Will the hair grow in the bald patch in donor area? (photos)

Question

I am 9 weeks post a 5000 graft FUE. The hair in the donor area seems to grow well. i dont have any problems there except this bald patch. I am not sure how i got it, i was scatching crusts off my donor in the first month post op. i was scatching quite a bit since the crusts were easily coming off that way. It felt good removing them manually like that. Maybe this patch is a result of that when i scratched a giant chunk of crust? But now it seems like hair is growing around it but not in it.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

The bald patch on your donor area may be from over harvesting with 5000 grafts.  You may want to follow up with your doctor if this is an issue.

Kapil Dua, MBBS, MS · Answer

Loss of hair in the donor area after excessive grafts removal is a common outcome. This is primarily because of the loss of the blood supply leading to localised baldness called a post operative effluvium. Sometimes, these hair come back and sometimes they may not all depending upon the extent of damage to the donor area. Nine weeks is too small a time to comment whether it will remain like this or improve....

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

5000 graft FUE is an extremely large case. What appears to have happened here is hair loss in the area due to excessive trauma. In some individuals, such trauma can lead to impaired blood supply and death of existing hair.It's still too early to say with 100 % certainty that all the loss is permanent but you'll know in a few more months. There is not much that can be done at this point but you can consider scalp micro pigmentation of hair restoration (transplanting a few grafts into residually bald areas).

Anne Kremer, MD · Answer

Excessive harvesting using FUE can cause problems. In my surgery I would not normally harvest more than 1,500 grafts (~3,600 hairs), this gives sufficient time for the donor site to heal, creating less trauma and better results in the long term, with great natural results.If the hair fails to regrow in the donor site, and the tissue is not too fibrous, you may consider further surgery to populate the area. Its a common mistake by patients to think more is better. Careful consideration is needed with any permeant surgery like a hair transplant.Also, grafts have been taken very low in your donor site, these grafts will fail, if you recede up from the nape of your neck, which is normal in male pattern loss.

Will the hair grow in the bald patch in donor area? (photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Over Harvesting.

Answer: Over Harvesting.

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Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

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Will the hair grow in the bald patch in donor area? (photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Over Harvesting.

Answer: Over Harvesting.

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.