tattoo a scar?

[John Malloy]

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I've last posted. I'm trying to be patient as I've been told numerous times by this forum. I'm 11 months post op from my surgery with Dr. Feller and I have definitely noticed some growth in the recipient area. While my expectations my have been high, my recipient area is a big improvement from my first surgery. However, I've improved my recipient area at the expense of my donor. Thus, the following questions.

 

 

Will my scar look any better in the near future than it does at 11 months?

 

I have it shaved to a 4 clip and there is a big smilely face in the back of my head.

 

What are the pro's and cons of coloring the scar with a tattoo?

[Dr. Alan Feller]

"While my expectations my have been high, my recipient area is a big improvement from my first surgery"

 

It's certainly good to read that you are noticing a cosmetically signficant improvement after our repair session. Scalps with as much scar as yours due to your first surgery (performed elsewhere) tend to grow a bit slower. No surprise there. My guess is that you will continue to show improvement throughout the recipient area for another 6 months or so.

 

As for the scar, at 11 months there will likely be no change. Not better, not worse.

Patients who have had two surgeries tend to have more noticable scars that those who've only had one. Likewise, those with three surgeries tend to be more noticable than those who've only had two. And so on. By and large,the final scar is usually physiology dependent as long as the procedure was performed properly in the first place.

 

Obviously if a number 4 clip showes a big similey face, then allow it to grow out more.

 

I would recommend NOT tatooing your scar because they tend to look blue and then green over time which makes it stand out more. Grow your hair longer and/or consider a scar revision-which has less than a 50% chance of working (you'll probably stretch again), or put some FUEs into the scar to break it up.

 

Grow well.

 

Dr. Feller

[Slaps]

Glad to see you're looking a bit better John. how about some pics?

[Sparky]

Not all scar tattoos turn green or blue, there are quite a few tattoo artists using ink that will NEVER change colour. I've seen scars disappear completly after being tattoed, but obviously this works best with your hair clipped to a number 1 or 2 as they are basically imitating stubble with thier tattoos.

[Forrest Gump]

John, glad to hear that you're finally happy with the outcomes. I personally would avoid tattoos on my head, and would prefer to grow the hair longer instead.

[BigBill1234]

Pics John?

[scar5]

This is a topic very close to my heart, or should I say scalp - these days I can't tell the difference. I have been tattooed, I have been humiiliated about it by competitive colleagues and I guarantee, no one will enjoy the experience, or contemplating it and its after effects. So Dr. Feller, whom I respect very much for his candiness, says tatoos go blue and green, and I concur. But I am desperate for a fix and I see a site like this, http://www.hishairclinic.com/treatment/faqs/ and I think slavation maybe possible. What I (we?) have to come to terms with is the aesthetic compromise that may come into play having to repeat the tatts over partially faded previous tatts. Spark's comments that not all tatts go green or blue is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL. Sparky, what, why and how do you know this. Please explain??

[Slaps]

Originally posted by Forrest Gump:

John, glad to hear that you're finally happy with the outcomes.

 

I'm not sure John said he was happy with the outcomes, having spoken with John several times im fairly sure that he feels, like me, deep regret that he ever had a HT. I bet he'd give anything not to have done so.

 

Sorry about the scar John, im not thrilled about mine either, certainly a lot wider than the width of a playing card thats for sure. Having said that, my Feller scar, which although 3mm wide is a whole lot better than the 8mm one left by the Norton clinic.

[Sparky]

http://www.artistryconceptshai...m/scarcamouflage.htm

[scar5]

Thanks Sparky.

For anyone interested in this, I noted that their single hair after-pics are impressive (but hairlines too sharp) but it is not immediately after that is the issue. It is six months, six years

 

From their FAQ they state that, (my interpretation)

 

1) Blobs appear because inexperienced practitioners deposit the dots too deep and they spread in the fat below (presumably their is less of this fat where they put them) They also add a disclaimer that scars can be unpredictable)

I checked on the web - spent about 40 minutes -

and found this, (make of it what you will)

The cell barriers that hold the pigment get broken down by the body and the pigment gets less sharp over time and this will continue to happen because the Ink should not be there so the body treats it as an invasion by a foreign body and deals with it accordingly. source:http://www.girlstattoos.net/why-do-tattoos-blur

 

2) The colors won't change because they have special blends of ink.

This I confirmed on countless sites to be a fair statement. Initially i thought it was BS until I read so times that pigments/ink quality is everything. I also found out the industry for inks is not regulated - like our beloved HT industry, so who knows.

 

I hope we can get more educated about this, so if anyone can chip in it would be great

 

 

Now I want to run this by the tattoo association or something

[Sparky]

I agree that the hairlines are too sharp, I was just thinking of it being used for scar filling in.

[scar5]

Sparky, scar filling is my goal too. I think an HT can give a good shadow of a graduated hairline if planted very flat and along a jagged line. Tatts would never cut it for me for this purpose because a person's hand would notice a "hair-but-no-hair"thing. However, from an aesthetic point of view, I can't see why this guy can't graduate the color better between the hairline and the empty forehead. But his small hair impressions are excellent - (photoshop manipulation possibility aside) Can he now show and explain why these beautiful fine hair simulation impressions will last over ten years without losing definition? I doubt it, but I hope he can.

[Sparky]

who knows, personaly I'm not gonna be doing any tatooing, I had fue into my scar on Oct 17th 2009 with Dr Bisanga and they are starting to come through now. My wife applies Aloe Vera to it once a day and she says its getting harder to find now.

[LT]

Sparky, that website you posted artistry concepts is very interesting. I also want to fill in my 2 strip scars and would do almost anything to be able to cut my hair with a 1 guard like I used to. I don't like letting my hair grow out on the sides like most people in here because it doesn't look good with thinning hair on top.

 

I meet with Dr. Feller he told me he wasn't 100% sure if putting FUE into my scars would make a big improvement and the cost would be about $1500. I also meet with Dr. Dorin who works with Dr. True he said he didn't think doing anything would improve my scars.

 

So what the hell are my options? The website Sparky posted the tattoo artist in Florida looked pretty impressive for filling in scars and being able to buzz my hair again with a 1 guard.

 

But I am preceding with extreme caution because anyone can put up before and after pictures like the below average doctor I got my scars in the first place from the Connecticut Hair and Transplant Group. I am also very concerned about getting a tattoo to fill in my scars and it changes color.

 

The only way I would get FUE put into my scars is if I can use body hair not going to get anymore fricken scars on my head.

[dakota3]

I think its a good option to camoflauge scars but not to give the appearance of 5 o'clock shadow. I believe you may regret the decision if you tatooed small dots on your balding head.

[MikeTheDane]

Thanks for the links - I think that they are interesting, and most of their results look good.

 

They need to put more work on making the hairlines more soft and natural, but as a whole it looks successful. Especially when used to conceal a scar.

 

That being said though, I wonder how it will look after 10 years. Perhaps you need to remove them with laser and reapply the ink? In that case, is it really worth it?

[LT]

It would be nice if we could get more feedback on this in here. I think concealing old strip scars with tattoos is actually a really good idea. I just think people in the hair transplant industry talk negative about tattooing scars just to steer people away and get FUE into old scars instead. The website Sparky posted looks really impressive I almost want to jump on the next plane to Florida and get my 2 scars tattooed.

 

After getting tattoos put into old scars looks like you would be able to walk out with instant results and be able to cut hair super short. I think I would rather tattoo old scars than get a FUE and wait around a year and still probably can't cut hair short. I am just concerned if the tattoos would ever change color down the road and look unnatural.

[scar5]

LT, I hear you man and thanks to you, Sparky and John Malloy and others for contributing . Thanks to all comments, including negative comments because they are vital (sorry if that sound overbearing, it's just that negativity gets a bad name sometimes). I too would like o get more informed, and this is coming from a man who has worn tatts AND been called out about them because they were so horrid!! Here is an idea just as food for thought, we (as in the people interested) create a list of concerns, comments or issues, sort through them and them present them to various tattoo/micro pigmentation artists and/or associations en masse, then we sift through the results and try to make sense of the wheres and whys of it all. No doubt, there will be bias towards pigmentation, just as there (as you point out) is bias against it in the HT industry. Any thoughts?

Just to kick it off my 2 cents would be questions about,

1) Dots Vs Shading

2) Organic vs Synthetic ink

3) Deep vs Shallow vs combination

 

In no way, would I condone the widespread use of tatts on scars based on the evidence I have seen so far. Light, just as in HT pics, plays a massive role. We have a long way to go.

[John Malloy]

Originally posted by Forrest Gump:

John, glad to hear that you're finally happy with the outcomes. I personally would avoid tattoos on my head, and would prefer to grow the hair longer instead.

Forrest,

I think that I gave the wrong impression in my post that I was happy; however, I waited a few days to respond because my primary objective was a question regarding tattoos. Anyway, to be clear;

I'm not totally happy with my Ht.If I had a choice to have my receding hairline back as oppossed to my HT head of hair, I would take it in a New York second. But, In all fairness to Dr. Feller-- My hair does look a lot less noticible than from my first Ht. I can go to dinner without a hat which is nice, but the sun still reveals the truth that I had a Ht. I'm also bummed about my scar which is a lot more noticible than from my first Ht.

But, I'm under the understanding that I'm not finished growing yet. So, who knows? maybe, in a few months I'll be totally satisfied.

So, to be clear; While Feller made a horrible transplant less obvious, it still does not look totally natural AT THIS POINT. Now, being in the situation I was in Do I regret going to Dr Feller? Definitely not. But, If I had a choice between Feller's result to date and my original head of hair pre Ht number 1, I would have kept my old head of hair.

I hope I cleared that up without offending anyone. Anyway, my concern now is camaflaouging this scar. So, any info to help out would be appreciated. That was the original intent of this post.

[LT]

Slaps, John Malloy, Scar5, and anyone else we are all in the same boat about covering up our old HT scars. I am 34, at this point in my life I am more self conscious about my 2 scars than I am about my frcken hair loss. I would do almost anything to be able to buzz my hair with a 1 guard again. I refuse to have any more scalpels go near my head weather its FUE or whatever.

 

Hey Sparky, you have seen scars completely disappear with tattooing. Where? Who? Without changing color? You posted: http://www.artistryconceptshai...m/scarcamouflage.htm which looked like a great place to camouflage scars. I would like to here from you again. Is this place legit? I'll jump on the next plane to Florida if it is LOL.

[mmhce]

"Patients who have had two surgeries tend to have more noticable scars that those who've only had one. Likewise, those with three surgeries tend to be more noticable than those who've only had two. And so on. By and large,the final scar is usually physiology dependent as long as the procedure was performed properly in the first place."

 

Dr. Feller,

 

Does this mean that patients who have 2nd and 3rd procedures can reasonably expect to have scars that are 4mm and 5mm on average?

[mmhce]

my 2 scars .

 

Lt,

 

Do you mean that you have 2 separate (co-planar) scars ?

 

If so, what options are there to reduce it to one?

 

Not willing to do any FUEs huh?

[haircut]

There is always scar revision surgery. These are pretty common.

[Sparky]

Go to a good fue doc and you wont get any visible scarring, i've had like 2k grafts taken via fue and I could shave with a bic razor and you wouldnt see the fue scars at all.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Sparky,

 

That kind of generic statement about FUE scarring is just as dangerous as saying that you won't see any visible scarring with a strip scar. Under optimal conditions, a strip scar and FUE scarring are easily concealed by existing hair, even at short lengths. While FUE scarring is typically easier to hide, I've seen cases of bad looking FUE scars.

 

Thus, I think it's more appropriate to say that the scarring from FUE is less likely to be seen than strip scarring - however, note that there are fewer candidates for FUE than strip.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill