Hair Transplant Repair
Hair Transplant Repair Procedures utilize the most advanced techniques and technologies to provide solutions to address common issues, improve outcomes, and pave the way for better patient satisfaction.
Understanding Hair Transplant Complications
But how much do you know about the techniques behind hair transplant repair, and what are the potential complications from earlier hair transplants? Not all hair transplant complications are caused by old techniques; in fact, bad results may arise due to surgeon error or even poor post-operative care.
Hair Transplant Repair Reasons
Here is a list of what might go awry in earlier transplants, and drive people to seek hair transplant repair:
Hair Transplant Repairs And Visible Scarring
Older ‘strip harvesting’ techniques such as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) leave a scar, especially if the patient keeps it shaved or keeps his head trimmed short, and newer techniques such as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) can cause visible dotting or even scarring if they’re performed improperly.
Follicular Death
The survival rate of these follicles, particularly before, after and during the implant phase, determine if the transplanted hair will grow. Poor technique at any stage can lead to the death of the follicles. This commonly leads to poor results demanding repair.
Poor Graft Placement
This occurs most at the front of the grafting area – an inexperienced medical implanter might create a very disorganized pattern of growth. Perhaps the patient ends up with some implants stuck to the sides of the tips of the scalp, degrading the quality of the hair pattern. Other examples include implanting grafts at the wrong angle, wrong spacing, or incorrect positions. All this can cause a ‘doll hair’ look, where grafts appear too bushy or clumped together – quite unlike the natural human appearance.
Hair Transplant Repair : Sparse Density
Some transplants fail to provide the promised density due to the unfortunate luck of insufficient follicle harvesting or implantation, or because the follicles die at some point between the surgery and the eventual emergence of the transplanted hair. This can lead to a weak, sparse appearance in which the mask is so thin it adds loser-like glows to your visible scalp under direct light.
Repair Case Walkthrough
Dr. Bloxham provides an in-depth analysis of this patient's repair case, offering a detailed walkthrough of the procedure and its results. Few hair transplant surgeons showcase post-procedure outcomes by combing through the patient’s hair while wet, as it fully reveals the density and natural blending of the transplanted grafts. Due to the exceptional density Dr. Bloxham achieves, he is among the select few surgeons who confidently display wet hair results, highlighting the quality and effectiveness of his work.
Hair Transplant Repair : Unnatural Looking Hairline
An exaggeratedly even or nondescript hairline is another obvious clue that your hair has been transplanted, especially when the grafts were placed too low, too high or otherwise without proper regard for angling, density and other aesthetic features. An unnatural hairline makes the restoration obvious, which defeats the purpose of a hair restoration that does not look enhanced.
The patient in the before and after images below, a young man, initially underwent an FUE hair transplant at a facial plastic surgery clinic. He had consulted with a well-known facial plastic surgeon and scheduled the procedure under the impression that the doctor would be directly involved. However, on the day of surgery, he discovered that the physician played no role in the procedure. Instead, the entire transplant was performed from start to finish by two unlicensed technicians whom the patient had never met before.
To correct the unsatisfactory results, Dr. Bloxham performed a modified FUT procedure, carefully addressing the deficiencies and restoring a natural, refined appearance. The after photos are only six months post-op. Further density will continue to develop.
Hair Transplant Repair : Hair Plugs
Hair transplant repair for old hair plugs is a specialized procedure designed to correct the unnatural, bulky appearance left by outdated hair restoration techniques. Decades ago, hair transplants often involved large grafts, sometimes referred to as “doll hair” due to their plug-like look. These plugs were spaced too far apart, creating an unnatural, patchy appearance. Modern repair techniques include FUE graft removal and redistribution, camouflaging with dense-packing smaller grafts, or in some cases, excising and reworking the affected areas. The goal is to create a softer, more natural hairline and an even, seamless blend with the surrounding hair. Patients who undergo hair plug repair can achieve a dramatically improved, undetectable result that aligns with today’s advanced hair restoration standards.
Hair Transplant Repair Innovations
Now that we’ve accepted that balding is not the result of any medical problem and because of medical advancements and cosmetic surgeries, balding can be corrected in many cases. Hair has become a critical part of men’s perceived attractiveness and masculinity, which reacts to the healing of balding with modern hair transplant repair. This repair can provide a natural, dense and aesthetic solution to these issues. As a leading expert in the field, I will describe the most modern techniques and technologies in modern hair transplant repair today.
FUE Hair Transplant Repair
Thanks in large part to advances arising from FUE, cutting-edge hair restoration surgery today actually looks less like traditional strip surgery and more like a fine-art restoration professional repairing a damaged painting. FUE operations are also considerably less traumatic to the body and donor area than older, more invasive strip (FUT) methods. For repair work, FUE is typically the sole choice of technique. The best hair transplant surgeons will remove individual follicular units from one part of the donor area and redistribute them to correctly rebuild the affected zone.
Potential Risks and Complications
Like any surgical procedure FUT is not completely without risk, but serious complications are uncommon and most possible side effects are minor and only temporary:
- Scarring: although scarring can be reduced when there is trichophytic closure, some patients on certain skin types can end up developing a more visible scar. Rare, but if the post-operative installation instructions are not observed, then what you could get is infection. Otherwise known as shock loss, this can affect the hair that has been transplanted, as well as the surrounding hair in the donor area. This hair will usually regrow within three to six months.
- Pain/Discomfort: Patients may describe discomfort in a donor or recipient body site for a length of time, which can range from a few days up to several months post-surgery.
How to Choose Between FUT and FUE
It is superior to hair restoration either from FUT or from FUE, and the choice depend on many factors. Capacity For Large Sessions: In cases where a higher yield per session is warranted due to large graft requirements, FUT is the better option.