I feel my FUE donor area has been over harvested, what can I do to repair it? (Photos)

Question

It's been 4 months since I had my fue surgery and this is the first time since that I have had it shaved short. It's not as bad as others that I have seen but as you can see from the pictures there is a noticeable patch throughout. Since it's only been 4 months is it likely to get better over time? Or will I need another surgery to correct it?

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

If your donor area has been over harvested, there isn't much you can do after the fact.  There is no surgery to correct this.

Sara Salas, MD · Answer

Poor planning and poor area extraction lead to these issues. You have 2 options.1. If you have more needs in the recipient area. Extract from virgin areas do decrease the density in virgin areas to equal the already extracted areas.2. Go consult with a hair restoration specialist such as ours that offers scalp micro-pigmentation (SMP) to address the white scarred areas of FUE.

Sean Behnam, MD · Answer

Generally by now the donor area should be back to full coverage, whatever that may be. Unless you had some significant shock loss I don't think you'll see much of an improvement in your donor area- if you aren't still recovering from shock loss you may need to keep your hair longer or consider SMP to make the area appear denser. And, maybe talk to your doctor about why/how the donor area became so thin. Good luck.

Karl Hekimian, MD · Answer

The donor area does look a bit thin from the photos provided.  Things may improve with time.  If not, options are limited, though scalp micropigmentation may improve your appearance.

Allan J. Parungao, MD · Answer

This is a genuine concern and should be addressed with your original surgeon.  With a little time, your donor area may recover and the changes may be imperceptible.  In the meantime, keep up with the hair saving techniques that you were taught before your FUE, including finasteride, minoxidil, PRP, laser therapy, etc.   Good luck to you.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

An over-harvested donor area can only be treated with Scalp Micropigmentation to make it look fuller.

I feel my FUE donor area has been over harvested, what can I do to repair it? (Photos)

Answers (6)

More FUE Hair Transplant Questions

I didn't stop using dipping tobacco before and after my FUE hair transplant. It's now 2 weeks post. Did I damage my hair?

Is my donor area sufficient? (Photos)

Worse than before FUE hair transplant. After 1 year result (Photo)

FUE Hair Transplant. Is this pus normal? (Photo)

FUE Hair Transplant 8 months out. Too little results or just fine? (Photo)

I did hair transplantation through FUE, a year ago. Why did my transplanted hairs turn curly?

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS