Skin Banking Skin Banking Skin Banking is a process in which skin is removed from a donor body, tested for suitability as a graft material, packaged, stored, and finally reused as a graft. The process is similar to that for blood banking.
Skin grafts can be autografts or allografts.
An autograft is tissue which is remove from and then re-used on the same individual. Auto-skin grafts can be used as a treatment for 2nd and 3rd degree burns and for reconstructive surgery. Skin autografts are permanent replacement grafts and will heal full thickness burn wounds. Autografts involve the removal the epidermis and some of the dermis but not deep enough to remove the hair follicles and glands. Because autografts are thin and usually don't contain hair follicles or glands, the grafted areas will be devoid of hair and unable to sweat.