James A. Harris, MD

I would pluck the hairs gently; most should come out easily, if not, then they can be left in.  The reason to pull them is to prevent inflammation that may be cause by the hair fragments.




James Harris, MD

This is not the "normal" appearance 8 weeks following surgery and in the absence of symptoms suggestive of an infection, it is likely an inflammatory response.  The two most likely causes for this are that the grafts may have been placed a little deep and the skin from the graft is irritating the recipient area skin or there could be retained hairs from the grafts irritating the skin.  This second possibility is easily recognized if you feel the stubble from the transplanted hairs still remaining. 

I would return to your doctor for an evaluation. You may benefit from a course of antibiotics and topical steroids.  If there are retained hairs from the grafts they should be removed.

James Harris, MD, FISHRS

The ability to accomplish graft detection and extraction using either the robot or a manual device depends on the skills and experience of the surgeon.  I was the lead physician in the development of the ARTAS robot and the manual device called the SAFE System and I can say that if the doctor does not have sufficient experience using either device the graft quality will be sub-optimal. 

You also have to consider the experience of the surgeon in the design and implantation aspects of the surgery as that may impact the cosmetic outcome to a greater degree than the graft removal.

The small, possibly white dot-like scars after FUE may be visible after FUE when the hair in the donor area is cut very short (less than 3-4 mm).  Whether or not you have these does not impact your ability to have future FUE procedures. The limit is usually in the range of 5000-8000 follicular units.  The strip procedure also gives you the option of additional procedures but the scar will definitely be visible at 3-4 mm of length in the donor area.