Regular Member GNX Posted November 26, 2001 Regular Member Share Posted November 26, 2001 DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE LONG TERM HEALING OF A HT DONOR SCAR WILL LOOK LIKE...? MY QUESTION IS....? EVEN IF A DONOR SCAR HEALS PROPERLY, WILL TIME TAKE IT'S TOLL ON THE DONOR SCAR AND STRETCH AS ONE GETS OLDER...? ANYONE...? ~GNX... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GNX Posted November 26, 2001 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 26, 2001 DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE LONG TERM HEALING OF A HT DONOR SCAR WILL LOOK LIKE...? MY QUESTION IS....? EVEN IF A DONOR SCAR HEALS PROPERLY, WILL TIME TAKE IT'S TOLL ON THE DONOR SCAR AND STRETCH AS ONE GETS OLDER...? ANYONE...? ~GNX... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2001 Share Posted November 26, 2001 GNX, Every scar I've ever had has gotten smaller with time, not bigger. I can't imagine what would make a donor scar stretch after it's healed properly and the scalp has stretched to accomodate the removed tissue. BTW, have you considered turning off your Caps Lock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted November 26, 2001 Senior Member Share Posted November 26, 2001 Gary A donor scar could stretch "while" it is healing. Tension on the sutures causes it to happen. If you had a big session (lots of donor scalp removed) or if this is a 2nd, 3rd, 4th procedure etc, it adds to the tightness of the scalp, raising your risk. Obviously a bad donor scar is not the result for every patient, but there is a risk involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GNX Posted November 26, 2001 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 26, 2001 KEYBOARD IS BROKE, SORRY.... CANT TURN CAPS OFF. I WOULD BUY ANOTHER KEYBOARD BUT I HAVE TO SAVE ALL MY MONEY TO PAY FOR MY HT WITH DR. WOODS NEXT YEAR... I KNOW, VERY SAD...VERY SAD...! ~GNX... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2001 Share Posted November 27, 2001 Arfy, Yes, we know one can have bad scar due to tension or bad healing. GNX asked "EVEN IF A DONOR SCAR HEALS PROPERLY, WILL TIME TAKE IT'S TOLL ON THE DONOR SCAR AND STRETCH AS ONE GETS OLDER". I don't believe long-term stretching, "as one gets older", is an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member mel Posted September 6, 2002 Regular Member Share Posted September 6, 2002 any way to get rid of scars done by the old 'punch' style methodology? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted September 6, 2002 Senior Member Share Posted September 6, 2002 Hi Mel Go to www.newhair.com and look for the section on "Corrective Procedures". This is the website for NHI, a clinic that another poster suggested you check out, that has a location in Los Angeles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Mel, Arfy - I have the same problem. I had some of them removed along with a strip excision, and this is a good approach if you are getting a FU HT. But, I have a small, very thin area on one side of my head that is not a good location for an excision as there probably is not enough hair in this area to cover the scar. So, I think the only way to do it in this case is to put grafts in the little round scars to obscure them. In a different area I would get another excision and use any good follicles removed to fill in somewhere else. I'm curious if there are any other viable approaches. Could the little round scars be individually removed, leaving smaller scars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted September 7, 2002 Senior Member Share Posted September 7, 2002 <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Could the little round scars be individually removed, leaving smaller scars? Yes, I believe they can. Of course, it's not a viable solution when there are lots of them. I believe that some doctors have punched those scars out, and sutured the scalp there. I can't tell you how good it works, though. It might not be cosmetically acceptable, I don't know. But I believe it can be an option if you don't have a lot of them. All I'm saying is it is possible, in a limited way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2002 Share Posted September 10, 2002 Do you recall the names of doctors that have done this? I don't have a lot of them, but I have limited donor area left, so if I could remove the scars first, the donor area I have could be put to better use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted September 11, 2002 Senior Member Share Posted September 11, 2002 Hi Gary I heard Spencer mention this (punching out circular open-donor scars) on his show last week. He didn't say which doctors used that method, but he was speaking with a fellow on the phone with open donor scars. One issue about punching them out and suturing, that you will need to ask about... If the scar is too big, you will possibly "pucker" the suture if you just punch the whole thing out at once. The gap may be too big to close perfectly smoothly. I think that when it comes to big plugs (5mm) in the recipient area, many repair doctors only take out a section, and leave an outer "crescent" shape, due to the size/pucker problem. So I don't know if it is practical to try to remove each scar fully, all at once. The doctor may not be able to take the entire scar. Keep in mind I am basing this reply on what happens in the repair of recipient areas (hairline etc) so maybe puckering is not considered a real problem in the donor area, where slight imperfections are concealed a little easier. You will need to look into this... Also, if there are several scars in a small area, it may create too much tension to do more than a couple at a time. It might take a few "mini-sessions" to accomplish your goals... If I were you, I would run this by your regular surgeon first, if I am not mistaken you did find someone who you like. Start there, keeping in mind that repair is a subspecialty and not all the "good" docs are best-suited for it. If that isn't solving your dilemma, try contacting Dr. McLellan or Dr. Bernstein at NHI, or Dr. McAndrews (LosAngeles). Pat also recommended Dr. Vogel to me for repairs once, for another option. You could certainly do "all of the above"... bring it up with your doctor (local to you, I believe) as well as a few other email-consultations, then weigh your options. Pick the doctor who seems to have the best approach for you, or seems like the best I suppose. if everyone has the same approach, you could possibly stick with your regular doctor, because these repair operations seem to be less intensive (in every sense) than a grafting session, and it may not require travelling, from a practical standpoint. I hope that helps... [This message was edited by arfy on September 10, 2002 at 09:18 PM.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 14, 2002 Share Posted September 14, 2002 Arfy, Thanks for the tips. My tentative plan was to consult with 2 or 3 doctors, then decide what to do, which is just about what you suggested. Does Spencer publish transcripts of his shows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member arfy Posted September 20, 2002 Senior Member Share Posted September 20, 2002 Gary I think the 'archives" part of the show is out of commission. You could always try calling during the show, and asking directly... I'd be curious to hear what you learn, once all the reports are in. Also, it would be great if you would keep us informed if you do decide to "get surgical" on these old scars... Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 I will let you know what I find out. I am currently waiting for my second batch (done July 3 by Dr. Keene) to start growing, as I'll want to see what it looks like before I proceed with the next step. But, I'm definately going to get this area fixed up, by getting some grafts there and/or surgery to reduce the size of scars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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