Q: I have had some grafts implanted into a donor scar. How long does it take to see the final result?
A: In normal scalps, growth is generally complete by 10-12 months.
Grafts placed in scar tissue may often take longer to grow.
Posts Tagged: Scalp Scar
How Long Until One Sees Growth from Hair Transplant into Donor Scar?
December 29th, 2005Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 2:11 pm
Can Hair Transplant “Plugs” be Repaired by Lasers or Electrolysis?
December 8th, 2005Q: After a bad hair transplant, can you use lasers or electrolysis to remove the transplanted hair?
A: Electrolysis does not work well, because the follicular anatomy is distorted and it is too difficult to insert the needle in the right position.
Lasers will work as well with transplanted hair as it will with normal hair but, in either case, it takes multiple treatments.
The disadvantage of both procedures is that they destroy the hair that is removed and they do nothing to improve the appearance of the underlying skin, which is often scarred and made more visible when the hair is gone.
Graft excision, on the other hand, allows the hair to be reused and can often improve the appearance of the underlying skin.
Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 2:08 pm
Can Hair Transplant be Harmed by Smoking Before or After Procedure?
November 10th, 2005Q: Is it true that smoking is bad for a hair transplant and why?
A: Smoking causes constriction of blood vessels and decreased blood flow to the scalp, predominantly due to its nicotine content. Also, carbon monoxide in smoke decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
These factors both contribute to poor wound healing after a hair transplant and can increase the chance of a wound infection and scarring. Smoking may also contribute to poor hair growth.
The harmful effects of smoking wear off slowly after one stops. In particular, chronic smokers are at risk of poor healing after smoking has stopped for weeks or even months.
Although it is not known exactly how long one should avoid smoking before and after a hair transplant, a common recommendation is to abstain from 1 week prior to surgery to 2 weeks after the hair restoration procedure.
Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 12:48 pm
Can Hair Transplant be Performed on Scar Tissue from Prior Surgery?
October 13th, 2005Q: I have had some surgical procedures on my head that left a fair amount of scar tissue. Can hair grow there? Is it a more difficult procedure? Are there any complications?
A: Transplanted hair will grow in scar tissue as long as the tissue is not thickened. Thickened scar tissue can be flattened with local injections of cortisone.
Once the scar is smooth, the hair transplant procedure is relatively straightforward, however a few things must still be kept in mind.
- Since the blood supply of the scar tissue is less than in normal tissue, the grafts should not be placed as close.
- As the grafts from the hair transplant grow, new blood vessels are formed in the area.
- Additional density can then be achieved in a subsequent session by adding more grafts.
- After the hair restoration procedure, care must be taken with grafts transplanted into scar tissue, as the scarred scalp doesn’t hold onto grafts as well as normal tissue and they are more easily dislodged.
If grafts are packed too closely into scar tissue, poor growth can result. If sites are placed properly and the post-op care is diligent, good growth should be expected.
Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 10:48 am
How Much Donor Hair Harvesting is Enough for Hair Transplant, How Much is Too Much?
September 2nd, 2005Q: When harvesting donor hair, how does the surgeon know when to stop?
A: First, the patient must decide the shortest length he/she is comfortable wearing his/her hair.
Additional hair can be removed — whether through Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) — as long as, at this length, the back and sides do not look too thin (i.e. do not have a transparent look) and the scalp and donor scars are not visible. The surgeon needs to use his judgment when harvesting, so that this endpoint is not crossed.
Additionally, the surgeon must anticipate that the caliber of hair in the donor area will decrease slightly over time as a normal course of events.
Posted by Robert M. Bernstein M.D. at 11:36 am
