Decided to have fut procedure - few questions

[JOKERWILD]

I have done thorough research in a short period of time ( 4 weeks ) after meeting with many surgeons on the west coast and a few on the east coast i have concluded to have the FUT procedure. Noting i have 2 more consults.
At the moment i have it narrowed down to the following
West Coast - Dr Dauer
East Coast - Dr. Dorin and Dr. Feller ( also considering Hasson and Wong )

My issue in consideration with one of the surgeons is for the FUT, they have a policy to shave the recipient area, which means i may as well shave my head, and I'm not keen on having my donor scar show. Has anyone has experience with a shaved head and donor scar and how long before hair is covering it up. Is the outcome better shaving the recipient area and does this limit the shock loss?

I have pending consults with Dr. Mohebi and Dr. Rahal, i was considering Shapiro as well but i think i have seen so many good potentials that are more convenient

[Stevedawg18]

Believe the policy to shave the recipient area is to try and reduce shock loss and match the direction of transplanted hairs to the native ones. Not a Doctor though.

[JOKERWILD]

Stevedawg18 thank you i forgot to add, when i mentioned this to another surgeon I'm considering he mentioned i have wavey hair and a cowlick and he does not shave so he can see how my hair flows in each area especially the front. But i do believe in what if have read here as well as what the doc mentioned although i have seen videos from other doctors mentioning shaving or not shaving does not matter its a preference. For me the big issue is having the donor scar on the back my head exposed for a longer period of time

[Stevedawg18]

For me it took about 2 months for everything to even out, sides and top, for the length to comfortably conceal the scar and match the length of the hair on top. It's definitely a difficult period but time keeps on going.

[JoeTillman]

Has anyone has experience with a shaved head and donor scar and how long before hair is covering it up. Is the outcome better shaving the recipient area and does this limit the shock loss?

I think I can answer these questions. The donor scar being covered depends on two factors.

1. How fast does your hair grow? In general, assuming the donor scar is fine, it will take two to three months for the donor scar to be covered.

2. Will the donor scar be "pencil thin"? No, it won't be, but if you heal nicely and the doctor does a good job (and assuming every other variable works out) then the donor scar will be fine enough for #1 to be a reasonable expectation. But...if your donor scar does not heal the way you hope then the outcome in #1 may not work out to be true.

You have also the potential issues of shock loss and the "donor dent" as I call it. Shock loss can manifest as a nickel or quarter size spot of bare skin or it can be a stretch of thinned hair above or below the scar line. It usually resolves by five months.

The "donor dent" is where the hair is long enough to cover the donor scar but the removal of tissue has caused a dent in the profile of your donor scalp. This looks like you have "hat head" where the back of a baseball cap dents your hair from wearing a hat for a few hours.

[WHTC Clinic]

You can ask many more good questions before you have the surgery. Each surgeon has a different skillset.

[dan144]

Joe, could you please elaborate on your donor dent observation? How common of an occurrence is it? Can it be prevented? Once it is observed, is there anything that can be done to repair it?

I am a 25 y/o strip patient of a lesser known doctor (Brett Bolton), who among other issues has noticed something similar in the donor area - along with a poor scar, permanent redness, large grafts, a straight hairline, the whole nine yards.

[JoeTillman]

Joe, could you please elaborate on your donor dent observation? How common of an occurrence is it? Can it be prevented? Once it is observed, is there anything that can be done to repair it?

I am a 25 y/o strip patient of a lesser known doctor (Brett Bolton), who among other issues has noticed something similar in the donor area - along with a poor scar, permanent redness, large grafts, a straight hairline, the whole nine yards.

Hi Dan,

I'm sorry for your troubles. Donor dents can be addressed by a plastic surgeon injecting a filler into the cavity. Over time this cavity fills with scar tissue so if you have this done after the scar tissue has formed then the approach may be different. I"m not fully versed in this type of remedy as it is usually something that one just accepts. I have it to a degree but it doesn't bother me and it is barely noticeable to anyone around me.