The best treatment for scalp scars is Scalp MicroPigmentation. I have extensively published on this technique and on the website you can see many examples of patients who had this done for scars of all types. Below is a typical example of a patient who had a scalp scar treated with Scalp Micropigmentation and you can see more examples of this here: https://scalpmicropigmentation.com/scar-covering/
Scar On Head Received Immediate Medical Attention — Will Hair Grow Back?
I had a gash on my head about an inch and a half that required 7 stitches. I received immediate medical attention and I now have a scar on that spot. It is close to my hairline, will hair eventually grow back?
If the ‘gash’ repair produced a scar, then the scar will not grow hair back. If the scalp repair was done scalp to scalp, it may grow hair back. The direction of the scar has a lot to do with what it may look like. Front to back scars near the hairline tend to do worse than side to side scars at the hairline. As you are in Los Angeles, pay me a visit in my LA office and I can tell you that answer after examining your scalp and scar.
How do I treat a scar on my mustache? (Photo)
Scar Length
I am 25 and about a Norwood 2. Of 10 Uncles, father and Grandparents, one has been a Norwood 5 (mom’s father) the rest 2/3 or 4. My father had no hair loss. I had a hair tranpslant a year ago. It is pretty good, however there is not as much density in my temples as i would like. The doctor transplanted 600-800 hairs, and the scar left behinid is about 4 inches – it seems like a long scar (I have quite dense hair). Is this a normal lenght for such a small hair graft? I have been for a consultation and have been told that I have at least 7000 hairs remaining on the back of my head. I am considering if I should have more grafts in the temples, but i am not sure if i should, considering i am not sure how much more hair i will lose. Would another transplant of about 600 hairs make a huge difference? I would love to have the hair line if possible, but I am not sure what to do. Also, I am on Proscar, is it as effective as propecia, and does it REALLY stop further hair loss in the front hair line (temples and or the mid area?) Thank you.
If you are taking Proscar, make sure you cut the pills into 1/4 or 1/5th size. The higher does could cause more side effects.
Your narrative above leaves me uncomfortable. As a Norwood Class 2, I would want to see you before I draw conclusions. Temple hair transplants in a Class 2 is unusual. That bothers me a bit. Can you send me digital pictures to the email address on the Contact page, or come in for a consultation with me?
Scar length reflects the size of the area removed. For 800 grafts and a 1.2 cm width, the scar might be 4 inches in length but should not be more than 1-3mm wide in normal healing. I can not comment on your remaining supply, other than to guess that with normal densities and normal laxities, a man should be able to supply 8,000 grafts of 16,000 hairs from the sides and back of the head. This number can vary between patients.
2005-12-15 15:43:082005-12-15 15:44:31Scar Length
Scar Formed Where I Received a Chemical Burn — Will Hair Regrow?
Dear Dr. I am a 24 year old female who recieved a chemical burn on my scalp when I went to get my hair highlighted at a salon. This was in March 2007. It has been over 5 months now and the skin is now flat, shiny and a bit pink in color. There is no hair growing. The bald spot is about 2″ long by .75″ wide on the upper part of my head towards the center-right. I went to see a dermatologist and he said a scar had formed over the area where I was burned and my only options were scalp reduction or hair transplant. My question is will hair successfully grow back on the scar if I decide to do hair grafting?
It is unlikely that if the hair was ‘killed’ that it will return. Thin, shiny skin you see 5 months after a burn to the scalp probably reflects a ‘kill’ of the hair in the scarred area. If that is the case, you need to see a good hair transplant surgeon. Scalp reductions are generally frowned upon today. As you are in the Los Angeles area, I invite you to call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR to setup a free consultation.
2007-09-11 13:32:042007-09-11 13:32:22Scar Formed Where I Received a Chemical Burn — Will Hair Regrow?
Scar and deformities from brow bone reduction (photo)
ScalpMed
PLEASE NOTE: I do not sell ScalpMed. I’ve been getting quite a few angry emails from people stating that they feel deceived by this product, that they want their money back, etc — but I have no relationship with ScalpMed’s manufacturers. I can’t help get your money back, nor can I offer much advice about this product. It is not FDA approved and I would not recommend it for that reason alone.
Let me begin by letting you know my situation. I am a 22-yr.-old female who has been diagnosed with both AGA and alopecia areata. My dermatologist tried steroid shots in one of the areata spots but they didn’t cause any growth.
That said: this morning I saw an infomercial for a product called “Scalpmed.” I don’t usually give infomercials a second thought, but I thought, what the hey, I’ll ask Dr. Rassman about this one. The product is *supposedly* for women and men, contains the highest FDA-approved dose of minoxidil, and does not cause sexual side effects or dry out the hair or scalp. The website admits that individual results will vary but offers a full refund of the purchase price (less shipping and handling, of course) if one is not satisfied.
Just thought I’d ask if you’ve heard of this, and, more specifically, if you’ve heard of this scorching anyone’s scalp off or anything similar. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to make any rash phone calls 😀
It took a bit of research and a call to a consultant for FDA issues to answer this question properly. I could not find Scalp Med or Vitadil in the FDA database. The website says, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” If this product were FDA approved, the FDA would certainly evaluate the labeling for the product. The second statement is part of the FDA definition of a drug. The second part, “Affects the structure or any function of the body of man” is relevant to the use of this product. It is strange that the first part of the website says it is FDA approved while the second part says the FDA has not evaluated the labeling. This is clearly an inconsistency that indicates that you should take what is claimed here suspiciously.
The website says that “Vitadil-5A and Vitadil-2A are FDA-approved formulas for hair growth.” The company may be saying that they used a formula that had been approved for another company. This is possible. However, a company cannot just copy the formula of an FDA approved product. The company must submit an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) and may be required to do bioequivalence studies before the FDA will approve it for this company. The company also has to meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as well.
I always end such comments suggesting as a consumer you must ‘BEWARE’ and be your own protector. The government can not always enforce its regulations in a timely manner to protect you.
If Your Scalp Is Tight Before a Strip Surgery, You Can Loosen It with the Following Scalp Exercises (Video)
2018-07-02 12:59:492018-07-20 09:42:36If Your Scalp Is Tight Before a Strip Surgery, You Can Loosen It with the Following Scalp Exercises (Video)
Scalp Tattooing
I came across your post “Horror story with a happy ending” and I would like more details. I have had several surgeries beginning in the early 90s, from plug work to micrografts and FUE. Most of this was corrective work. Unfortunately it wasn’t particularly successful, and the distribution of hair is abnormal. Fortunately though my donor scar isn’t that bad, as I was careful with the scar revisions to minimize a bad outcome. I am left with approximately 1 scar from my last revision, where a trichophytic closure was used. It runs from ear to ear and varies in width from 2 mm to 8 in a few places. Overall, considering the number of surgeries I’ve had it’s remarkably good. I’d like to fill in the thin spots with the “stippling” type of tattoo you mentioned in your post. However I am very concerned with the discoloration over time. Can you provide contact information of the dermatologists who had the tattooing done, or some more information about it (eg. type of ink, who did it, etc.). I’d much rather put my faith in the hands of someone who has seen success with this than take chances on an unknown. FUE, etc aren’t really options for me at this point for filling in the scar.
Thanks
Although I don’t have any information about the tattooers of the patient you mentioned, from what I’ve seen, tattoos on the scalp and scars have turned green over time. While it may not occur every time, this is a real problem for the two patients that come to mind. For that reason, I would hold off doing the scalp tattoo for the time being unless you are sure that the color will last and this is what you want, as today’s tattoos are not reversible (laser removal is quite painful and may take many sessions to get a decent result).
A new product is coming sometime later this year that is reversible, so if you did not like it after getting it, then you can make it go away a lot easier. It doesn’t make the pain any less intense, though. For more general information, see InfinitInk from Freedom2, Inc.
Scalp Tattooing that Looks Like Hair?
Hi Dr Rassman,
Since I like the close cropped look and I am probably a Norwood 4 leaning towards 5, I am considering getting cosmetic hair tattoos to the scalp. What do you think about this place? The results look great in the photos, but I’ll ask to see some patients in person of course (thanks for putting that in my head!). Here’s the place. They are in the UK, but I’ve got family there and have been wanting to visit anyway.
I would definitely want to see some real patients up close before deciding on tattoos like this. As I’ve written before, I have seen scalp tattoos that try to mimic hair, but what I’ve seen has been unimpressive and some even seem to have a greenish tint as well (maybe it is the ink or the artist — I have no idea, as I am not a tattoo expert). I understand tattoo technology has evolved, but drawing what looks like hair on the scalp can be tricky.
The photos presented by the clinic you linked to are quite nice, I will admit. I’m sure these results look fine from a distance, but I wonder if you’re sitting across from someone at dinner would it look like someone drew on their scalp with a pen? If the light hits your head wouldn’t it still shine like a bald head? Over time, tattoos with fine lines will blur… so how will that change on the scalp? I know there’s at least one scalp tattoo place that posts comments on this site from time to time, so perhaps they can post below to inform us about that.
I do recall one patient who did draw (non-permanent) individual hairs on his bald head to mimic a close shaved look, but it took many hours, special artistry, and skill. He eventually went on the have a hair transplant procedure.