Potential for Donor Area Widening?

[Tom R.]

Recently I had a megasession of just over 2000 grafts(2,021) done at a top of the line medical group. I understand the tightness and numbness of both the donor and transplanted areas respectively. My question is this. With the tightness in the donor area, felt more so when bending my head forward from the neck, what are the chances of this contributing to a widening donor scar? I am 14 days post-op and I'd like to know if any precautions are recommended to avoid potentially widening this area. I have not read or heard of any such precautions.

[Tom R.]

Recently I had a megasession of just over 2000 grafts(2,021) done at a top of the line medical group. I understand the tightness and numbness of both the donor and transplanted areas respectively. My question is this. With the tightness in the donor area, felt more so when bending my head forward from the neck, what are the chances of this contributing to a widening donor scar? I am 14 days post-op and I'd like to know if any precautions are recommended to avoid potentially widening this area. I have not read or heard of any such precautions.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Tom

I do not believe that flexing your head forward will make any difference. It's not as if your scalp at the level of the donor wound is directly connected to your lower neck. It is attached to the skull the whole way down so the force of pull is very slight by the time it reaches that level.

 

I've heard other people, including doctors, claim that bending the head can make a difference, but the anatomy and physiology just don't allow for this to be a problem in any significant way.

 

If your scar streches significantly over the next few months you can rest assured that it wasn't because of anything you did. Strech is primarily a function of skin physiology, and not your activity.

 

So feel free to bend your head in thanks to your top of the line hair transplant clinic in Chicago that gave you 2,000 grafts.

 

Best of luck

Dr. Alan S. Feller

Feller Medical, PC

Great Neck, NY

www.fellermedical.com

[Tom R.]

Thanks for the reply Doctor Feller. I hoping I get a few more responses. I did look at your profile, only to find that you also specialize in hair transplantation. I had not heard of your clinic but there are so many. By the way, I did not have my procedure done by anyone in Chicago. I took a trip to Minneapolis, MN and was "grafted" by The Shapiro Medical Group.

[Dr. William Parsley]

I basically agree with Dr. Feller, but if the scar is below the nuchal ridge, I feel that stretching the neck can contibute to widening of the scar. You can locate the nuchal ridge by feeling with your hand. It is the horizontal ridge about halfway up the back of your head. I ask my patients to avoid situps or forceful stretching of the neck during the first 30 days. Best to be on the safe side.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Dr Parsley is right. I assumed your scar was above the nuchal ridge. If it isn't, the chances are indeed a bit greater.

[Tom R.]

Thank you for responding doctors. It is greatly appreciated by those of us going through this process. I did a little checking and my donor scar is "right on" the nuchal ridge. I guess I'll be careful for the next 2 weeks. I'm 17 days post-op. Thanks again. Sincerely, Tom R.

 

 

Dr Parsley is right. I assumed your scar was above the nuchal ridge. If it isn't, the chances are indeed a bit greater.

[Guest]

Hi Tomr,

 

Did you interview any docs in Chicago area? I am jsut now starting that process.

 

Tks

[Tom R.]

jrp65,

If you are referring to the specific subject of donor scar widening and not hair transplantation in general, then the answer is no. I have not interviewed any doctors here in Chicago about this subject. I'm not overly concerned about it but I thought enough about the subject to throw it out to some HT docs on this message board. If you follow through with your interviews, please share it with the rest of us HT recipients.

[Guest]

I completely agree with Drs. Parsley and Feller.

BLL/jal

 

Dr. Limmer

[NW]

Hi Tom,

 

In addition to the info you asked about re: scar stretch, if this is your 1st HT, you will most likely notice a very big difference in how the scar actually "feels" soon, at about 6-7 weeks any "tightness" I had experienced after my HT, went away, at 2 months there is just a bit of numbness still, but feeling very much back to normal. Just thought you may be curious on this.

 

NW

[Guest]

I had 2 ht in 6 months. my first the scar stretched in two areas. the second time the doctor stretched with some type of device. he only cut a small sliver out to begin with 3-4 mm wide. we have agreed to keep stitches in for 21 days as i promise to keep area very clean. i am 31 class 5, hoping when i am 40 elasticity will come back for a 3rd or 4th treatment. my crown is still good.

 

thanks