Hair Transplant Scar - Always Big and Ugly?

asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Jack Fisher, MD
Question viewed 817 times
Tags: scar

i've read a bunch of hair transplant forums that talk about awful & ugly scars from hair replacement surgery. Is getting a bad scar a real risk or is it really depend on surgery method and the surgeon doing the work?

7 answers to Hair Transplant Scar - Always Big and Ugly?

Risk of scarring after Hair Transplant

The result of the scar is totally dependent on the surgeon's skill. If the donor hair site is closed properly with minimal tension, usually the scar is minimal. Unfortunately, the rare unsatisfactory result gets all the press and the patients with excellent scars tend not to discuss it.

Jack Fisher, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

www.fisherhaircenter.com

Hair Transplant Donor Site Scar

Not true at all- as you can see if you go through some website photo galleries. However, there is always a risk of a widened scar, but on average, donor site scars typically heal up 1 to 2 mm wide. There is a second hair transplant technique, called follicular unit extraction (FUE) that avoids altogether a linear donor site scar. see video

Jeffrey Epstein MD, FACS
Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.plasticsurgeryoftheface.com

Hair transplant donor scars are usually excellent

Hair transplant donor site scars (where the grafts are harvested) are typically excellent. By this I mean that they are usually thin, often difficult to find and can almost always be easily hidden completely by your hair unless you shave your head or do a buzz cut. It is more likely to have a bit of a wider scar in repeat transplantation and it is always possible that a complication like infection can contribute to a wider scar, but even in those situations, existing hair can... more

Daniel Berg, MD
Seattle Dermatologic Surgeon

Transplant scars

hair transplant scars can be very thin and hard to find . Many patients have successful hair transplants and no visible donor sight scar. I personally have had 3500 transplants and it takes great effort for anyone to find a donor sight scar on my scalp. There are some individuals who have a tendency towards hypertrophic scarring and actual keloid formation. If you have a history of these problems you would best do an FUE proceedure and avoid a donor sight scar

Richard Galitz, MD
Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

Thin scars after hair transplant

The donor scar if placed appropriately and closed in the appropriate manner can produce a very fine scar. Technique is everything. Visit with several hair transplant specialist and discuss and review their results.

Earl Stephenson Jr., MD, DDS
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Wide donor scars are not typical, but are a real risk

Wide donor scars are more common with multiple procedures and certain scalp characteristics. A consultation with a hair transplant surgeon can reveal what risks pertain to you. I use a trichophytic closure on patients planning to undergo only one session, and the donor scar is usually undetectable.

Kevin Ende, MD
Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon

Donor Closure for Hair Transplant: Careful Closure Plus Trichophytic for Maximal Benefits

It is 95% the surgeon's work and 5% the patient's healing that defines success. Let me refine that comment: 1. No matter if the surgeon is careful with donor harvest and closure, the patient may have some small widening like a mm or at most 2 mm. 2. If the patient has had multiple multiple procedures, especially following other surgeon's work, the blood supply may be worse and the scar may not be as perfect but very wide is doubtful. 3. can you shave your head? most likely not. the... more

Samuel Lam, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

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