More on Scarring – Page 7

November 8, 2011

Hair Falling Out Near Scar from Scalp Injury a Decade Ago – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I was in a car accident in 2002. When it happened my scalp was pulled from my head and I am left with a U-shaped scar on the side of my head. The hair around the sar fell out and then grew back. But now my hair is getting thinner an falling out around the scar. It ha been almost 10 years and it is starting to fall out now. I was going to get scar revision to make he scar less noticeable but now that the hair is falling out around the scar I don’t know what to do.

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You need a good examination from a doctor that can give you a better assessment of your condition. Maybe you are losing hair around the scar (as part of genetic balding), or a change in your hair thickness has occurred and you are noticing the scar even more. I really couldn’t say, as I haven’t seen the scar.

Scar revisions in general do not completely get rid of scars, but how much improvement depends on where it is and the direction of the scar. Scar revisions in the scalp may reduce the scar by 25 to 50%, but sometimes they can make the scar worse. Speak with your doctor.

September 28, 2011

Hair Loss InformationScalp Scar After Motorcycle Accident – Will Hair Regrow There? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I recently had a motorcycle accident about a month and a half ago. unfortunately i was stupid and wasnt wearing a helmet causing a minor injury on my head. i went to the hospital and was told by the doctor that i would need plastic surgery to make sure my wound closed. however throughout the whole process of taking care of paper work and insurance to cover the plastic surgery my wound closed out perfectly fine. even the doctor told me i didnt need the surgery anymore.

however i have a scar about the size of a quarter, a little bigger id say, and i have no hair there. but people say i am gonna grow hair being that everything closed out normal no stitches or anything. i just wanted to clarify that. thanks

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I would wait about 6 to 12 months to see if hair will regrow. If not, you can have that scar dealt with, either by having the scar revised or perhaps hair transplanted into the scar. At this point, you’re going to have to wait and see, and if the hair doesn’t return you can meet with your doctor to determine the next step.

September 23, 2011

2011 ISHRS Meeting Review, Part 2 – Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

ISHRS 2011

Note: The annual meeting of hair surgeons was in held in Alaska this past week. The following review is very selective and is biased by the things that were interesting to me and what I (Dr. Rassman) thought could be interesting to the readers.

This is part 2. More to come…

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What is the role of immunity in the development of androgenic alopecia in women?

The earliest symptoms of many women and some men start with pain and itching of the scalp, a set of symptoms that reflect the inflammatory response that he believes is always present, but often ignored. He raises the issue that if the connection is correct, the scalp may respond to the use of steroids in the earliest phases of the hair loss process.

Double trichophytic closures

Double trichophytic closures were demonstrated in a poster presentation, suggesting that this procedure can “wipe out” scars from FUE in 99% of patients. I personally doubt this claim. This reflects first time surgery patients only, as these patients are at a lower risk for significant scarring.

August 11, 2011

I Had Multiple Brain Surgeries and the Scarring is Causing Depression – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I’m 26 I had 3 brain surgeries 5 years ago and have a large scar the shape of a horse shoe on the left side of my head. this is causing severe depression. I’d like to know who can I see and what I can do to cover this scar. my hair is no longer thick enough to cover the bald spot and I simply can’t wear a hat all the time. I’m looking for information on doctors in the boca raton area or near palm beach that can help.

thank you so much. this is my prayer to look normal again.

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Scars from brain surgeries, as you describe, can be addressed with a hair transplant surgery or with Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP). Treating brain surgery scars take some experience, as hair that is transplanted into the scar tissue may not fully grow. Be sure that the doctor you see has experience with transplanting into scars.

I would recommend that you not limit yourself to just your immediate area. See as many doctors as possible to get a good idea about what is possible and what the expectations should be. There are many hair transplant surgeons in Florida, and you can find doctors in your area by using the physician search at ISHRS.org. Just be sure to do your research and meet with doctors to form your own opinion on who has the best results.

August 10, 2011

Hair Loss InformationRepair: Old Plug Removal, SMP Into Hair Transplant Scar – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is a Norwood 6 patient who had a hair transplant done at a clinic in Europe in the 1990s with the old pluggy technique. He wanted to shave his head, but the old hair transplant donor scar and the visible plugs were a problem for him.

This patient chose a combination of (1) SMP to camouflage his old scar, and (2) the surgical removal of his old plugs. The hairs that were in the plugs were redistributed into the crown. We also transplanted a few hundred FUE grafts taken from the donor area and used them on the top of the scalp. As he does not live in the United States, he will return at his convenience on another visit for the needed touch ups. He will likely go on to cover his entire head with SMP, may also undergo more FUE grafting into the frontal hairline, which will make it appear even more natural.

At the point I last saw him, the patient was very satisfied with removing his old plugs with FUE and having SMP done into the old scar. He can stop here if he is satisfied with the result, but I anticipate more work to be done. The after photo shows the temporary redness common just after surgery. We will keep you posted when he returns to the US.

The before (left) and after (right) photos show a work in progress. Click photos to enlarge.

July 26, 2011

Hair Loss InformationScar is Still Red a Year After Trichophytic Closure – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I had a trichophytic closure performed on a scar just over a year ago. I think it is healing well but the area is still red not pink and some hairs have grown through accordingly but not nearly as much or what I was expecting especially after a year. Is it normal for the area to still be red? If the area is still pretty thin or still has bald areas can it still be improved? Thank you for your feedback.

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Some patients have persistent redness at the donor scar area, even after one year. Follow up with your doctor and get a formal opinion. Sometimes the redness may subside over time (1-2 years).

July 21, 2011

Scars from Strip Harvesting Surgery – Balding Blog

I have a terrible scar from a previous hair transplant in the donor area. What can be done about it?

If you find that you have a scar from your donor harvest that you find is unacceptable, these options need to be discussed with a competent doctor. The scar often has ridging from the nature of the closure and that will be determined by the doctor who evaluates you. Scars from the donor area are not uncommon and when the surgery is done by a competent surgeon doing standard of care work, scars may still form and be the result of the way your body heals. The treatment of scars are as follows:

Do nothing
Perform a scar revision with a surgeon who can do trichophytic repairs and use ACell in the wound to give you the best opportunity to heal it.
Have FUE into the scar. This can fill in the scar, but hair direction may not be controlled by the surgeon, making the results often disappointing. Two sessions into the scar may be needed.
The use of Scalp Pigmentation has been a significant breakthrough in our hands. Risks include change of color (unusual for the back of the head where hair covers the pigmented area protecting it from the sun). This will not address any ridging in the scar area.

July 19, 2011

Short Haircuts with Strip Surgery vs FUE? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I like to to have a buzz cut during the summer months. How short can someone cut there hair if they go with a traditional hair transplant vs a FUE?

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The visibility of the linear scar from the strip surgery partially depends upon how you heal. Some people heal with a fine line scar that will allow the very short hair cut (not a buzz cut) while others will develop a wider scar that could, at worst case in a single surgery, get to 1cm in height. If the worst case happens, the haircut must be longer to cover the scar.

July 5, 2011

SMP to Disguise Scalp Reduction Scars? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have had in the past scalp reduction and hair transplants which has left me severely scarred and with and unnatural look. It has also caused my hair to start falling out and thinning rapidly as I am now 51. My scalp is often irritable, hot and prickly.

My life is more than ruined as I am in a senior management role and frequently have to deal with people who are too embarrassed to look at me. I am at the point where I may have to leave a company that I helped build and find a job where I can wear a hat. My last chance would be to disguise the scars and create throughout my scalp and cut my hair shorter with perhaps your method of SMP?

Could you please be discreet when returning my email as this is my work computer, although nobody actually uses it, however you never know. I hope that you can restore some normality back to my life!!

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In general terms, Scalp MicroPigmentation (SMP) is a great method to disguise scarring from previous surgeries on the scalp, but you would need to keep your hair shaved. Another option would be a hair transplant to disguise the scars.

A consultation would be best at this point so we can see what you’re dealing with and come up with some treatment options. If you would like a consultation please contact us at (800) NEW-HAIR or use our consult form.

May 2, 2011

Hair is Regrowing In a Scar On My Arm That I’ve Had Since Childhood – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

As a child I suffered an accident in which a chunk of flesh was torn from my forearm. This resulted in a nasty scar. Later, as an adult, I noticed several hairs growing from this scar tissue. These hairs are similar in size and color to the rest of my arm hair. This makes me wonder if hair follicles can develop spontaneously.

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I would think the existing hair follicles on your arm are somehow now re-growing out of the scar, because hair follicles do not develop spontaneously.