Hair transplant, donor area over harvested, what's the best option? (photos)

Question

I got a hair transplant in Turkey a few year ago, and they completely over harvested my donor area. Some have mentioned smp tattoo , but I'm not sure how that will look as my hair changes in length. Will SMP even work in this situation, or make it look even more awkward? What if I just did the strip FUT method at this point and then went in again to cover the scar with fue method ? Thoughts ? Maybe other solutions?

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

It is possible that SMP could help make the overharvested region look less noticeable. But it really depends on a number of factors. Pigment is really a 2D solution. In other words, pigment applied to an empty skin area will be quite obvious if the surrounding areas are marked by real hair growth. People will notice the difference in texture between the two regions. It may help to wear your hair in a very short buzz cut style. But even so, the donor area may still be detectable. Also, the final coloration needs to precisely match the rest of your hair.

At this point, I am not sure that FUT would be a viable option. The strip is removed from your Safe Donor Area. And in your case, it appears that this region has already been affected by overharvesting.

Thus there are no extra grafts that could be provided to cover the overharvested region. This whole problem arose because you did not have enough donor grafts on your scalp to cover the areas affected by hair loss.

The provider in Turkey may have filled in the regions of baldness or thinning. But they also created a new region of emptiness by overharvesting your donor region.

The only way you could remedy this issue is by acquiring donor hair grafts from regions outside your scalp. If you have comparable body hair from areas such as the beards areas, chest, etc., it is possible to harvest these follicles to repair the overharvested zone. Body hair extractions cannot be done using regular FUE punches which are only suitable for harvesting on the scalp. These follicles stand a high chance of transection.

Due to these reasons, my team and I at the Dr.U Hair and Skin Clinic developed a highly specialized FUE extraction technology called the Dr.UGraft Zeus system.

We've identified the top factors contributing to graft transection on the scalp and body and we developed features to overcome these barriers to safely extract hair from anywhere on the body.

We've performed numerous repair surgeries to help patients with depleted donor sources due to past failed procedures. Check out the article link below to learn more

Nancy Anthone, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

I would rule out strip surgery when you keep your hair short as in the pictures.Why risk a wide or widening scar?It is not in your best interest to produce a scar, which may or may not be thin, and hope that SMP will hide the scar.
SMP will improve the current situation, but don't expect the donor to be looking 'untouched'. Unfortunately there are no miracle solutions.

Hair transplant, donor area over harvested, what's the best option? (photos)

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Hair transplant, donor area over harvested, what's the best option? (photos)

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Scalp Micropigmentation

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