Avoiding Transplant Scars

Men suffering from hair loss mainly do so due to male pattern baldness caused by genetics and male sex hormones. Fortunately, there are several restorative options available that can give you a new lease on life. At the Dr. Jezic’s Hair Transplant Center, we know that a full head of hair enhances your appearance and gives the perception of health, vitality, and youth. However, if your hair starts thinning and eventually stops growing altogether, it can have a devastating effect. Not only does your appearance suffer, but your self-esteem and self-confidence also take a hit. In men, hair balding patterns sometimes display themselves during their early 20s. Hair transplant surgery might seem like an ideal option. However, if you don’t do sufficient research, you might end up with an unsightly hair transplant scar. To make sure you don’t have to deal with hair transplant scars, research your options beforehand.

What Causes Hair Transplant Scars?

Hair transplant scars are caused by a hair restoration technique known as Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). At the Dr. Jezic’s Hair Transplant Center, we don’t use this hair transplant method, since more advanced and less invasive methods are available. FUT, or the strip method, requires a procedure during which a horizontal incision is made at the back of the head. By removing the strip, follicular units are harvested, which are later used to restore the areas suffering from hair loss. Stitches and staples are used to close up the incision area, and after healing, the remaining scar is typically 1 to 2 millimeters wide. Although FUT allows the specialist to harvest a large number of grafts and to quickly perform the hair restoration process, the scar that the patient is left with is hard to hide. If you prefer to wear your hair short, this method is not ideal, since the scar will be visible. After the procedure, patients might resort to cortisone injections, dermal fillers, laser treatments, or dermabrasion to reduce the visibility of the hair transplant scars. Some men might even resort to having hair transplanted into the scar tissue to make it less visible.

How to Prevent Hair Transplant Scars

If you don’t want to deal with a hair transplant scar, the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method might be just what you’re looking for. Our clinic offers FUE using Neograft technology. Neograft utilizes a motorized technology that requires the expertise of a team of skilled people, while Artas is a robotic surgery treatment that uses a 3D image-guided program, motion tracking, and video imaging. The Artas robotic system isn’t dependent on human stamina. Our clinic is the first in Houston to use the computerized Artas robotic system. Although both hair restoration methods are more time-consuming than the FUT method, they are less invasive, require minimal to no downtime, and don’t leave you with a visible scar. Although scarring differs per patient, FUE hair transplant scars typically look like little dots. After FUE scars heal, they’re not noticeable and men can wear their hair either long or short. You can view some before and after photos of our FUE hair transplants on our website. You will see that there are no visible FUE transplant scars. On the same page, you can view a photo of a FUT hair transplant scar, which is clearly visible.

Comparing FUE and FUT

Although both FUE and FUT can improve your appearance, recovering from FUE transplants is faster than recovering from the strip method, which can take up to six weeks. After undergoing FUE treatment, patients can go back to work within a few days. Although the full healing time for each patient is different, it generally takes two to 14 days. Another benefit of FUE is that follicular units are removed selectively, so the donor area maintains a natural appearance afterward. The Neograft and Artas transplants are simply more efficient compared to FUT.

Initial consultations at the Dr. Jezic’s Hair Transplant Center are complimentary and include a scalp examination. After you are diagnosed with male pattern baldness, our specialist can fully explain your options to you and answer any questions you have. Understand that when it comes to hair implants, the expertise of the doctor is essential. Our leading specialist has both a Ph.D. and an M.D. and has performed hundreds of successful hair transplants. You can find out more about him and our clinic on our About Us page.