Is delayed micro-graft hair transplantation possible?--evaluation of viabilities of hair follicles preserved in two storage media.

Preservation of hair grafts for the purpose of delayed transplantation would allow use of thousands of hair grafts at one time. To evaluate the viabilities of hair follicle units preserved in DMEM and Ringer's solution at 0 degrees C for various periods. Cell cultures and transplantation of hair follicle units into athymic mice were used. Outer root sheath cells could be cultivated in 95.8% of those follicles preserved in Ringer's solution, and in 86.7% of those preserved in DMEM culture medium (p < 0.01). In 84.5% of those preserved in Ringer's and 72.5% of those preserved in DMEM for 24 h, hair follicles grew well after implantation into an athymic mouse model (p < 0.05).