Not A 'Pencil Thin Scar'

[teg_101]

Thanks for the input guys. I will let you know what route I end up going with. Since I do require a 'fill in' for my recipient zone, and want to address the scar at the same time, perhaps giving another try with the FUT method might be the better option?? One drawback I've found other than the obvious is the 'pulling back' of the scalp that occurs with the FUT method. For someone that naturally has a larger forehead/ higher hairline, this is something that I will also need to take into account. I know this is a heavily debated topic, one which I believe does result in some pullback, despite what clinics say.

[sp8rky]

Ive had four strips from the same place with zero pullback, not even a fractionif a milimetre. That being said, I hate strip and would never recommend it, but since you have already had it, a revision isnt off the cards, depends on position and your laxity. I personally have never seen a big improvement from revision.

[NeedHairASAP]

Delphi, the scar is about 1.5 years old now, so I don't imagine its going to change much at this point. Yes, as mentioned, I am simply moving forward and looking at other clinics that could produce a refined/improved scar. The results of the surgery have been good, a big improvement from where I started off, but I am looking to have some additional grafts added, as the density is quite uneven in the recipient zone from the first two surgeries. I will upload pics of the results. My only fear at this point is if I were to get cut open again, and have the same end result. Since I am looking into an additional procedure, I am looking into possibly FUE'ing the scar..

go see Dr. Gho

[topcat]

Low risk and high yield trumps convenience. No patient should even have convenience on their list of criteria; it should never be a factor. This is cosmetic surgery were talking about here.

I also agree with the pull back comment. It results in a larger bald crown and/or a high neck hairline but strip clinics will tell you that doesn't happen. If fact I have read comments by clinics where they have berated their own patient for even posting such a comment about their own experience, like they were just imagining what they see in the mirror.

[mattj]

Thanks for the input guys. I will let you know what route I end up going with. Since I do require a 'fill in' for my recipient zone, and want to address the scar at the same time, perhaps giving another try with the FUT method might be the better option?? One drawback I've found other than the obvious is the 'pulling back' of the scalp that occurs with the FUT method. For someone that naturally has a larger forehead/ higher hairline, this is something that I will also need to take into account. I know this is a heavily debated topic, one which I believe does result in some pullback, despite what clinics say.

Are you saying you've actually noticed 'pullback' yourself?

I think it must be rare as I've only read occasional reports on the forums over the years and nothing else. I certainly don't dismiss the idea and it's possibly something that only the patient would notice, being the most familiar with his or her own face.

The slight disagreement between me and other posters above might just increase the confusion for you over what you should do. Scar revision and FUE-into-scar are both good methods and if you consult with a number of doctors you should get a clearer idea of which is the best option for you. With scar revision you would need to perform scalp exercises to increase your laxity. This would increase the chances of a thinner scar and should help eliminate the 'pullback'.

[ejj]

The slight disagreement between me and other posters above might just increase the confusion for you over what you should do.

[/QUOTE]

You could say it might ` decrease any confusion as to what he should do `
as stated earlier a good point of call would be to consult with Dr Lindsey who has vast experience in scar revision , from this consult i believe teg 101 would be completely clear on which way to proceed

all the best

ejj

[DAVE52]

You've actually highlighted a drawback of FUE-into-scar in that you're apparently in need of a third procedure to complete the work. It's not uncommon for doctor's to prefer this step-by-step approach to ensure that the grafts are taking. The length of time and in many cases the travel involved for return visits won't be convenient for many patients..

Same drawback as getting a HT in the 1st place

The need to go back for further sessions as hairloss progresses -----as it usually does

[sp8rky]

I was referring to pullback at the hairline where I have had zero, but I couldn't say the same for the neck, I honestly don't know about my neck.

My 4 strips were all taken from the same place and all just below the occipital bump, and I am told this is too low for a successful revision, especially after 4 strips from the same place.

[ejj]

appreciate your honesty Dr , too many fall for the ` whip it out in one ` sales line that rarely improves the situation

regards

ejj

[teg_101]

Update

Hi all,

I wanted to provide an update regarding my situation. I ended up undergoing a third procedure with Dr Rahal in Ottawa for 1675 grafts, to add additional density in the frontal zone, and to address the continuing loss behind my temple points.

With my procedure, I decided to undergo another strip (FUT) as apposed to taking the FUE route. I am now two months post op from my procedure, and growth in the recipient site seems to be on par at this point. My donor site, however is a different story..

In my first two procedures, my donor site was closed up using staples, producing which I thought was a less than optimal scar. With my latest procedure, the clinic used sutures. It seems as though I've lost a great deal of hair in the donor area (see attached), something which I did not experience from my first two surgeries. Is this shock loss that I'm experiencing?? I am extremely concerned, as my goal from an additional procedure was to help refine the scar.. and it seems that may not be the case. Any input would be appreciated, thank you.

[mattj]

teg_101: as I understand it, this was your first procedure with Dr Rahal. I was confused for a moment as it sounded like you had all three with us.

A minority of patients can experience temporary shockloss around the scar. This is unpredictable and although it might cause some worry for you now, you should see re-growth in the months ahead - along with the growth of the transplanted hairs.

The scar looks to be healing well and the end result should be an improvement over where you began. Please don't hesitate to contact Patient Care at any stage. They're there to help you with your concerns.

[ejj]

I think its very early days to arrive at any conclusion, best to wait for at least twelve months and see how things are then . May be worth applying a little minoxidil to see if you can speed up the recovery of the shocked out hairs.

Hope this helps

ejj

[northeastguy]

Pencil thin scar...... that still makes me chuckle.

[drybone]

Hi ejj,

I'm glad you're having success with disguising your scar with FUE. I'm not saying that this approach can't work and I'm not saying that there aren't possible drawbacks to scar revisions. Both are options Dr Rahal makes available. I'm just saying that in my opinion, based on what I've observed, scar revisions are probably a better choice in most situations - especially if the patient requires more grafts in the balding area. In some cases a patient will be at a high risk of the new scar stretching and in some cases the scar just can't be extracted, for whatever reason (such as if it's positioned too high or too low).

You've actually highlighted a drawback of FUE-into-scar in that you're apparently in need of a third procedure to complete the work. It's not uncommon for doctor's to prefer this step-by-step approach to ensure that the grafts are taking. The length of time and in many cases the travel involved for return visits won't be convenient for many patients.

Ultimately the best choice will depend on the individual circumstances of the patient, which is always a combination of what they want and what is best or possible in their case.

This is why I chose FUT .

1) the donor survival rate is 99%

2) the cost per unit is far cheaper



This is my hope. I have had the 1st FUT and am delighted with the fact the hair grows and my hairline has been restored. It really works!

My second procedure is to 'dense pack' the new hairline so my hair will have a natural full look to it and hopefully i wont need a third but if i do it will be FUE to fill in the scar..

[teg_101]

Hi all, wanted to provide an update on the my current status. I am currently 6.5 months post op from my procedure with Dr Rahal. Growth of the transplanted hair seems to be somewhat on par as it should be at this stage of the journey.. My scar however is a different story.. :-/

The shock loss around the scar appears to have gone, but the scar itself is alot wider than I had hoped it would be. In some ways it is worse than it was pre-op. I suppose this may be due to the trauma that the scalp has undergone after having three strip surgeries.

I've read many cases where patients which had FUT from previous surgeries opted to go with FUE, to avoid being cut open again, and to eliminate the possibility of a much wider scar altogether. I, for one should have taken this route instead..

I was warned prior to the surgery that this could possibly happen, and unfortunately it did. In any case, I am hoping to move forward and have the scar repaired. I've taken some pics of the scar (sorry their aren't the greatest, the best I could do). My plan is to have the scar repaired using FUE, followed by SMP if required. I'll be looking into this after the one year post op of my 3rd procedure, which will be this December. Any thoughts, options are much appreciated..