Can a hair transplant be revised to add more grafts 6 months after previous procedure?

Question

I had a hair transplant of 150 fue grafts, which was a touch-up from a prior procedure years ago. Would it be ok to do a small, say 600 graft fue transplant, at 6 months? It would be to the same area, or would that be too traumatic?

Amir Yazdan, MD · Answer

Hello, thank you for your question. Generally if you are having a hair transplant in the same area it is usually recommended to wait for full results which happens at 12-18 months post procedure. Based on my experience this is to allow the grafts to grow fully, from that point you can see if another procedure is necessary. I also will add that in my opinion doing multiple small surgeries is not always the best approach, it may be worth while to get a second opinion.

If you have any further questions feel free to email our clinic at info@modenahair.com.

If you have any further questions feel free to email our clinic at info@modenahair.com.

Ross Kopelman, DO · Answer

Yes, it is possible to do another hair transplant 6 months after your last procedure, especially since your previous transplant involved only 150 FUE grafts. However, the timing depends on how well your scalp has healed and the current condition of the transplanted area. At 6 months, much of the healing process is complete, but your final results might still be developing.
If the area has healed well and there are no signs of significant inflammation or scarring, it could be safe to add another 600 grafts. The key is to ensure that the new grafts don’t cause excessive trauma to the recipient area or the surrounding skin.

George Abrahamian, MD · Answer

Hello, Dr. George Abrahamian MD here, from La FUE Hair Clinic, Pasadena, CA. Typically it is recommended to wait 1 year before having a transplant into an area that has been transplanted recently, though it can be performed as early as 6-9 months. At the 1 year mark, you will see the majority of the results from the prior transplant. However, waiting only 6 months will only show about half of the results, which can lead you to intervention that is may not be necessary once the full extent of the transplanted results show through. With hair transplants, it is always preferable to have the area of concern restored at once, instead of having repeated smaller transplants that may lead to a build up of medically significant scar tissue in the restored areas, which can compromise results for each subsequent transplant in the same areas. If there was an FUE performed for 150 grafts, the question I would have would be why are we adding an additional 600 grafts so soon after the touch up, and why was it not done at the same time. 
I hope this helps, best of luck on your hair restoration journey!

Audrey G. Bauer, MD · Answer

Each surgeon has their own preference.  I personally prefer to wait at least 8 months for more complete ingrowth before working in the same area.  This is primarily due to the fact that hair cycles are slow and I want to make sure that I am placing the new hair where it is truly needed.  If your last transplant hasn't had time for complete ingrowth then I may be misinterpreting where your thinnest areas are based on current growth rather than waiting a few more months and seeing what additional growth occurs.  So it's not really an issue of "trauma" per se but rather getting you the best result possible for your investment.  I hope this answers your question.

Can a hair transplant be revised to add more grafts 6 months after previous procedure?

Answers (4)

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