2nd hair transplant?after how long?which method?

[Sidat]

Hello!

 

I had my 1st hair transplant procedure done in JANUARY 2010 via FUT ( strip method), i only had a parcial strip removed at the donor area, this means not a strip from ear to ear, only from one ear to the middle....they only worked on the front line og the head...

 

Now i am planning to have my 2nd hair transplant in AUGUST 2010( 6 months after the 1st one? is it ok?any problem? i want to restore the hair in the CROWN area since they have never touched it on the 1st trans...

 

But for this 2nd hair transplant i am planning to go for the other method FUE( Folicular Unit Extraction)...Suggestions please

 

Thank you

Greetings to all

Sidat

[Bill - Seemiller]

Sidat,

 

Welcome to our new enhanced forum and social community.

 

While I believe FUE has a place in hair transplant surgery, is there any particular reason why you'd want to undergo FUE when you've had a strip procedure previously?

 

The primary benefit to FUE is to prevent a linear scar. But since you already have one, I would suggest continuing with the FUT/strip route until your only available donor hair is via FUE. The only exception to this would be if you have very minimal hair loss and want less than 1,000 grafts. But given that you are looking to restore your crown, I'd imagine you'd need a lot more than that.

 

If you do go the FUT/strip route, I'd recommend waiting 10 months to a year after your first procedure to allow your scalp elasticity to return. 6 months in my opinion, is a little early.

 

There are of course, varying opinions on this. But the above is mine.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[TakingThePlunge]

I agree with Bill. FUE is generally more costly, provides a lower graft yield and carries a higher risk of failure. The primary reason one would choose this route is to avoid the linear scar that you already have.

Perhaps you have another reason for considering this method?

Typically the interval between HTs is one year. As I understand it, this is in order to give the grafts time to grow and mature. If your second HT is in an area not previously touched, I don't see why six months would be a bad idea but the best advice anyone can tell you is consult with your doctor.

TTP

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

Any reason why you did not just do a full strip and have the grafting in both areas in the first procedure? Generally, it is more cost effective to do it that way.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

I agree with Dr. Charles...don't do half a case if you can avoid it. It costs money, downtime, an additional recuperative time, and a delay in your results.

 

That being said, a highly intelligent young executive in our area, just signed up for "half a case" for mid June. I reluctantly agreed to his plan as he wants to do one frontal triangle first, use his large frontal tuft to camouflage the work, and then come back several months later to do the other side, flopping the frontal tuft the other way then.

 

Make sure you and your doc have a good plan worked out before you commit.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[xtatic5]

Reviving this thread.

 

I'm at 9.5 months post-strip and I plan to get another procedure of approximately 1000 grafts to fill in the hairline. I was considering FUE due to the reduced healing time but I'm concerned about my curly hair and low density (60/cm2). I could also benefit from a partial scar revision on the right half of my scar. If I go FUE I'll probably need an extra 300 to fill in the scar.

 

1) Should I go with strip again? I had a tight scalp the first time and half the scar came out perfect, the other half average.

2) If I do, how likely is it that my scar will end up the same or worse? I think there are some things that I could do differently to improve healing.

3) Does a partial strip cause asymmetry in donor density or scalp tightness?

[scar5]

I thoroughly disagree with the moderators and doctors here encouraging you to turn a scar which could pass as a accident or non-hair transplanted scar due to it being only on one side, into a full ear-to-ear trademark smiley strip 'I-had-a-hair-transplant-scar'.

 

At this point, you could fill in the half scar a bit, and even if it doesn't completely 'go away' -and it won't- you could then proceed with an line of sight to almost being free, to pursue long hair, short hair, meds-free hair, buzzed hair, for the rest of your days on this planet! That is an option, so many folks would love to have. Don't treat it lightly.

 

I find it staggering that today, with all the options for FUE now available, which include low-cost, manual, mechanical, machine, doc only, tech assisted that docs, reps and anyone would want you to slice your head open and leave a scar on the back of your head in these circumstances. ( Unless that is what they have been doing, and why stop?)

 

Had you already had a full ear-to-ear scar, then yes, by all means look at strip, but otherwise, you are literally half a step from falling of the cliff my friend, and these guys are ready to push you.

[xtatic5]

Thanks for your advice scar5. Just to clarify, I am not the OP and I do have an ear-to-ear scar, but only half of it really needs revision.

 

My concern with FUE is that it will leave me with large punches (thanks to curly hair) and a thin donor (thanks to low density).

[scar5]

Sorry for the rant.. .then I THOROUGHLY AGREE WITH THE HONORABALE MODERATORS, DOCTORS AND WHOMEVER ELSE, AY THE COST OF THEIR OWN PRECIOUS TIME CONTRIBUTED TO THIS THREAD!!!