I removed a scab mixed with dry blood 10 days after my surgery. It seems like a scar on my head. Did follicles come out? (Photo)

Dear theroom112,

Thank you for your clinical post and photograph. Although difficult to tell from a photograph
alone it appears as if there has been an area where there has been some
inflammation around your transplanted follicular unit. As the scabs come off many patients see a hair
shaft and are alarmed or concerned that the hair bulb itself has also not
survived the transplant process. Quite
often the hair bulb does survive and the shaft is shed with the scab. However, on occasion, especially if there is
some degree of Folliculitis inflammation or small micro abscesses around the
follicle, the follicle itself can be shed together with the hair shaft and the
scab.You may have a small area where
this has occurred. The acute management
is gentle cleansing with diluted hydrogen peroxide and careful follow-up with
your hair transplantation physician.
Generally, this area will heal well and you will know over the next 4-8
months whether hair will grow in this area.
It may be a small area that needs enhancement transplant procedure or
the bulbs may have actually survived the inflammatory process and quite often
are very surprised how hearty the follicular unit transfer process grafts are.

In general, well over 90% of the transplant follicular units
will survive even if there’s been a small degree of Folliculitis in the region.

Post-operative treatments or low-level light therapy and
topical nutrient shampoos and Minoxidil can be of some assistance.

Most importantly at 10 days post-operatively see your
operative physician and senior technicians to ensure that there is no treatable
cause for the inflammation.

Post-operative antibiotics is somewhat controversial in hair
transplantation circles, however, several days of post-operative antibiotics
can minimize the risk of bacterial Folliculitis which can lead to some
follicular death.

I hope this information has been of some assistance and best
of luck.

For more information, please review the link below.

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto