Does FUE from the neck area leave scars on light skin?

Question

As planned with a hair specialist, i have 800 fu available on my underbeard/neck area. The goal is to use them to fill up patchy beard. Doctor said there is a risk of small hypopigmented scars but as im really white light skin is it less noticeable ? Also why hypopigmented scar instead of hyperpigmented scar ? Thanks for your help

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

Neck hair is not considered a good donor area because it is not considered a "permanent zone" and it also leaves scars.

Yael Halaas, MD · Answer

Hello, thank you for sharing your concerns and questions. In my experience, one of the many benefits of FUE is that the hair transplantation procedure leaves no long leaner visible scar. Though directly following FUE harvesting there may be tiny white dots present on the neck area, these markings subside within 3 days of treatment. However they are virtually invisible if the patient is fair skinned and not tanned. Since scar tissue contains no melanocytes, the lesions are white instead of hyperpigmented. There are very few risks associated with FUE hair transplants, especially when performed by a board certified plastic surgeon that specializes in FUE transplant surgery.

Jeanette Straga, DO · Answer

Your best bet would be to take hair from "under chin beard area" to replace your patchy beard.  We always make an effort to replace an area with "like hair".  You are at an advantage if you have light skin when it comes to the hypopigmentation.  An experience hair transplant surgeon will use a very small punch to score the grafts....plus the beard area is majority singles and minimal 2 haired grafts ...again leading your hair transplant surgeon to use a very small punch.  However, the punch size depends on several characteristics of your individual hair, and this would be determined at the time of surgery. Hyperpigmentation could occur if you expose your under the chin area to sunlight during the healing process and for 6 months thereafter.  Applying sun block every 2 hrs while out in the sun and/or wearing a hat will minimize this.

John Kahen, MD · Answer

I would Google the FUE pictures online. We typically take the hair in the back of the head because that hair is genetically programmed to grow for life. Meaning you won't loose it. The Folicular Unit Extraction does leave you with pin point scarring. Meaning that if you shave your head you could tend to see the pin point scarring. I'm not sure what blade size your DR. is planning on using. I would certainly ask that question though. We use a very very small blade at 0.7 so its nearly undetectable. You would probably need a magnifier to tell. I would recommend staying away from taking body hair from anywhere else on the body because it typically does not look natural and is not the same density.

Brian Goertz, MD (retired) · Answer

The reason scars are hypopigmented after FUE is that there are no melanocytes in scar tissue. Melanocytes produce skin pigment. The scar left is lighter than surrounding tissue and may not be very noticeable in light skinned individuals. Rarely however, hypo-pigmentation can occur around FUE donor sites. That is a real problem but not common.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

The underside of the chin is the best place to use as a donor area for beard to beard transplants as they rarely produce significant scars in light skinned people

Does FUE from the neck area leave scars on light skin?

Answers (6)

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