One, two or three scars?

[Perfectpeace247]

Well, my big day is coming up. I am getting ready to have my third hair transplant with Dr. Lindsey in Mclean Virginia. My prior two hair transplants are from a doctor who is not part of this network. One in 2004 and one in 2005. Unfortunately I am left with two scars that are 1/2 cm thick with approximately 1/2 cm of hair in between the scars. So do combine my two scars together to make 1 scar or should I have a third scar to get the most grafts I can? I don't like the sound of the second option but I am not sure if I am going to get the grafts I need from in between my prior scars. It would be great to only have one scar. I have to use a #6 guard on my sides to hide the scars now. I am going for 2500 grafts this time. Any advice would be helpful. I am thankful for this site and the posters here as you all help save me from going to a hair mill for my third HT. Two mistakes are bad enough!!!!!!

[Dutch]

You've picked a surgeon with skill & ethics.

I think combining the scars would be the way to go. You don't want 3. What did the doctor say about this?

Good luck with it all.

[Perfectpeace247]

He told me from my photo that my scars looked a bit wide and that I should perform scalp exercises. I just recently found out that one scar is the best way to go even with multiple surgeries. I am still pondering what to do and gathering information.

[RCWest]

If you want to remove the scar, then you probably won't get many grafts. Probably the best way to do this is remove a portion of the scar while getting the donor strip, then in a year remove the rest of the scar. Scalp exercises are very valuable in these cases.

[StaggerLee123]

I don't think you want 3 scars to deal with. Dr. Lindsey is an expert at doing scar revisions so I think that would be they way to go if possible. If you can revise the two scars into one and still get around 2000 grafts that ideally would be my plan of attack.

 

Best of luck.

Edited April 11, 2012 by StaggerLee123
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[Perfectpeace247]

Thanks all. Good advice. I will use this info in the final planning of my HT.

[aaron1234]

You might want to consider removing just one of the scars while getting a few thousand grafts in the process (if possible). This way you'll still only have two scars to deal with. Removing both of the scars you currently have will not net you many grafts. And going through the pain of another strip surgery without the cosmetic benefit of more hair sort of sucks in my opinion. Dr. Lindsey's advice, whatever it may be, should most certainly be heeded.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

I just saw this thread and didn't realize you were coming to me when I opened it.

 

Whether through our discussion or your research, you have the 2 issues at hand clearly defined in your mind, which is half the ball game.

 

And those issues are counter to one another: more hair or better scar. I've posted a bunch on this including a thread from a few years back with "the double edged sword" in the title, and even on the case I posted yesterday that countryboy is commenting on. Feel free to review both.

 

In summary, IF you are going to have short hair in the donor region and you don't need a ton of hair, lets cut out your old scars and try to get you one reasonable, but not likely perfect, scar. That will limit the number of grafts we get out as my strips are almost always about 1.75 cm wide, and if there is .8cm of scar, then you have lost half the hair you'd otherwise get if we just take non-scar'd skin out as your strip. However, if you need alot of hair, and you can wear your hair a little longer in the back, get all the hair you can. You can always do scar work, whether FUE and/or excision, later.

 

That is why we talk about it either the day you come in for a consultation, or if you are a traveller--the day before your surgery when you arrive in town AND the day of surgery before you take your valium. Once you take that valium, the plan doesn't change.

 

I really like to hammer all of this out before the morning of surgery. Just last month we had a traveller comment that he was distressed with my scar. I reminded him that we'd discussed just the issues you note above and that he'd chosen to have me get as much hair as possible, and my intraop pics show that I'd outlined a plan leaving most of his old scar...yet he says he doesn't remember choosing. Now I am a pretty thorough documentor in the chart and I know we discussed it. But I'm particularly glad you already understand the issues AND that you've blogged on it.

 

I'll look forward to seeing you in the near future.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA