Skin grafting is a surgical procedure that involves removing skin from one area of the body and transplanting it to a different area of the body. This surgery may be done if a part of the body has lost its protective covering of skin due to burns, injury or illness. There are two basic types of skin grafts: split-thickness and full-thickness grafts.
A split-thickness graft involves removing the top layer of the skin as well as a portion of the deeper layer of the skin. Such grafts are usually harvested from the front or outer thigh, abdomen, buttocks or back. A full-thickness graft involves removing all of the epidermis and dermis from the donor site. These are usually taken from the abdomen, groin or forearm. Full-thickness grafts are generally used for small wounds on highly visible parts of the body, such as the face.