So-called faecal microbiota transplantation involves faeces being collected from a donor then swapped into the bowel of a recipient patient. Designed to restore gut bacteria to healthy levels, it’s sometimes used to treat conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Now leading Manchester hair restoration surgeon Dr Bessam Farjo says faecal transplants could also be a bizarre solution for certain types of alopecia too. Studies into the links between faecal transplants and hair growth are limited. Dr Farjo pointed to research carried out in 2017. This was scientists at the Center for Women’s Gastrointestinal Medicine in Providence, America.

Dr Farjo, founder of the Farjo Hair Institute in Manchester, said: “There is a unique interplay between hair growth and your overall health, with things like stress, trauma and dietary disorders all playing a role. “And however controversial and off-putting, faecal transplants could play a key role in future treatments.”

Read the full article