10):949–955. PubMed 37530735 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003881 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Curly hair and thick, firm skin make FUE harder in patients of African descent. In 64 patients at seven clinics, a device that adapts to the skin kept graft damage to 3–6% on average, and skin thickness mattered more than curl. The first author holds patents on the device.
Liu Y, Tosti A, Wang ECE, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2025;11(1):73. PubMed 41068174 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1038/s41572-025-00656-9 (opens in a new tab)
In short: An overview of pattern hair loss by international experts. More than 380 genetic regions are linked to it. The treatments with good evidence are transplanting resistant hair from the back of the head, finasteride and topical minoxidil; newer approaches are still in development.
Penha MA, Miot HA, Kasprzak M, Müller Ramos P. JAMA Dermatol. 2024;160(6):600–605. PubMed 38598226 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.0284 (opens in a new tab)
In short: In 90 men over 24 weeks, oral minoxidil tablets were not better overall than minoxidil solution; photos favoured the tablet on the crown only. Unwanted body hair was common with the tablet.
Olsen EA, Sinclair R, Hordinsky M, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025;93(2):457–465. PubMed 40216195 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1016/j.jaad.2025.04.016 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Hair-loss dermatologists set out how they use topical minoxidil and low-dose oral minoxidil safely. Oral use is off-label and had no agreed best practice until now.
Ding Y, Wang C, Bi L, et al. Dermatology. 2024;240(5–6):833–843. PubMed 39278205 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1159/000541395 (opens in a new tab)
In short: In the studies reviewed, oral dutasteride worked better than finasteride with similar tolerability, but sexual side effects and possible psychiatric risks still need attention. Injected and topical forms are being studied.
Zhang X, Ji Y, Zhou M, et al. J Cutan Med Surg. 2023;27(5):504–508. PubMed 37533146 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1177/12034754231191461 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Nine randomised trials with 238 patients: PRP increased hair density at 3 and 6 months compared with placebo, but not hair count or thickness. The trials were small, which is why we call the evidence for PRP mixed.
Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(sup1):2495229. PubMed 40265319 (opens in a new tab). DOI 10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229 (opens in a new tab)
In short: Patients who train often ask this. In 38 men doing resistance training, daily creatine for 12 weeks did not change DHT or any hair measure compared with placebo. It is a small, short study, and some of its authors advise supplement companies.
The references behind the medical statements on our own pages are listed separately. Sources
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Like any surgery, a hair transplant has risks. They include infection, scarring, shock loss and grafts that grow poorly. Read about the risks