Rogaine for Bald Spot After Mohs Surgery?

Question

I had MOHS surgery on my scalp 2 months ago, and although the wound was stapled, I was left with a significant bald spot - about 2"x4". Can Rogaine help make the hair grow back faster/fuller?

Hannah Vargas, MD · Answer

I would also advise you to wait several months before any surgery.  If hair bearing skin was removed or the follicles were damaged then the hair may not grow  back.  If the hair is simply shedding which it can do after a procedure then it may come back.  You could consider topical monoxidil while you wait.  If the hair does not come back, the area in the picture which is thin is very amenable to transplant and would look nice and natural.  Consult a hair transplant surgeon in your area or feel free to send a series of photos to my web site.  Good luck!

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

Your photograph seems to indicate a round scar but you said it was stapled. If not all the incision can be seen in the photograph then it is possible you had a rotation flap which can look round, but not a circle. If you had a skin graft, which usually are round, then maybe it was stapled in place. If however, it was a straight side-to-side closure and it opened up, then such a scar would never grow hair.  The flap and graft, could lose hair temporarily from the "shock" and then in three months or more, you would see new growth.  If new hair doesn't grow, you might be able to have hair transplants succesfully done.

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

Rogaine is worth a try for baldness following Mohs reconstruction. Permanent alopecia is possible due to follicle injury. Further, it's not clear to me from the photo but if a full-thickness skin graft was used (circular area) it will never regrow scalp hair regardless of whether rogaine is used or not. Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Jeffrey Ellis, MD · Answer

Any surgery on the scalp can leave a scar, but it can also temporarily 'stress' the hair.  It may be best to wait 6-9 months to see what happens.

Larisa Ravitskiy, MD · Answer

Two months after surgery is truly too soon to tell whether the boldness in the scar area is permanent. I doubt Rogaine will be of any use in your case. I would recommend the "wait and see" approach. If there is no hair re-growth one year after the surgery, then the hair loss is permanent and nothing short of hair transplant will help.

Rogaine for Bald Spot After Mohs Surgery?

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Rogaine for Bald Spot After Mohs Surgery?

Answers (9)

Answer: Too soon to say

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Everything you need to know about Rogaine

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