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Originally Posted by johnasdfd
im so sorry to hear what happened in your case... have you tried a real short cut that would sufficiently cover the scar, while not let you have too much of a differential between the top and the sides ?
thanks for the sympathy btw. This is the first time I've gone "public" with this stuff and so this is the first time I've ever had anyone express sympathy. So thanks - even though I don't deserve it since the fault is completely mine.
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I agree with the suggestion that you let it grow long enough on the sides and in back to cover the scar, and then ditch the rug.
You fear that this strategy will make you look "ugly," but I think you will look just fine. Having a horseshoe of hair is better than having a rug and, in your case, better than exposing the scar.
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Sooner or later that will have to happen b/c I can't take this rug anymore. It is ridiculous looking and restricts my life in so many ways. I would NEVER have gotten it if I had not been approached by a female friend who actually said "You need to get a hair system". Other people told me "Just put on a hat, anything to cover your head". I've been physically wounded and it didn't feel as bad as those words. Seriously. I even had a woman tell me that she would be unable to continue working with me b/c she was so put off by my scalp. Can you believe that? It's gospel. When I heard that..well yo ucan imagine how that feels.
Originally Posted by Don'tDoIt
I agree with the suggestion that you let it grow long enough on the sides and in back to cover the scar, and then ditch the rug.
You fear that this strategy will make you look "ugly," but I think you will look just fine. Having a horseshoe of hair is better than having a rug and, in your case, better than exposing the scar.
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Jack21, is there a reason aside from your aversion to the horshoe look that prevents you from discarding the piece?
For example, is there something about the recipient area that makes you unwilling to get rid of the rug? Do the grafts look pluggy or unnatural? Because there are options for dealing with unnatural-looking grafts, such as removal of the grafts via laser or FUE. If you can post an image of your recipient area, that would be helpful.
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Yes. The recipient area is bumpy and "pluggy" looking. I will get some batteries for my camera and post soon. Would you explain to me what FUE is?
Originally Posted by Don'tDoIt
Jack21, is there a reason aside from your aversion to the horshoe look that prevents you from discarding the piece?
For example, is there something about the recipient area that makes you unwilling to get rid of the rug? Do the grafts look pluggy or unnatural? Because there are options for dealing with unnatural-looking grafts, such as removal of the grafts via laser or FUE. If you can post an image of your recipient area, that would be helpful.
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In response to your question, FUE means Follicular Unit Extraction. For patients undergoing a hair transplant, FUE means taking individual follicular units from the back of the head and putting them one follicular unit at time, in the balding areas.
Relevant to your situation, FUE can also be used to remove transplanted hairs in repair patients who have pluggy recipient areas. Some patients have posted their photos of FUE plug removal. Searching this site and searching the repair section of the Hair Loss Help website can produce examples for you.
Several patients have had good results getting their grafted hairs lasered off as opposed to removal by FUE.
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Your story is heart-wrenching to read. I can't believe how cruel some people can be. I think, at this point, you need to do what you can to get away from feeling that you need to wear the hair piece since it is obviously such a burden for you.
As a couple posters have mentioned, there are options for dealing with the scarring in your donor area. Some doctors perform scar revisions (though the results can be a little unpredictable- particularly if your skin is already very stretched from strip surgery) and there's also the option to have some grafts placed in the scar to try and conceal it. I would say that we do at least one or two scar grafting sessions on patients who are dissatisfied with their strip scars each week. Here's one example from our website:
As far as the pluggy-looking recipient area, you can either add hair to camouflage that appearance, redistribute the plugs, or remove them entirely.
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I can tell you that my scar is far, far worse than the one in the photograph. If my scar were that minor I would have absolutely no second thoughts about shaving or buzzing my hair. Even with the length of hair in the after picture my scar would be very noticeable. The doctor obviously removed a very large area of skin from which to take the follicular units - much larger an area than in the case of this patient. My hair has to be about 1 inch long to conceal the scar. The hair in that after picture is between 1/2" - 3/4". I suppose that I should at least see a surgeon who could tell me if there is any hope in reducing the appearance of the scar and recipient area.
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Check out http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/album.php?albumid=240
His scar repair looks great. Do you have any pictures of your scar?
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