Considering Hair Transplant

[NervousNelly]

Scarred,

 

We hear your plight. I'm glad that you have toned down your posts so that many of us will feel more compelled to reach out and try to help.

 

There are indeed docs that should be able to help you with your issues. If you want a better HT you need to do your research and find a quality doc that can repair and give you a natural look. Hasson and Wong in Vancouver Canada are (I'm assuming) close to you and are top notch. They might be able to even help minimize the scarring situation. Trust me, I believe that there are options for you but be patient and do your research.

 

Any surgical procedure has risks; however, ANY SURGICAL PROCEDURE DONE BY AN UNSKILLED PHYSICIAN HAS EXTREME RISKS. It is unfortunate that for your HT you saw an unskilled physician.

 

Good luck and ask us as many questions as you need to. Take care.

[TomA]

Originally posted by Scarred4Life:

I have consulted with two board certified head and neck plastic surgeons who have told me there is nothing that can be done to fix the scar. I would like to see photos of such repairs. So far I haven't been able to find any either on this site or anywhere else, have you seen any?

 

Well, they might be able to fix the "porcupine look" that caused you to want to shave it in the first place...

 

Also, in the process, they would be moving more hair from the back and would therefore have to reopen the scared area. Perhaps they could close it better the second time around? I don't know--just speculating.

[Al - Moderator]

Scarred4Life:

You should try looking into getting a body hair transplant. They take single hair grafts from other areas of your body that most people won't see such as your chest or leg or wherever on your body that you have some decent hair growing that you can easily hide with normal clothes.

 

Those hairs can be put into the scar line to make it much less noticeable. The hair taken from your body doesn't have to grow long because it's just to cover a scar.

 

For your case since you aren't really looking to get more hair transplanted into your thin/bald area, that is probably the best option. I know you're afraid of taking more risks after the first time around. I know all about that! I had a horrible transplant experience too. But even if the transplanted hairs don't grow well (hopefully the will) using body hair you won't be risking making any additional scars on your head.

 

Definately something you should ask some doctors about. I think True and Dorin in NY do body hair transplants. I don't know without looking it up who else does.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Scarred,

 

Thank you for taking the time to share a little more of your experience.

 

Though I know very little about Dr. Mangubat, I do know that he is not recommended on this site.

 

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience...but please understand that it's obvious to people here that your experience has completely tainted any objectivity you might have toward hair transplantation as a whole.

 

if you are serious about repair work...do a search by using the "find" feature of this forum and look up the words "scar" and "repair". If you seek, you shall find. To say you haven't found the information is a bit alarming to be honest. There is plenty of information if you take the time to look. But you do have to use the "find" and "search" functions of the forums to find what you are looking for. Over my time here, I have seen repair work done by many qualified physicians for scars and the recipient area.

 

I am having a little problem here: You said you have consulted with doctors to repair your work and they told you there is nothing they can do. On another thread you said you consulted with Dr. Hasson (one of the best HT docs out there), and from the sounds of it, he gave you a recommendation to repair your scar and get more hair out of it. You said that you ran out of his office. So what gives here? Are you serious about repair work or not?

 

 

BeHappy,

 

Honestly, I don't agree with your advice. Body Hair Transplant (BHT) is still younger in development and there have been many more failures than successes. Besides...this won't repair his scar.

 

Bill

[Al - Moderator]

I am having a little problem here: You said you have consulted with doctors to repair your work and they told you there is nothing they can do. On another thread you said you consulted with Dr. Hasson (one of the best HT docs out there), and from the sounds of it, he gave you a recommendation to repair your scar and get more hair out of it. You said that you ran out of his office. So what gives here? Are you serious about repair work or not?

 

 

Bill,

You're missing his point. He's trying to get his scar corrected. Not get another HT. The way he sees is is this:

Scarred: Doc, I want to get this scar fixed. What can you do?

Doc: Well you'll always have some sort of scar there no matter what I do... but hey, for $5000 I can make another scar and add some grafts to the front area.

Scarred: No way! I'm outta here!

 

See what I mean? Obviously I'm exaggerating a bit, but after feeling like he's been butchered from a HT, the last thing he wants is another HT. Maybe if it hasn't happened to you then you don't get it, but I'm going through the same thing. I'm just not as harsh about it all as he is. I'm extremely afraid to try any more grafts on my own head.

 

Honestly, I don't agree with your advice. Body Hair Transplant (BHT) is still younger in development and there have been many more failures than successes. Besides...this won't repair his scar.

 

 

I've seen a few people post that it worked OK for them. Remember he's not trying to get any new hair on top. He's ONLY trying to get hair growing in the scar line. Placing hairs in the scar will work although there is a higher rate of grafts that won't grow. But since you're not taking them from his head, you won't be making new scars on his head to try to hide the one he has. For what he wants to do, I think it's definately something he should at least look into. I know hair can grow into areas that have had a strip scar. I've had it done, just not from BHT. I've had it from another strip scar on my head.

[Scarred4Life]

Behappy has explained it just right. I am not interested in adding hair to the front. I much prefer to shave my head after having it done and seeing that I look much better with my head shaved. As far as Hasson goes,if you remember in my earlier post I told you that my impression of him as a person was not a positive one. I have done a search on this site using "Scar Repair" and the name that came up was Rose in Florida. I sent him an e-mail with a picture of my scar. He replied and said to call him. I e-mailed him back and asked him to send me before and after photos of the repairs that he has done so that I can see what type of results to expect. I haven't heard back from him. Now flaceros since you seem to know so much about this stuff I would appreciate it if you can tell me where to find out the information that I am looking for. I have seen all sorts of claims on this site about putting FUEs or FITs or Tricophyte or Ledge Closure but no PHOTOS of results!!! What's the problem. If these are such great techniques as these hucksters claim it to be then show us the proof. But no they want you to pay them the money first which as you know is non refundable once you set up the appointment and get you to have the procedure done. If you are not happy then that's just too bad since you signed a consent form that no results are guranteed and each person and case is different. Bullshit.

[hairbank]

Scarred,

 

Yes, I do believe a quality HT surgeon can give you a scar thinner than the one you have with hair growing through it. Maybe you can supplement this by FUE'ing grafts into the new scar after it has healed...........Dr. Rose will be a great source of advice to you on this.

 

Will you EVER be able to shave your head with no scar showing..............No. This is why some are advising you to get a quality HT surgeon to provide you with something manageable that you can style thus allowing you to grow your hair out in back as well and cover the scar. Have you seen the types of results Dr. Hasson is putting out not to mention the many other fine surgeons recommended here?

 

If you're going into this thinking FUE into your Scar or any Scar revision will make it disappear you're sadly mistaken.

[Bill - Seemiller]

BeHappy,

 

I'm not missing the point. Clearly Scarred4life doesn't understand how scar repair works - perhaps you don't either. I'm not trying to be condescending, but I want you both to understand. There are two options for getting a scar repaired:

 

1. Remove the old scar by doing another strip surgery (harvesting hair follicles - they can either be transplanted or thrown away) and then sown up again using the latest techniques - this is what Dr. Hasson proposed to do.

 

2. Get FUE or BHT and transplant the follicles into the scar. FUE and BHT WILL cause additional scarring in other areas of the scalp/body, possible creating a worse problem.

 

Your suggestion of BHT is not viable IMO, because of the low success rate. Clearly he can do it, but it's risky and might not get much yield from it, therefore creating new BHT scars and not fully filling in the old scar

 

I believe the first option IS the best option.

 

Scarred,

 

I'm not sure what you mean. What does my knowledge have to do with producing results in a search query? If you are serious and are having trouble finding pictures of people's scarring, I will take some time in the next couple days and post some links back for you. Keep in mind, that you don't have to find information on "scar repair" though you can. You can just look up anyone who has had more than one surgery and see their scar.

 

Since you didn't mention it...why don't you take a look at the links below under my name? I show detailed photos of all 3 surgeries and there are certainly scar pictures. I will add some recent scar pictures of my most recent surgery in the next few days. Since option 1 defined above for scar repair works the same as a second surgery, simply look up those who have had more than one surgery and look at scar pictures.

 

Please understand I am not dismissing your experience. I have great sympathy for those who have had bad experiences. But clearly you are coming here and dismissing other people's experiences. You insist that just because you had a bad experience (you still never mentioned how long ago your surgery was) with an unknown doctor that EVERYONE will have a bad experience. This is not the case...and there is plenty of data to back that up.

 

Bill

[TomA]

Originally posted by Bill:

(you still never mentioned how long ago your surgery was)

Bill

 

He said 6 years... (top of this page)

[Bill - Seemiller]

Ah...thanks TomA,

 

I did miss that...and that was my fault.

 

But that does only confirm everything I've been saying all along. 6 years ago things were very different in the HT industry. I've posted in length too on another thread about this so I won't repeat it all again...

 

I've posted other replies on this thread:

 

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/346...1071613?r=1751063613

 

Bill