Q: Hi Dr. Bernstein. My question is: if you have a surgical scar or incision on your head that is relatively large, is it possible to do a hair transplant into this scar?

A: Hair can grow well in a scar. Since scar tissue generally has a somewhat lower blood supply than normal tissue, we have to make some adjustments in the technique.

When we perform a hair transplant into a large scar, we place the grafts into the perimeter first i.e. the outer edge of the scar. This allows new blood vessels to develop and permits additional hair to be added more centrally at a later date until the whole area is filled in.

If the scar is small or thin it can be transplanted as with normal tissue.